Watering and Feeding

Watering and Feeding

Watering

It is a common misconception that hostas always like to be wet and should be grown in boggy ground; it is in fact almost the opposite. Hostas are best planted in free draining soil and should only be kept damp at most. Overwatering is one of the biggest killers of hosta, especially younger plants. 

Keeping a close eye on your plants through the Spring and Summer is vital to ensure they are getting the right amount of water. Hostas can dry out with little warning, even more so when they're in pots. Little and often is usually the best way to ensure your plants stay happy. 

If it is possible, avoid watering your plants from overhead as water droplets gathered on the leaves can leave scorch marks that can look unsightly. Ideally you should, remove the rose from your watering can and water directly into the base of the plant. 

Feeding

When first planting, it is always advisable to use a slow release fertiliser to give you plants a good start. By releasing slowly, your plant will get the benefit of this for months.

We are always asked at shows and by our online customers, what additional feed they should use? To be honest there are so many that you can use that would be absolutely fine. We would always recommend using a High Nitrogen Feed

We suggest that hostas are fed with a top-dress feed such as fish, blood and bone at the start of the growing season and then a water in feed as an when they look like they may need it. Avoid using high potash feeds such as Tomorite, as these types of feed will encourage more flower growth which will not benefit your plants overall.




1 Response

Andy read
Andy read

May 29, 2023

The information given was very helpful I was given a large hosta from a friend and will take good care of it thanks

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