Hosta ( Plantain lily )
They will spread once they have settled in and will need to be divided and thinned when they get too crowded. Because their roots are so shallow this is not difficult. Dig some up and use a sharp knife to separate the plants. This can be done any time of year. Plant them in shade to dappled shade. They love water or moderately damp soil.
If you plant your hostas in an area that is too bright leaves will bleach. White leaves, means too much sun. Move them to a shadier area.
10/8 It turns out that slugs are not the only thing that likes to munch on hostas. The deer found them quite tasty as well. You might want to be sure to plant any unusual varieties or pricey ones in a protected area of your garden.
While the hostas are doing well they are not thriving. I find them to be slower growing down here than they are in cooler climates. So plant them more thickly than you would up north. They really just barely survive Houston’s heat.
Things to watch for:
Slugs, snails and deer love hostas. There’s not a whole lot you can do about either, plants will grow back.
Hosta virus: I’ve never yet seen this. Leaves look like seersucker fabric. It only attacks hostas and is spread through the sap. Destroy infected plants.
Leaf spot fungus: leaves get irregular shaped brown spots with yellow edges. Remove damaged leaves and treat with a copper fungicide.
These plants are the first to die off every fall and the very last to re-appear each spring. We grew them in New England, so last weeks cold weather should not have phased them at all.
These have not done especially well here except as a nice dinner salad for the local deer. They survive but that’s about it.
I’m thinking of replacing them all with peacock gingers.