Hosta: planting and care in the open field, description of species and varieties, growing in autumn

To revitalize and decorate the garden, many plant hostas in it. This plant is popular among gardeners due to its unpretentious care. However, despite this, before planting, you need to familiarize yourself with all the features of planting and caring for the host.

Description and features of the plant

Khosta is an Asian flower that many prefer to decorate their garden with. A distinctive feature of the plant is not its flowers, but the leaves. They can be dyed in light, golden, bluish or light green colors.

Classification

There are several parameters by which this plant can be distinguished.

Height

The height of the flower is divided into six groups.

Dwarf

Lovers of compact plants can plant dwarf plants in their area. They are considered the lowest varieties of hosta. Their height does not exceed 10-12 centimeters.

Petite

Varieties related to miniature, slightly higher than dwarf ones. If you properly care for the planted bushes, their height will be 15 centimeters.

Small

Also, small varieties of plants are distinguished into a separate group, the height of which is slightly larger than that of miniature and small ones. Such bushes can grow up to 17-25 centimeters.

Average

Most plants that have an average height. These shrubs grow up to fifty centimeters when grown outdoors. Some grow up to 55-60 centimeters.

Large

To decorate large gardens, tall varieties of hostas are planted. Such bushes stand out from other varieties of the flower, as their height is 70-75 centimeters.

Giant

Giant bushes growing up to eighty centimeters are considered the highest. Experienced gardeners recommend tying them to supports so they don't break.

By color

Also, the flower may differ in its color.

Greens

Most often, gardeners plant plants with green leaves on their plots. Such bushes are suitable for decorating flower beds that need landscaping.

Blue

People who want to decorate the garden with non-standard plants plant a blue hosta. It has large heart-shaped leaves, the surface of which is green with a slight bluish tinge.

Yellow

If the garden lacks bright plants, you can plant yellow flowers. They differ from others in large leaves that are colored yellow. The leaves begin to turn yellow in late May and early summer.

Variegated

In such plants, the leaves have a small border, which is painted white. The peculiarities of this group of plants include the fact that the leaves do not lose their attractiveness until mid-autumn.

Mediovariegated

In such varieties, the foliage is painted in two colors at once. The inside of the leaf plates is yellowish, and the outside is completely green. Sometimes the border has a bluish or light tint.

Leaf shape

Hosta bushes differ in the shape of the leaves. They can be:

lanceolate - oblong foliage with a sharp tip;
elliptical - each leaf on the bush has the shape of an ellipse;
ovoid - the leaves are shaped like a chicken egg.

According to the texture of the sheet

Hosta leaves have a varied texture. They may have a metallic or waxy sheen. Also, the surface of the foliage is varnished, shiny or smooth. In some varieties, the leaves have corrugated edges.

Popular species

There are fourteen popular varieties of flowers that are popular among gardeners.

Plantain

This variety got its name due to the fact that the foliage of the bushes looks like a plantain. Each leaf is covered with large veins and wrinkles. The height of plantain seedlings reaches 60-70 centimeters.

Wavy

A compact undersized plant twenty centimeters high. The bushes are covered with foliage, on the surface of which you can see small veins. The variety blooms in the middle of summer.

White-bordered

A distinctive feature of the variety is a thin white border on the foliage. The white-bordered hosta is tall and grows up to 75 centimeters. Blooms in the first half of June.

Straight-leaved

For cultivation near water bodies, it is better to plant a straight-leaved variety that grows well in high humidity. The bush has large foliage, painted green.

Ovoid

This is a perennial flower that forms globular shrubs as it grows. The ovoid leaves are green in color with a lilac tint. The average height is 50-60 centimeters.

Small

Dwarf shrub, the height of which is ten centimeters. Grown outdoors or in pots on a windowsill. In summer, purple flowers form on the plant.

Lanceolate

A miniature plant that grows only up to forty centimeters. Starts blooming in July and finishes in late September or early October.

Curly

This variety differs from other flowers in its wavy foliage, in which the lower edge is painted white. Purple flowers appear during flowering.

Beautiful

A miniature bush, whose height does not exceed 8-9 centimeters. Flowering begins in mid-July or early August. The petals are painted lilac.

Siebold

Medium-sized flower 40-50 centimeters high. The foliage of Siebold is ovoid and rather large. The leaf plate is covered with a slight purple bloom.

Decorative

For the design of flower beds and garden plots, the Decorative variety is used. Such plants can be planted both in flower beds and in special pots.

High

A tall bush that grows to a height of up to eighty-five centimeters. The foliage of the plant has a dark greenish color. The petals are yellowish.

Puffy

Medium-sized flower with pointed foliage. Shrub height - 45-60 centimeters.

Tokudama

The main difference of the plant is its foliage. Its inside is painted bluish, and the edging is bright yellow.

Disembarkation in temporary containers at home

First, plants are grown in temporary pots or boxes.

Selecting planting material

In order for the planted seedlings to grow well, it is necessary to choose the right seed. Seedlings should be green and not dried out. There should be no yellow spots on their foliage.

Preparation of rhizomes

Before planting, all roots must first be soaked in a manganese solution to disinfect them. For better rooting, they can be soaked in liquids with phytohormones and amino acids.

How to plant

Before planting hostas, holes are made in the ground with a depth of 5-7 centimeters. Seedlings are carefully planted in them and their rhizome is sprinkled with soil.

Care

Planted plants must be properly looked after.

Irrigation

Water should be done regularly, every 4-5 days. For each seedling, 300-400 milliliters of water are spent.

Temperature and light conditions

Hosta does not need to be grown in full sun, as it grows well in the shade. The air temperature during cultivation should not be below 17-18 degrees.

Hardening

Seedlings must be hardened in advance so that they adapt to temperature changes. To do this, they are transferred daily for 30-40 minutes from the premises to the street.

Landing in open ground

It is recommended to deal with the peculiarities of transplanting seedlings into the garden in advance.

Timing

The host should be transplanted in early April, after the end of the frost. Too late to plant them, so the deadline is mid-May.

Features of lighting requirements of different varieties

All varieties grow well in shady areas, and therefore there is no need to plant them in light areas.

Soil Requirements

When choosing a site for planting, pay attention to the ground. It should be rich in mineral and organic components necessary for the growth of seedlings.

How to plant

To plant flower seedlings, it is necessary to dig holes 6-8 centimeters deep in the area. Then hosta seedlings are placed in them, sprinkled with earth and poured with water.

Care and cultivation

You need to familiarize yourself in advance with how to care for the hosta planted in the garden.

Irrigation

When growing such flowers, it is necessary to periodically moisten the soil. The procedure is carried out 2-3 times a week so that the earth does not dry out. In the hot summer, this is done more often, 1-2 times every three days.

Feeding

During cultivation, top dressing is added to the soil three times.

Spring

10-15 days after transplanting the seedlings into the garden, the soil is fed with organic matter. Peat with humus and chicken manure is added.

When flowering

When flowers bloom, seedlings lack mineral fertilizers. Therefore, the bushes are fed with superphosphate, as well as nitrogen-containing and phosphorus-containing compounds.

After flowering

When the flowers fade, use complex formulations. They can contain both organic and mineral supplements.

Loosening and weeding

The area where the hosta is grown is periodically weeded. This is done to loosen the soil and remove weeds.

Preparing for winter

Hosta bushes must be prepared in advance for wintering.

Plentiful watering

Many believe that autumn is the time to stop watering flowers. However, before the start of winter, seedlings should be plentifully irrigated with warm water.

Autumn pruning

In the first half of September, the bushes are pruned. Weakened shoots are removed, as well as yellowed leaves.

Mulching

The soil must be mulched to protect the root system from frost. To do this, straw, hay or dry tree branches are lined on the surface of the soil.

Shelter

For additional frost protection, the bushes are covered. Most often, a strong plastic film is used as a shelter.

Diseases and pests

Hosta, like other plants, is attacked by pests and suffers from various diseases.

Rot collar decay

Most often, seedlings suffer from rotting of the root system, which in the future can lead to the death of seedlings. To prevent the onset of the disease, the bushes are regularly sprayed with fungicides.

Fusariosis

Fusariosis is a dangerous disease that affects leaves and rhizomes. The disease cannot be cured, and therefore infected bushes will have to be dug up and burned.

Slugs

If slugs attacked the seedlings, they will have to be treated with special solutions. Effective remedies against slugs include Thunderstorm and Throw.

Features of reproduction

There are three methods of propagating hostas used by flower growers.

Dividing bushes

A common method of flower propagation. Bushes in early spring are divided into several seedlings with 2-3 leaf rosettes. They are rooted, after which they are planted in a new place.

Cutting

When grafting, young shoots are removed from seedlings, which are then planted in pots. They are abundantly watered and fed so that they do not get sick.

Collection and storage of seeds

The hosts collect seeds in the middle or at the end of August. The collected seeds should be stored in a room with moderate humidity and a temperature of 15-18 degrees.

Transfer

Some flower growers transplant the hosta to a new site in the fall. Most often this is done in September, before the onset of cold weather. Before planting, the place where the flowers will be planted is fed with potassium sulfate, superphosphate and s altpeter.

How to grow seedlings from seeds

There are a few tips to help you grow seedlings from seeds.

Growth promoters

First, you need to process the seed with special growth stimulants. They help the seeds germinate faster.

How to drop off

It is quite easy to plant the seeds of a hosta flower. First, holes 1-2 centimeters deep are made in containers for growing seedlings, into which seeds are placed. Then they are buried and watered.

Timing

Sprouting seed is planted in the middle of winter so that seedlings can be planted in the garden in the spring.

Temperature and light conditions

Because the hosta can grow in the shade, seedlings do not need to be grown in well-lit areas. The plant is more demanding on temperature, and therefore its indicators should not be less than eighteen degrees.

Irrigation

Seedlings love moisture, and therefore they are watered every three days. For irrigation use water at room temperature.

Dive

Dive is done when the first 2-3 leaves appear on the seedlings. A separate container with soil mixture is prepared for each seedling.

Hardening

Before planting in open ground, seedlings must be hardened off. She is periodically taken outside to get used to the temperature changes.

Landing in open ground

When the seedlings grow to 6-8 centimeters, they are transplanted outside. Holes are made in the garden with a depth of 3-5 centimeters. Then germinated seedlings are transplanted into them.

Regional specifics

Cultivation of hosta in different regions has certain characteristics.

Medium lane

The climatic conditions of the middle lane allow you to grow flowers without additional shelters for the winter.

Ural and Siberia

In the Urals and Siberia, the climate is more severe, and therefore it is more difficult to grow flowers. Planted bushes will have to be mulched and covered with foil in the fall.

South of Russia

Southern climate is not suitable for hostas due to possible droughts in the summer. Therefore, in the summer it will be necessary to water the seedlings more often to maintain an optimal level of humidity.

Leningrad Region

In the Leningrad region, the climate is ideal for growing hosta. A rainy summer promotes the growth and flowering of this plant.

Landscape use

Many people use the host in landscape design. Experts recommend planting them together with garden plants such as peonies, ferns, astilbes and dicentres. This combination of cultures will create a beautiful flower arrangement in the garden.

Conclusion

To decorate a garden or summer cottage, some plant a hosta. Before planting such a flower, you need to understand the varieties of the plant and the characteristics of its cultivation.