From my perspective as a Hosta, my foremost need is a comfortable home. I thrive in a location that offers dappled sunlight or full shade. While some of my sun-tolerant cousins can handle a few hours of gentle morning sun, the intense afternoon rays will scorch and bleach my beautiful leaves, causing them to yellow and develop unsightly brown, crispy edges. My ideal spot is under the protective canopy of deciduous trees, where the light is filtered and soft. The soil is equally important. I desire a rich, well-draining medium that is consistently moist but never waterlogged. Soggy, compacted soil will suffocate my roots and lead to rot, a condition I find particularly distressing.
When you are ready to plant me, please prepare a hole that is at least twice as wide as my root ball and just as deep. This gives my roots ample room to spread out and establish themselves in their new environment without having to fight through compacted soil. Gently loosen my roots if they are pot-bound; this encourages them to grow outward. Place me in the hole so that the crown—the point where my roots meet my stems—is level with the surrounding soil surface. Planting me too deep invites rot, while planting me too high exposes my crown to the elements. Backfill the hole with the native soil amended with compost or peat moss, which provides me with essential nutrients and improves moisture retention. A thorough watering to settle the soil around my roots is the perfect welcome.
My large, lush leaves are magnificent but they require a significant amount of water to maintain their turgor and beauty. Consistent moisture is the key to my happiness, especially during the hot, dry periods of the growing season. A deep, slow watering that penetrates the root zone is far superior to a light sprinkling. A layer of organic mulch, such as shredded bark or compost, applied around my base (but not touching my crown) is immensely beneficial. It helps conserve that precious soil moisture, keeps my roots cool, and suppresses weeds that would compete with me for resources. In early spring, as I emerge from my dormancy, a serving of a slow-release, balanced fertilizer or a top-dressing of compost will give me the energy I need to produce my season's growth.
My life follows a peaceful, seasonal rhythm. In spring, my pointed shoots (often called "eyes") pierce through the soil, unfurling into a magnificent display of foliage that lasts until the first hard frost. After my foliage dies back in autumn, you can remove it to keep the garden tidy and discourage pests and diseases from overwintering. As I mature and establish a strong clump, I can be divided to create more of my kind. The best time for this is in early spring as my eyes are just emerging or in early autumn, giving me time to establish new roots before winter. Carefully dig up my entire clump and use a sharp, clean knife or spade to cut between the eyes, ensuring each new division has at least two or three eyes with a good portion of roots attached. Replant these divisions, and they will grow into robust new plants identical to me.
