Hosta

Hosta plant (Hosta), or funkia - perennial from the Asparagus family. Previously, it was attributed to the Lilia family. This genus includes about 40 different species that grow in the Far East region, as well as in East Asian countries.

Hosts love moisture and prefer to grow in coastal areas, on mountain slopes and shady forest edges. The names of the flower are associated with the names of the Austrian and German botanists N. Host and G.H. Funk.

In Japan, hostu is considered a sacred plant, it was the Japanese who got its many garden forms, and its leaf stalks are used in local cooking as a delicacy. It was from this country that the flower spread throughout the world. In Europe, the popularity of the host did not come immediately, its elegant bushes were appreciated only after they were brought to America. Today, representatives of this genus are widely used as ornamental plants with beautiful foliage and elegant flowers.

Description of hosts

Representatives of the host genus may differ in external characteristics, but they still have common features. All varieties of this plant are stemless perennial grasses with short and thick rhizomes. Many small cord-like roots depart from it, firmly holding the bush in the ground.

The average height of the bush is about 70 cm, although there are also larger or miniature specimens. The foliage grows directly from the root, forming a rosette. Lanceolate or heart-shaped leaf plates have a pointed tip and pronounced veins. Hosts attract gardeners with a wide palette of foliage colors. Their color depends on the type of plant and its variety. Colors include blues and greens, as well as yellow and white. Most often, the leaf has a non-uniform color and is additionally decorated with spots, streaks, strokes and specks of other shades. The texture of the foliage is no less varied. The surface of the plates can be wrinkled, crinkled or smooth, waxy, have a shimmer or glossy sheen.

Almost leafless large peduncles rise above the foliage. On them are inflorescences-brushes, formed by simple or double flowers, resembling bells or having a funnel-shaped shape. Their color can be white, pink, lilac or light blue. After flowering, leathery capsules with many seeds are formed. Their germination capacity is maintained throughout the year.

Due to the wide variety of foliage and decorative inflorescences, it will not be difficult to choose the host that is ideal for the garden.These plants are distinguished by their unpretentiousness and shade tolerance, rare for flowering plants. In a short time, plantings can grow significantly. They can withstand cold and drought and make a great backdrop for other garden plants. The host reaches its maximum decorativeness from about the 5th year of cultivation.

Brief rules for growing hosts

The table below shows the short rules for growing hosts in the open field.

Growing hosts from seeds

Hosta can be grown from seed as well as by dividing the bush and grafting. Seeds or ready-made seedlings of the plant can be purchased at specialized stores. When choosing a seed propagation method, it should be remembered that such plants will develop for a long time, and they may also not retain all varietal characteristics. At the same time, in some species of hostas, seeds allow you to get plants of interesting colors.

Sowing seeds

When growing hosts from seeds, treatment with growth stimulants plays a key role. The seed germination rate is not so high and amounts to about 70%. To increase it, it is necessary to soak the seeds in epine, zircon or organic stimulants for about half an hour. Some gardeners pre-stratify the seeds by keeping them in the cold for a month.

The quality of the soil also plays an important role in growing seedlings. It should include peat, vermiculite and perlite. The substrate must be disinfected in advance, as well as the container for planting. Drainage is laid at the bottom of the pot.

Sowing is carried out in the middle of spring. The seeds are spread over the surface of the moistened soil and lightly sprinkled with earth. The depth should not exceed 7 mm. The surface of the soil is lightly tamped, and then the container is covered with glass or foil. At a temperature of at least 18 degrees, seedlings should appear within 2-3 weeks. Until the sprouts appear, the crops can be kept in partial shade, but immediately after germination, they must be rearranged to a lighter place. Seedlings will need protection from direct light and moderate watering. Condensation from the shelter should be removed regularly.

Seedling hosts

After the appearance of a pair of true leaves, the seedlings dive into their own pots. They are pre-filled with soil suitable for growing, and the upper quarter is covered with sand. After transplanting, it is recommended to water the hosts only through the pallet. The water should not be drained from it until the top layer of soil in the pot is wet.

Some time after the dive, the hostas begin to harden the seedlings, removing the shelter from it for several hours. After a week of such procedures, the shelter is removed completely. After that, the seedlings can be taken out into the air if the temperature there is at least 18 degrees.

Sometimes some hosta varieties are purposefully grown in pots or containers until their bushes are large enough. This allows you to insure young plantings from the invasion of pests that can eat their foliage.In summer, these hosts can be used to decorate a veranda or terrace, sheltered from the sun. For young plants, small pots are used, transferring them to larger ones as they grow. Growing containers must have drainage holes.

In winter, pots with such hosts are brought into a dry and moderately cool place and occasionally watered, preventing the soil from drying out. In the spring, such plantings wake up earlier than open ground plants, but they can be taken out into the street only after all frosts have passed.

Landing hosts in open ground

The best time to plant

Hosta seedlings can be planted in open ground both in autumn in early September and in spring in April or early May. For planting hosts, you should immediately choose a place that fully meets the requirements of the plant. The flower is one of the species that are prettier from a long growth in one place without transplants. It can grow on one site for about 25 years. At the same time, the foliage gradually becomes larger and more elegant.

The best place for the hosts is a semi-shady place, reliably protected from drafts. The degree of possible shading directly depends on the color of the foliage of the selected species. Brightly colored or variegated leaves with light patches will require more light than dark and green leaves. In addition, plants with denser and stronger foliage are more receptive to light.

Variegated and golden-leaved hosta varieties are best planted in a corner shaded only in the hot afternoon hours. The blue-leaved species are grown in moderately shady areas with only a few hours of sunlight per day. In too light or dark corners, their foliage will acquire the usual green color. In general, in the shade, the growth rate of the host decreases noticeably, but their foliage becomes larger, and the bushes - a greater height.

Landing features

Growing hosts will require moist, nutrient-rich soil with a good drainage layer. Its reaction can be neutral or slightly acidic. On sandy or too heavy loamy soil, bushes will grow worse.

If the hosta seedlings are planted in the spring, the site should be prepared in the fall. During this period, the soil surface is covered with a layer of organic matter about 10 cm thick.Then the bed is well dug up to about the depth of the shovel bayonet. In the spring, plants can be planted on the territory prepared in this way. This is done after the warm weather has finally established - in early or mid-May.

Bushes are planted at a distance of 30-60 cm from each other. The distance depends on the size of the selected variety. When growing giant host varieties, it is necessary to maintain a gap of about a meter between the plants. Planting holes should be wide: the roots of the plants grow horizontally.

If the bushes grow in pots, they are watered abundantly a few hours before the transplantation procedure. If the transplant is combined with division, the roots of the plants are preliminarily examined for rot or damage, removing all unhealthy areas. Ordinary seedlings are transferred to the hole along with a soil clod. They, like the cuttings, should be buried approximately 2-3 cm below the ground level. The roots of the plants are carefully straightened, the voids are covered with earth and slightly tamped down. After good watering, the root area of ​​the bushes is mulched with fine bark.

Caring for the host in the garden

Watering

The soil on which the hosts grow must be kept slightly moist. It is especially important to observe this rule when growing young plants. Watering is usually carried out in the early morning, trying to pour water under the roots of the plantings. Falling on foliage, drops can negatively affect its visual appeal. Watering is carried out gradually, allowing the water to be absorbed. Strong jets contribute to the compaction of the soil. If the hosta grows in too dry soil, the tips of its leaves will begin to darken.

Top dressing

If the host bushes were originally planted in a nutritious soil, they can not be fed for 3-4 years.In autumn, the top of the soil is covered with a layer of humus and compost. A similar mulching procedure also contributes to the feeding of the plantings. The host does not need large amounts of minerals, but if the need for fertilizers nevertheless arises, you should use granules, scattering them near the bushes.

Liquid dressings (regular and foliar) are carried out twice a month until mid-July. A later application of fertilization will lead to the fact that the growth of the hosta is activated, and the plantings will not be able to properly prepare for winter.

Loosening the soil

Hosts practically do not need loosening and weeding. They are carried out only during the first time of growing plants. Then the plantings begin to grow and drown out the emerging weeds on their own. A few years after planting, the bushes can be divided if necessary. To do this, after 3-4 years of cultivation, the host is dug up and cuttings from the main root are separated. An adult and healthy plant tolerates this procedure well.

Cuttings are carried out in the first half of summer. To do this, use easily separated fresh shoots of the host, which have a "heel". Sockets with medium-sized compact foliage are preferred. Before planting, the leaves are cut by a third. For some time, such seedlings may remain sluggish, but in a few days they acquire a healthy appearance. During this period, it is important to ensure that the cuttings are in the shade, and also to spray them periodically.

Transfer

Every autumn, the hosta is subject to transplantation and division of the bush. The peduncles are removed, the plant is removed from the ground and divided into parts, each of which must contain 2 sockets and an independent root system. The host needs to have time to plant it before mid-September. Before the onset of cold weather, the transplanted plants must have time to take root and prepare for the winter cold.

The soil for replanting must be loose and fertile. Immediately after planting, the hole with the plant is well moistened and mulched with sawdust or sand. Plants are planted at a distance of about 30 cm from each other so that the bushes can grow and develop freely for the next year. The host does not need to be replanted every year. In the same place, the bush can successfully grow for about 20-25 years.

Hosta after flowering

Pruning

Blooming hosts often occur in the second half of August. At the same time, the formation of seeds on peduncles adversely affects the appearance of the bushes - they begin to fall apart. To avoid this, the peduncles can be removed immediately after the inflorescence wilts. Pruning flowers helps preserve the vigor of the plant and strengthen its beautiful leaves. To remove them, use a sterile pruner, cutting off the stem of the peduncle at a level of 10 cm from the ground. You should act carefully, trying not to damage the foliage or growth buds of the plant.

In some cases, peduncles may not be removed. Typically, several stems are left on plants that have relatively little foliage. Such specimens can weaken from such pruning and will not survive the winter badly. Sometimes peduncles are cut only selectively, leaving only thin stems.

Wintering

They begin to prepare the hosta for wintering in early autumn. If necessary, the bushes are planted during the same period. This procedure should be carried out in the first half of September - it takes about a month for young plants to take root. Half an hour before transplanting, the bushes are watered abundantly, then dug up and divided into parts. Each cut obtained must have at least one leaf rosette. A distance of about 30 cm is maintained between young hosts, trying to plant them at the same depth as before. The first time after transplanting, such seedlings will need frequent watering. Such plantings will grow into growth next spring, and they will acquire the greatest decorative effect after 2-3 years of life.

Unlike flower stalks, you should not remove the yellowed foliage of hosts in the fall. It will serve as a natural shelter for plants. It will be possible to remove old leaves in the spring, as soon as fresh growth appears on the hosts.Leafy soil mulch can be used as an additional covering layer. Specimens grown under trees will especially need this. Such hosts usually lack nutrients, so a layer of earth will serve as top dressing for them. In addition, mulching will raise the level of the beds with hosts and improve the drainage properties of the soil.

Host breeding methods

Reproduction by dividing the bush

Reproduction of hosts by dividing the bush is carried out in early spring in April or in autumn in September after flowering. Before extraction, the plant is watered abundantly. An adult bush is divided into parts. Each part must contain at least two outlets. The processes are planted at a distance of about 40 cm from each other.

Propagation by cuttings

To do this, take any shoot with its own root system, separate it from an adult plant and plant it in the shade, covered with a plastic bottle. After a few days, the stalk can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Pests and diseases

Hosts are quite resistant to diseases, but owners of a large garden of various plant varieties need to carefully monitor all plantings. Bushes weakened by wintering or improper care can be affected by fungal diseases (phyllosticosis). In this case, yellow-brown spots appear on the leaves of plants, increasing in size. Host peduncles can be affected by a fungus. Instances with signs of infection must be removed from the garden and destroyed, and the soil in which they grew must be disinfected. This will keep the rest of the plants from getting infected.

Hosts can also suffer from gray leaf rot. Against it, fungicide preparations containing folpet are used. Another possible planting disease is sclerotinia fungus. In this case, a light mold resembling cotton wool appears on the root collar of the bushes. You can defeat such a disease with the help of dichlorane.

Slugs are considered the main pest of plantings. They leave holes in the plant foliage. To kill slugs, traps are usually used, for example, bowls of beer. They are placed near the plantings, and then the pests that have gathered on its smell are collected. The foliage of the host can also suffer from infestations of beetles, grasshoppers, or caterpillars. A large number of such pests can destroy the bush in a short time. They should be dealt with with insecticides.

Another possible host pest is the stem nematode. If it appears, necrotic spots begin to appear between the veins of the leaves. To detect the pest, a test must be performed. The leaf of the affected plant is crushed, its parts are poured into a transparent container, and then filled with water. If after half an hour small worms are visible in the water, it means that the bushes are infected with a nematode. It is almost impossible to get rid of this pest - no drug can destroy its eggs. The affected bushes should be removed, and all plants growing within a radius of 2 m from them should also be cleaned.

Types and varieties of hosts with photos and names

The popularity of the hosta in horticulture has prompted many of its hybrid varieties. Today there are already several thousand of them. But there are not so many species that became the basis for obtaining hybrids. Among them:

Curly host (Hosta crispula)

Japanese look. It forms shrubs up to 60 cm high. The foliage of Hosta crispula is wide, wavy edges and dark green color with a white stripe on the border. The flowers are purple in color. The popular variety is Thomas Hogg.

Hosta high (Hosta elata)

Another Japanese species. The height of Hosta elata Hylanger reaches 90 cm. Large foliage with long petioles has a rich green color and the shape of an elongated heart. The edges of the foliage are slightly wavy. The flowers are pale purple. Flowering occurs in early summer. Among the famous varieties - Tom Schmid with dense foliage, decorated with a white border.

Hosta fortunei

The species was named after an English botanist. The height of the Hosta fortunei bushes reaches half a meter.The green foliage is up to 13 cm long and 9 cm wide and has a light creamy border. The flowers are purple. Different varieties of this hosta may have a different color of inflorescences, as well as a different size and color of foliage. So the Albopicta variety is distinguished by a yellow center and a green border, while by the end of summer the foliage is completely green.

Hosta Sieboldiana

The name of this Japanese species was given by the Dutch botanist Siebold. Hosta sieboldiana bushes are up to 60 cm in size. The veins are especially clearly visible on the foliage. The flowers are pale lilac, almost white in color. Flowering occurs in July. Seed propagation of this species makes it possible to obtain unusual plant shapes. A common variety is Elegans with bright blue-gray foliage.

Hosta undulata

Garden species developed in Japan. Hosta undulata bushes grow to a height of 75 cm.The foliage has a wavy edge, the center of the blade is colored white, and the edge of the leaf is covered with green stains. The flowers are light purple in color. A spectacular cultivar - Undulata Mediovariegata - an early flowering bush with pointed foliage adorned with narrow green stripes.

The host is swollen (Hosta ventricosa)

Chinese look. Forms half-meter bushes. Hosta ventricosa has bright green foliage with a taper at the top. The flowers are lilac in color and appear in the second half of summer. A well-known variety is Aurea-Maculata with purple flowers and wavy yellow-green foliage.

Hosta plantaginea

It lives in China and Japan, forming bushes about 50 cm high. Hosta plantaginea is distinguished by glossy leaves of light green color. The flowers are white and have a delicate aroma. Flowering occurs in July or August. A notable variety is Royal Standart with large and fragrant flowers that appear closer to autumn. They can have a subtle lilac hue.

General classification of varieties

There are two main classifications of host varieties. So, according to the color of the leaves, all varieties are divided into 5 main groups:

• Blue (B) - unites plants with gray-blue leaves;
• Yellow (Go) - with golden yellow leaves;
• Green (Gr) - with green foliage;
• Variegata (V) - with variegated leaf plates or with a light border.
• Mediovariety (MV) - with leaves with a light middle and green border.

The second type of classification is associated with the size of the plant bushes without taking into account the height of the peduncle.

• Dwarf - bushes no more than 10 cm high (D). These include the Blue Mouse Ears variety, with spectacular blue leaves shaped like mouse ears.
• Miniature - the height is 10-15 cm (Mini). Hosta La Donna has this size with variegated yellow-green-blue foliage.
• Small - height from 16 to 25 cm (S). Among these hosts: Gold Town with green foliage decorated with a light stripe and Headsmen Blue with blue-green leaves.
• Average - bushes from 30 to 50 cm tall (M). This group includes varieties Night Before Christmas with rich green foliage with white centers; So Sweet with green foliage adorned with a cream border; and White Feather with light leaf blades that turn green over the season.
• Large - plants 55-70 cm in height (L). These include Alvatine Taylor, with blue-green leaves adorned with a yellow-green border, and Golden Meadows, with corrugated, rounded leaves that combine green and golden yellow colors.
• Giant - over 70 cm (G)... Among these varieties are Blue Vision with blue-green foliage and Sum of All with a green center and a large golden border.

Sometimes individual shoots of the hosta may look different from the characteristics of the main plant. Such parts of the plant are called sports. Such sports can be used to obtain new varieties.

Hosta in landscape design

Hosta can be successfully used when decorating a garden plot. Its beautiful leaves of unusual shapes and colors will complement the landscape design and dilute the blooming riot of other plants. A host with a low height can be used to decorate the first plan of flower beds and alpine slides. The flower looks good with a decorative rocky base.

The host can be decorated with a fountain, a pond or an artificially created reservoir. You can arrange the borders of the garden paths. With its help, flower beds are divided into sectors, so that in the future, annual plants can be planted in free areas. The host does not need to combine with other plants.It will also look very beautiful in the form of a solid carpet. Many gardeners arrange places under fruit trees with this flower.

Hosta will work well with any garden plants, be they liliaceae, balsams, ferns, geraniums or muscari. It will also favorably set off coniferous plantings.