Hostas. Do they take a lot of sunlight. What type of area in my yard should I plant them?
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Hostas are a great plant for Full shade to full sun. They do the best with partial sun or partial shade. Full sun can burn the leaves, but I have had some do great. They multiply great and can be divided after only about 2 years. (Best done in spring when they just start to bud up through the dirt.)
I say if you have a shady area, plant hostas and get creative, there is a huge variety. I like to intersperse variegated varieties with glossy green leaf variates.
Hosta does best in more shady situations. They are generally listed for partial sun to full shade, at least in arid western regions like where I live. In full sun situations, the leaves tend to scorch and dry up, especially when the temps reach into the triple digits like they are now.
I have some in front of my house (north side). They are in the shade for most of the year except in summer (mid June to mid July). When the sun is high enough in the sky that they stay in full sun all day instead of just early morning and late afternoon. During this time of year, they turn brown and dry up. Then when the sun lowers in the sky, they send out new growth and green up again. I can't wait until my trees get large enough to shade them during the summer so they can stay nice longer.
My brother in-law has some on the west side of his house where they only get the late afternoon sun. His are huge, and stay green during the summer. The east side should do well also, or on the north where they will stay shaded during the summer. The best location depends a lot on your climate.
Neen is right on the money. This is a plant that almost defies you to kill it. My caution is to watch the irrigation of the plants. The full shade will grow slower and closer to the ground and need much less water. The full sun will grow a bit higher and spread and need more water.
You can buy a Hosta as a small planting for as little as $5. Allow between three and four foot between plants so that you can water and fert properly and to allow the plantings to spread. A basic minimum fert of a Granular 10-10-10 with minerals fert is all that is needed in the early spring and mid fall. I personally use a spray bottle with 1tsp per quart of Pure Ivory Soap Dish Detergent to spray the top and underside of the leaves the weekend after Mother's Day and two weeks after Labor Day as a preventive insect spray.
The many types of this plant is amazing!! You can have the Royal which grow tall and full and green, to the smaller gold leaf. Some have the combination called verigated. There is even a Blue toned variety available. You need to kill this plant on purpose (using the Soap or a Safer/Bayer insect spray).
Mix and/or match the plants. Make a small area of one color, such as the Green in one area, etc, etc. In the shade the Gold and verigated will off-set the lack of light. The Blue and either the yellow verigated or gold go well together. Either place the Blue on a mound above the gold/verigated, or plant gold/ver. blue, gold/ver, blue, gold/ver. in a row.
If you make a bed of the plant(s) make sure you do not put more than 2" of mulch in the bed and keep the mulch away from the base of the plant. If you do make them a "focal bed" a compliment of common Daylilly (in groupings to the side and front) gives you color throughout the season with little cost. Best is they come back in force each year.
Good Luck. I am at gjgjobs@yahoo.com.
Hostas love water! It doesn't matter what side of the house they are planted on. The trick is to plant the crown 2" above the ground so water does not rot the crown during the Winter. Other than that water them as often as possible and the plants will reach their fullest size.
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