
What Kind Of Light Do Hostas Need – Hosta plants are a perennial favorite among gardeners. Their lush foliage and easy maintenance make them perfect for a low-maintenance garden. Originating in the Orient and brought to Europe in the 1700s, today there are more than 2,500 varieties in leaf shape, size and texture, and an entire garden could be devoted to just growing hostas. Although hosta care is considered easy, it helps to know a little about how to grow hostas to help the plants reach their full garden potential.
Although hosta plants are said to be shade lovers, their sunlight requirements vary widely. Hostas that grow successfully in shade depend on color. Hosta leaves come in a variety of greens, from the deepest color known as blue, to light chartreuse to soft creamy white.
What Kind Of Light Do Hostas Need
A good rule of thumb for planting and caring for hostas is to keep the foliage light and the sun bright. Deep dark foliage retains color best in moderate shade. Variegated varieties need more sunlight to keep their white and gold stripes. All hostas need some shade and some do well in strong direct sunlight. They become fully mature in four to eight years.
Hosta Color Changes
For the best care of hostas, plant them in rich organic soil with a slightly acidic pH. You only have to do it once. Dig the planting hole about a foot (.3 m.) deep and wide enough to accommodate the full spread of the plant. This will make it easier for the roots to establish a place and begin their horizontal spread.
Despite their almost tropical appearance, hostas are hardy and, once established, will tolerate almost any soil and grow for years.
When discussing how to grow hostas, drainage is very important. Crown rot is one of the few diseases that can affect these plants during the dormant season. Good hosta care requires good drainage. When replanting, keep the roots moist, not wet. Once established, hosta plants are not fussy and are very tolerant of summer drought.
Once your plant is established, hosta care becomes simple maintenance. To keep your growing hostas healthy, fertilize them each spring with an all-purpose garden fertilizer. Additional summer fertilization may be helpful, but not necessary. Granular fertilizers should never sit on the leaves.
Hosta, Plantain Lily ‘assorted’ (hosta Hybrid)
Aside from crown rot and leaf rot, hosta plants are relatively disease-free. Deer find them delicious, and if deer are a problem in your neighborhood, you can plant daffodils around your hosta to deter them from growing shoots.
Another difficulty in hosta care is slugs, which leave unsightly holes in the leaves. Scattering sand around your plants will help keep them away.
Hosta plants are a beautiful addition to any garden and fit well in a variety of locations ranging from a few inches to four feet (1.2 m). Caring for hostas is easy, and now that you’ve figured out the basics of how to grow hostas, you can make them a welcome addition to your yard. We are always asked by hosta fanatics if there are any varieties that can grow in full sun. Although the ideal conditions for hostas are partial shade and moist well-drained soil, there are some varieties that can do much better when planted in full sun. We generally recommend growing your hostas in partial shade, but we understand that sometimes shade isn’t easy to come by in every garden, so here are some varieties we recommend trying in full sun.
Hosta ‘Sun Power’ is a good example. ‘Sun Power’ has bright golden foliage and forms an impressive mound over 1.5m across. This variety is usually best planted in the ground due to the size of the pot, although it will certainly be happy if you have a large enough pot.
Hostas For Full Sun
When grown in shade, ‘Sun Power’ is a chartreuse green and not as bright and yellow as in full sun. This variety is ideal for a position that receives morning or afternoon sun, as this will help maximize the golden color.
Top Tip: Knowing which hosta is sun tolerant or not is important, especially in hot summers that show signs of leaf stress or burning. It is important to keep the moisture level in the soil consistent, as repeated swings from too wet to too dry can lead to a sad appearance. For tips on watering, check out our article on watering.
Hosta plantaginea ‘Aphrodite’ is a variety that really thrives when given lots of sunlight. One of the advantages of this variety is its beautiful fragrant flowers. By giving ‘Aphrodite’ some good direct sunlight, you’ll help encourage more flower growth. If ‘Aphrodite’ is planted in a heavily shaded position, one of the main characteristics of the variety is that ‘Aphrodite’ will not produce as many flowers and leaves will be a dull green like Hosta ‘Sun Power’.
Top Tip: We recommend planting in a part-day sun spot so you get beautiful flowers without scorching the leaves later in the season.
How To Successfully Care For Hosta Plants
Like Hosta ‘Sun Power’, the beautiful Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’ grows best in full sun. It’s large chartreuse leaves turn bright throughout the spring and summer, it’s very slow in the shade and the leaves don’t turn bright gold if they’re grown in the sun in the fall.
‘Sum and Meaning’ is the most popular hosta due to its versatility. This variety is easy to grow and a show stopper in the garden!
If you would like more information on these varieties, growing in full sun, or just want some more ideas, please ask. Hostas are wonderful plants that deserve to be in every garden. However, due to objective reasons, it is not possible to grow them everywhere. In this article, you will find out which is the best option for these plants.
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Hosta needs a light shade to thrive. It is a type of light in which a large part of the sunlight is reflected and only a small part of it reaches the leaves.
Of Our Favorite Showstopping Hosta Varieties
This type of sunlight can be achieved by planting hosta under a tree that does not have a very dense crown. For example, some cones are suitable for this purpose. This is the reason conifer collectors usually have large collections of hostas.
You can achieve similar light by placing a shade net over hostas that reflects more than 50 percent of UV rays. It’s a hassle but definitely worth it.
If you plant a hosta in partial shade, you don’t have to worry about too much or too little sunlight. Hosta will receive enough light to get beautiful leaves, this is especially true for yellow and gold varieties.
However, dappled shade isn’t the only type of light that hostas can grow in. In the following, I will tell you all the possible events and what they lead to.
The 19 Best Hosta Varieties For A Shady Yard
However, you must distinguish between full shade and total darkness. Full shade has a lot of light, but it reflects light but not directly. At the same time, total darkness when there is almost no light.
Full shade is a location under a tree canopy or behind tall buildings. Such places are good for growing hostas.
However, it is difficult to find places without direct sunlight, so your hostas may receive 1 to 2 hours of direct sunlight per day in the morning or evening, which is completely normal.
In the shade, you need to worry much less about watering your hosta. Soils in the shade dry out more slowly than under trees. You should water your hosta under trees frequently.
Elegant Hosta Plants For Sale Online
Also, in a shady location, the air is usually too humid, so the leaves are susceptible to blight. However, you should monitor the hosta’s health, as fungal diseases thrive best in humid locations.
In full shade, slugs and snails will often disturb your plants. To solve this problem, use traps and iron phosphate.
Blue hosta varieties do best in full shade. They don’t even need minimal direct sunlight. Also, even 1-2 hours of direct sunlight will turn them pale green and lose their bright blue color.
The most common shade-loving variety is Blue Cadet. It is a compact hosta that usually does not exceed 2 feet when mature. It has medium-sized leaves with a blue color and sharp tips. It’s like a hosta version of a blueberry muffin.
Van Zyverden Hosta Medio Variegata
The second type is the blue arrow. This hosta has narrow, pointed, greenish-blue leaves. It is very
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