Tips On Growing Giant Hosta.

A more in depth tour of my main garden, with some tips on getting the best performance out of your plants. GROWING GIANT HOSTA 1. Site the plant properly: Hostas are not shade lovers, they tolerate shade. They want 3-4 hours of direct sun a day. I dont think the time of day is as important as is generally believed. High dappled shade for the rest of they day will help with improving the colour. They'll grow anywhere, but this is the "goldilocks zone" for them. Hostas love rich well drained soil. They also LOVE water so avoiding too much tree root competition is key. Tree roots are the #1 reason hostas under perform. The worst offenders, which are quite common in subdivisions here, are Norway maples, Lindens, and fruit trees (e.g. flowering crabapple). They are all shallow rooting, and aggressive growers. My best success has come with Japanese maples, honey locusts, and oaks. Tip#1 prune your trees fairly high. I prune mine to around 5-6 feet.(1.5-2m). You have to plan ahead. What I really mean is you have to leave it alone. Pick where you want it to go and dont disturb the roots ever again. Hostas never need to split to improve growth. It can take 7-8 years for alot of the giant cultivars to mature. The "fairy ring" older hostas exhibit are not a sign that it needs to split. That's the mature growth habit if a healthy hosta. Planting depth is key. Keep the crown of the plant no more than 1/2" (1.5cm) below soil level.. Overly deep planting is probably the #2 reason hostas fail to perform. 2. Proper Care. To get good growth year to year, make sure the ground stays relatively moist. I think the rule of thumb is 1" (2.5cm)/week. The giant ones may need more, depending on the cultivar. I fertilize 3 times a year. I'm in zone 5 so I give a heavy dose last week of april when the "bullets" are poking through, a much lighter dose in first week of June, and an even lighter one at the end of June. This is when the roots start growing in earnest, so a little extra boost pays dividends for next year. Tip #2. Always overhead water directly after applying pellet fertilizer. The pellets will burn the leaf if not washed off. I mulch with a natural forest mulch ( hemlock, but there are lots of types) as it retains moisture, suppreses weeds, and breaks down to enrich the soil. Buy healthy plants from a reputable local nursery. The hosta virus x (HVX) is very prevalent at the big box store's garden centers. Lots of info online about it. It's incurable and the plant has to be destroyed. Tip#3 when purchasing plants always peruse the hostas for awhile, if any plants show HVX dont buy anything, even if it looks healthy. Tip#4 buy the larger size 2-5 gallon plants if available. Quicker gratification. I think that's it If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Cheers James.