Places you should never plant Hostas … if you want them to thrive.
Everybody wants the best possible display from their Hostas. They are not cheap to buy, and you want them to do their best.
This can only be achieved by considering where you are going to plant them, or better still, where not to plant them
Let’s consider the preferred position for a Hosta!
Firstly, they are shade tolerant plants, that are very happy given most shade situations.
They prefer a moist, or at least a moisture retentive soil to put down a decent root system. However they can’t tolerate permanently wet or soggy conditions for any length of time.
They love to be in a sheltered position without changes in conditions, such as wind or sun.
Hostas are versatile low-maintenance and easy to grow (in the right conditions). If you choose the wrong spot to plant them, you are setting your Hosta up for an almost certain failure.
Fortunately, most gardeners have enough space in the garden to choose the right spot.
Let's have a look at the places where it is not recommended to plant Hostas.
Hot, Sunny Locations
This is an area that we recommend against growing Hostas. Consistently extremely hot, sunny locations are not a good idea. This shade loving plant will certainly suffer very badly in these locations. Choose an area to plant or place a pot, that avoids midday sun altogether, if you can. Some Hostas are sun tolerant, but very few will not tolerate the full midday sun. This is a lot worse for Hostas in containers, but these can be moved to a better spot easily.
Hostas are shade lovers and their leaf colours are most vibrant in the shade. Long direct sunlight will scorch their leaves. This scorching will eventually lead to a bleached appearance on the leaves. Certain varieties can handle more sun, of course, but it’s a good idea to keep Hostas in shadier areas, just to be safe.
Dry Spots
Excessively dry climates aren’t hospitable to Hostas, as these plants need nutrient-rich, moist soil to thrive. This is distinct from sunny hot areas. It may be somewhere that doesn’t get any natural rain or is very free draining. However, they can grow in sandy soils if they receive supplemental water during dry periods, It’s still advisable not to plant in very dry soil. Hostas need well-draining soil that stays consistently moist.
Soggy Soil
Hostas thrive in moist soil, but too much water can be an issue. They hate standing water. Poorly draining soil or low spots that stay soggy can lead to root rot.
They are great as a pond marginal as there is plenty of less wet soil around the Hosta. Instead, plant Hostas in well-draining soil to help prevent rot.
We have seen some people with Hostas, in the water, in the pond. These may last for a year or two but will eventually perish. A nice feature but not a great idea.
Deer or rabbit areas
Yes, deer do eat Hostas. They’re a favourite snack. Planting them in areas where deer tend to browse is just asking for trouble.
Rabbits also love to munch on Hostas, so if you live in an area with plenty of wildlife, growing these plants may not be the best idea. However, there are ways to deter these animals.
You can use fencing to keep them from browsing on the tender shoots. Avoid planting Hostas if you can’t protect the from these critters.
Too close to a tree trunk or other large plants.
You need to avoid planting Hostas too close to the trunk of a tree. If you choose to plant a Hosta in the shade of a tree, set it at least 30cm away from the trunk.
If the Hosta grows too close to the trunk of the tree, it may suffer from a lack of water. We call this dry shade. Even if the tree does not have aggressive roots, it still consumes a lot of water. As a result, it is usually quite dry in the vicinity of the trunk. Your Hosta will struggle.
The minimum distance from the Hosta to the tree trunk should be 30 cm. For larger trees, you need a distance of 3 times that or more from the trunk.
In a very alkaline or acidic soil
Both too alkaline and too acidic soil is where you don’t want to keep your Hostas. Both will have a negative impact so let’s break each down separately.
Too alkaline soil is when the soil pH is higher than 7.5. This will result in nitrogen and some other substances that are in the soil not being available to the Hosta. This will cause the leaves to turn yellow sooner or later.
Too acidic soil is when the soil pH is lower than 5.5. Hostas like slightly acidic soil, but if it is too acidic, they will not have access to phosphorus. This can also lead to the yellowing of the leaves and some other negative effects.
To plant a Hosta in the right soil, you have to test your soil first. You can do this by using a soil pH test kit which is commercially available & relatively cheap.
If the soil is too alkaline you can fix that by adding some acidifier or garden sulphur. To make the soil less acidic you can add garden lime.
Give your Hostas as near perfect planting position as you can. Try and avoid any or all of the above.
Give them moist but well drained soil or compost, dappled shade, with a little bit of goodness in the soil.
Create the perfect conditions by adding leaf mold, compost, and well-rotted manure to the top 30cm of the soil digging it in well. This will create the conditions suitable to plant Hostas.
There seems to be a lot of “shouldn’t plant Hostas” but there are far more that you can plant Hostas.
Give them as near to the right conditions as possible and they will reward you by coming back each better than ever.
Happy planting.
At Rewela Hostas, we are delighted to provide a diverse selection of Hostas suitable for collectors, experienced growers, and beginners alike. As a small family-run Hosta business we are more than happy to share our expert advice on everything related to Hostas. Shop now on our on-line shop for a wide range of Hostas, from new varieties to classics.
Or why not come and see us? We open the nursery by appointment, just ring 07539 428892 to book, we would love to see you.
Shop for Hostas online HERE
John Plant
Rewela Hostas
Comments