A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Hostas

I have just one hostas plant. It's turning brown and dying. ???????

Hostas prefer shade and regular watering. Could that be the problem? You can actually dig up hostas any time and replant them. You might dig it up and see if the roots are OK, not rotted, etc., and replant it if it's alright. Cut off all the dead foliage and it will soon grow more.

Thanks. I'll try that. Might need a little more watering.

alankhart

Thought Hostas, run their course by midsummer and turn brown?

dodge

I pulled it up and made about 8 plants out of it and planted it around the base of a tree by the front sidewalk - will look better there and have more shade. Thanks!

The Hostas in full shade are still strong and healthy but the poor things that get any sun have just absolutely burned to a crisp this year, regardless of how much water they receive. This fall I will dig the crispy critters and move them to a full-shade bed and they should recover nicely. During normal weather conditions, they all do well until first freeze.

Will we ever get a break in the heat wave\drought conditions? Gardening-wise, the only benefit I've seen has been...no slugs or snails.

Not to rub it in, but our summer has been great. Not too much rain, just enough to not have to water our plants all the time. It did get a bit hot here for July. But August is making up for that. Or rather I personally think nature thinks it is playing a joke on me. We finally bought the pool I wanted. But my husband is a perfectionist. So he had to have it just right before he would let me fill it up. Well lets just say it took 3 weeks to get set up. I told him by the time we get it up, the summer heat will have gone and we wont need it. Well we got a good week of swimming in, and now it is cooling off so I don't need it any more. LOL

Oh yeah forgot the question I had for hostas. Do you know how they do in partial shade? I have an area near my front porch, that has the morning, and some late pre noon sun. Would this still be an ideal spot for the hostas?

Hostas will thrive is just about all conditions except full, full sun. Even then there are certain varieties that will tolerate it more than others.

My Hostas are in partial sun/partial shade and they are doing just awesome! I do water them every day though. They haven't even had one dead leaf and they're blooming beautifully!

I have some of my Hostas in partial sun, some in partial shade and some full shade and they all do quite well, but they did suffer a bit with the high temperatures this summer. I just bought 'Sun Power' a few weeks ago and I was told that it will tolerate more sun than most of them do, so I'm anxious to see how well it performs.

There are some hostas that take sun well. I have a Sum and Substance in Full sun that is growing like a tree. Sun Power the same conditions.

If your Hostas have looked good all year and they are starting to look crispy now they are not dieing they are just finished for the season. Many of mine are browning up now.

All my hostas are in shade and I never have to water them. Even during the drought situation I didn't need to water the hosta. They are still green and some are blooming. I posted a picture the other day in the Blooming section. Cinta, I guess yours go before mine. I like everyone having different seasons. It makes looking at pictures more fun. I've heard about the ones that take sun but I've never tried those.

chilady,
I planted hostas last year, and only 1 came up. But the one that did come up gets the full morning sun up until about noon. It has done very well this year. I have it near some calla lilies and last year I had caladiums with the hostas, all of which don't like too much sun, but both plants have done well with the morning sun. My poor caladiums kinda got forgotten last winter. They stayed in the grounds....oops

Some of the yellows actually do better this way - with morning sun and afternoon shade. The yellow color is much better with SOME sun. I agree that it's probably due to end of the season - some of mine a looking a little more puny than others, probably just a difference in variety, but I know they'll be fine next year.

One more thing - how can you do "just one hosta?!?!"

I'm such a hosta addict!!

Good questions, Sandy! Hostas are like like Lay's potato Chips, "you can't have just one"! I love Hostas and have many different varieties!

Patti - my latest favorite is "Great Expectations." It's an upright but with the rounder leaves - great blue/green edges with light green/yellow centers.

Sigh - one can never have enough!

Sandy, my latest favorite, which I've added to my "Wish List" for next year is the Hosta 'Orange Marmalade'. It sports a golden-orange center with dark green edges on the heart-shaped leaves in the spring. As the weather gets warmer the orange turns to yellow and finally pure white by the end of summer. This is defintely a "must see" plant! Of course, the Hosta 'Venus' is one to die for and the blooms are huge, fragrant and gorgeous, but it's a little pricy for my budget.

Sandy, I agree that Hosta 'Great Expectations' is an awesome plant too, and it's another one that's been on my "Wish List", just a little further down! :rolleyes:

Yes, you guys are so right you cannot have just one Hosta. LOL!!! My favorite is June.

I must admit since the whole virus thing came up I slowed down and have not invested any more money toward them until they work out the problems.

Cinta, I really like the Hosta 'June' too, and I have three of them. What virus are you talking about? I haven't heard anything about a virus and I haven't had any problems with any of mine. :rolleyes: Can you fill me in?