GenAcres Homestead

   Summer Care for Hosta Plants Summer, especially late summer, can be tough on hostas.  Their fresh spring appearance starts to fade under the hotter sun.  There are some things you can do, though, to keep your hostas looking beautiful and fresh longer into the summer season.

Signs Your Hosta Plant is Water Stressed Hostas are well known as easy-care perennials.  The fact that they come in such a variety of sizes, colors and leaf shapes is just one more reason why hostas remain one of the most popular perennials for shady and part sunny gardens. One of the most important ways, if not THE most important way, of keeping your hostas healthy and beautiful is simple -- water.  

Use of Epsom Salt on Hostas! Hostas continue to be one of the most popular perennials in shady and party shady gardens. It's no wonder. Hostas are easy to grow and care for, they don't require a lot of special attention and they come in a vast array of sizes, shapes, and great leaf colors.

Spring Care for Hosta Plants After a long, dreary winter, Springtime in the hosta garden seems like a magical time.  The hostas are sprouting their gorgeous green tips signaling the beginning of another great gardening season! Keep your hostas looking happy and healthy with these seasonal reminders and care tips for Spring!  

The Sun's Effect on Blue Hostas Blue hostas require the most protection from the sun because the blue color is actually a waxy coating on the top and or bottom side of the leaves. The leaves are actually a shade of green, but the waxy coating makes them appear those great shades of blue. Too much sun can cause the waxy coating on blue hosta leaves to melt off and expose the green leaf underneath. This is the reason it is recommended that blue hostas are planted in more shade than other hostas. The blue hostas are always very popular and there are several shades of blue-leaved hostas. Blue hosta leaves will become bluer and bluer each year as they move to maturity, usually about four to five years. 

   Growing Hostas From Seed So you're wondering, can I grow a hosta from seed? Growing hostas from seed is a tricky endeavor, but if you have patience and keep a few things in mind, it can be worth your time.

Why Hostas Drop Leaves Early in the Season Hostas are known as one of the most resilient and care-free perennials you can buy.  And that's only a few of the reasons hostas continue to be so popular in shady or semi-sunny gardens. But when hosta leaves die back early in the season, the culprit is almost always lack of water.  

Ultimate Guide to Growing Hostas Hostas (plantain lilies) are hardy herbaceous perennials that grow well in Zones 3 through 8, with some that can tolerate the heat of Zone 9.  It's no surprise they continue to be one of the most popular perennials for shade gardens. Their beauty, toughness, and ease of care make them well suited for a shady or partly shady area and they will quickly become even a new gardener's favorite plant! 

   Why is my Hosta Growing So Slowly? Ever wondered why your hostas are growing so slowly, or not growing at all, or are actually shrinking from year to year?   Even though hostas are naturally very hardy plants, which is one of the reasons they remain so  popular for perennials gardens, their ability to put on healthy growth each year depends on several things.

   Fall Care for Hosta Plants With fresh air and fewer insects and plant diseases to worry about, Fall is a pretty great time in the garden. But for hostas, those beautiful leaves are beginning to die back making the plant look a bit ragged, but the plant is just conserving energy and getting ready for their winter sleep where they will await warm Spring temperatures.

      Cutting Back Hosta Blooms Although hostas are basically grown for those beautiful leaves, there are some hosta varieties that have quite beautiful flowers. Removing these are not necessary for the health of the plant, so whether you choose to cut the flower spikes off or allow them to grow and flower is a matter of personal choice.

How to Fix Hosta Center Die-Out Also Known as Fairy Ring Hosta center die-out is sometimes referred to as "clump die-back" and “fairy ring.” The latter is a nickname given to this problem that is said to result from fairies dancing in the middle of the plant. It's a common problem with hostas since they are a very long-lived perennial, but this problem can be easily remedied. 

Are Hostas Drought Tolerant? Reducing our dependence on water is one way gardeners love to be eco-friendly, so it comes as no surprise that drought-tolerant plants continue to be in high demand. But are all hostas really drought tolerant? The answer is yes, and no.

   Winter Care for your Potted Hostas! A frequent question we get is, will hostas survive over the winter in pots, or, how can I winterize my potted hostas?   Although hostas are very forgiving plants, hostas in pots do need some care  over the winter.  Hostas need a six-week period of temperatures below 40 degrees for their winter sleep. But since during this time the potted hostas can be exposed to several freezes and thaws, they need extra care to prevent damage to their roots.

When and How to Divide your Hosta Whether you want to divide your hostas for the healthy of the plants or to increase the hosta love around your garden, dividing a hosta is easy to do once you're familiar with the timing and some basic steps.

What are Sun Tolerant Hostas? One of the most common questions I hear about hostas is, can hostas handle sun?  

     Pruning Hostas Hostas are well known to be one of the easiest perennials to grow.  And while pruning hosta leaves isn't necessary to maintain your hostas' shape or size, you can keep them looking beautiful as long as possible during the season with some easy seasonal pruning.

  Seasonal Calendar of Care for Hostas One of the reasons that hostas continue to be so popular is the fact that they're a very low maintenance perennial.  That being said, if you follow a few basic steps to care for them, you can keep your hostas looking healthy and beautiful throughout the season, whether they're snug in the ground or in pots.

Sun's Effect on Hosta Leaf Color Hostas plants continue to be a favorite perennial plant for plenty of reasons. Their toughness, beauty, ease of care and variety of great sizes, leaf colors and shapes make it one of the best plants for a shade or semi-shade garden. Contrary to what some people may think, though, no hosta will survive, much less thrive, in complete shade. All plants need some sunlight to photosynthesize.

  Best Care for Your Potted Hostas To keep your hostas healthy and beautiful as they grow in pots, there are a few Hosta plants are beautiful anywhere, but I think they're even more so when they are planted in pots, especially when the pots are placed at eye level.   In my opinion, there's no better way to show off a hosta's great foliage.