Come walk through our front garden with me today as I share tips on how to grow beautiful hostas.
These shade-loving plants are low-maintenance that can help your garden look amazing from spring through fall if you follow these easy tips.
They're easy to grow and care for, add a beautiful touch of greenery, and are also great for hiding unsightly areas in your yard.
You’ll find even more helpful ideas in my Backyard Gardening Tips, including printables and planting guides.
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Looking for a striking addition to your garden? Hostas are a perfect choice! Known for their lush, textured leaves in shades of green, blue, and creamy white, hostas are low-maintenance and thrive in a variety of garden settings.
Originally from the Orient, these hardy perennials bring color and elegance to shady spaces with very little effort.
In addition to their bold foliage, hostas produce flower stalks that bloom in white, purple, or a mix of both.
While some gardeners enjoy the delicate bell- or cone-shaped blossoms, others (like me!) prefer to snip them off—much to my husband's dismay, who loves the flowers.
Either way, hostas offer beauty and personality to any backyard landscape.
Table of Contents
- Click HERE to get the Easy Vegetables to Grow for Beginners FREE Printable!
- Growing Hostas for a Beautiful Garden
- How to Grow Hostas
- Tips for Proper Placement:
- Tips for Growing Hostas
- How to Prepare the Soil:
- How to Water:
- How to Control Pests:
- What Fertilizer for Hostas:
- How Big do Hostas Get?
- How to Divide the Plants:
- How to Care for Hostas in the Fall:
- Growing Hostas in Planters
- More Beautiful Gardening Tips and Ideas:
- Leave a Comment!
- 💬 Comments
Click HERE to get the Easy Vegetables to Grow for Beginners FREE Printable!
Growing Hostas for a Beautiful Garden
Hosta plants are a favorite among most gardeners. And who can blame them? They're a beautiful plant to grow and they're pretty easy to take care of as well.
Today I'm going to share with you a few easy tips that we follow to help our hosta plants make a beautiful impression to all who visit.
When we built our house almost 20 years ago we had nothing in the way of landscaping done. We barely had a driveway. But slowly over time we added bushes and plants and even a vegetable garden.
How to Grow Hostas
Adding a hosta to your garden is sure to make a statement. These plants can grow up to 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide, so they really make an impact.
And with over 50 different varieties of hostas to choose from, you can find the perfect one to match your garden style.
Hostas are low-maintenance plants that are perfect for any gardener, whether you're a beginner or a pro. They like moist, well-drained soil and prefer shady areas.
But don't worry if you have a sunny spot in your garden - there are many varieties of hostas that can tolerate direct sunlight.
Tips for Proper Placement:
- Choose an area in your garden that receives partial sun.
- Hostas are usually considered shade loving plants, but they do best in areas where they receive morning sun and are shaded during the hot afternoon.
- The hostas on our property do receive a ton of late morning sun but they seem to really thrive in it.
Tips for Growing Hostas
- Water your hosta regularly, especially during the hot summer months.
- Fertilize your plant once a month with a Balanced fertilizer. More information about what type of fertilizers to use below.
- Mulch around the base of your plant to help retain moisture.
- Divide your plant every few years to keep it healthy and vigorous.
How to Prepare the Soil:
- Hostas prefer loose, well-drained soil with a slightly acidic pH.
- Dig the hole about 12 inches deep and space the hosta plants about 12 to 24 inches apart.
- Be patient. The plants will grow and spread as they mature.
- Newly planted plants need to be kept moist so mulch the soil around them to help retain moisture.
How to Water:
- Although hosta plants can withstand drought, they do best if they are given 1 to 2 inches of water every week.
- You'll need to water them daily for about 2 weeks after you first plant them.
- Once the plants are established, try to water them every 2 to 4 days if you don't live in an area that receives a lot of rain during the summer months.
How to Control Pests:
- If you live in an area with a large population of deer, you may want to rethink planting hostas as deer love these beautiful plants.
- Slugs can be a problem as well and will eat large holes in the leaves.
- A few plates filled with beer should help keep the slugs away from the plants.
- Thankfully we've never really had any problems with deer or slugs.
What Fertilizer for Hostas:
Here are a few different fertilizers to use for hostas. You can find these at any local home improvement center like Home Depot or on Amazon:
EZ-gro 20 20 20 Fertilizer -More InformationJ R Peters 52024 Jacks ClassicMore InformationAlgoPlus for Houseplants - Perfectly BalancedMore InformationMiracle-Gro Pour & Feed Plant FoodMore Information
How Big do Hostas Get?
- It can take a hosta plant up to six years to reach it's growth maturity.
- Something I didn't know is that the growth rate is determined by the number of flowers produced every year!
How to Divide the Plants:
- You can divide the plants at any time, but it's best to do so in the spring when the plants are just beginning to grow and you can easily see where to dig around the shoots coming up from the ground.
- A good rule of thumb is to divide the hosta plants when they get too crowded and the center starts to die out.
- Every three to four years is recommended in order to keep hostas healthy.
How to Care for Hostas in the Fall:
- Hostas will not stay green through the cold temperatures of winter, so you should cut them back to a couple of inches when you do the fall cleanup in your garden.
- Every year my husband cuts ours back and every year I think he's killed them.
- But they always come back in the spring and look even more amazing than the year before.
Growing Hostas in Planters
Something new to my garden is growing hostas in planters! We have a rather large back porch that I have a hard time growing planters with traditional flowers because of the lack of sun the back porch receives.
Last summer I planted a few planters with hostas and was amazed at how well they did in the planters! I simply cut them back in the fall like I do to the hostas in the ground and what do you think happened?
They came back this spring! Look how pretty they look in the planters on our back porch.
More Beautiful Gardening Tips and Ideas:
- Tips on Growing Tomatoes
- Mistakes to Avoid when Growing Tomatoes in Containers
- Tips on Growing Sunflowers in your Garden
- Outdoor Gardening Inspiration
Leave a Comment!
Tried any of these tips? Leave a comment and let me know which was your favorite!
This blog post has been updated since it first appeared in 2017 with new photos and new information. I hope you enjoy the updates as much as I enjoyed working on them!
Stephanie McGinty says
Hostas are the best…easy to split…save on buying more perennials! Regarding slugs a problem I have, cheaper solution. Mix sugar and yeast in a container (I use small margarine containers) fill with water and put under the plant. The slugs will crawl in as they are attracted to the yeast, and that’s the end of them. At the price of our beer, I came up with this cheaper solution. Works great…little yucky to empty the container of the now deceased slugs but better then eaten plants and, again, cheaper than using up your beer.
Lois says
I love the yeast suggestion! Especially since beer is so expensive these days. Great tip...thank you!
Nickie galloway says
I sprinkle mothballs around the base of mine, and it works to keep the deer away. Strong smell. Also, I plan to put pea stone in a large large mound, and plant the host in it. Do you think that they will grow with peastone for mulch?
Lois says
That's a great idea about the mothballs. I can't help you with the pea stone, but I think as long as they're planted in dirt first, it should be fine. Ask at a local garening store. Thank you for visiting.
Dave Binder says
Guess you might call me a hosta collector, as we have about 100 different varieties in our yard here in northern Iowa. All sizes and colors are what we like. Enjoyed your post and photos. Beautiful !!! Spring is best time to divide but I have divided and moved some in early fall when soil is still warm so roots will start growing.
Lois says
Wow! 100 plants! Your garden must be beautiful. Thank you for visiting.
Dawne says
I move at any time, I just cut down the leaves to about 3 inches and divide and move them. The energy goes into the roots and not into looking nice for a few weeks. Just my method.
Lois says
I just started doing the same thing! I'll have to update the post again with these tips. Thank you for visiting.
Monika says
Thank you for the helpful facts about hostas. I have several in my gardens and, unfortunately, have quite a few deer that visit our property. They certainly do love hostas and will eat the leaves right down to the base. I received an old tip from a friend to keep the deer away. Cut Irish Spring soap bars into small pieces and spread them throughout the plant. That strong, fresh smell repels the deer and doesn't harm the plant or soil. It works very well but has to be repeated after a few weeks as the pieces deteriorate. Cheap solution, though; just a bit over a dollar at the dollar store!
Lois says
Thank you for the tip! I will definitely be using it as we have had deer all of a sudden start appearing in our neighborhood!!!! Last summer was the first time and they enjoyed my hosta plants. My neighbor started feeding them...can you imagine??? I will try your suggestion and update the post after this season.
Brenda says
have you had any experience with red ants and hostas? My gardens are full of he biting critters and my hostas are not looking happy
Lois says
No, we don't get many red ants up here where we live. Sorry!!!
Ssppy says
I like to subscribe to your blog! I love hostas and have a yard full, but am not sure about caring for them! How do you trim them back and not sure when to divide them!?
Thanks for the information here!
Sally
Lois says
Thank you for visiting. We clip them back in the fall and my husband usually just cuts them down to where only a few inches are remaining. They will die back also in the cold winter we get here every year. In the spring time when they are just starting to regrow, you can easily divide and replant the shoots in other parts of your garden. You can subscribe by visiting this page and filling out the form: https://walkingonsunshinerecipes.com/subscribe-to-my-weekly-newsletter/
Wavie Edwards says
I enjoyed your tips on growing outstanding Hostas. I especially liked learning to put beer out for the slugs. Thank you.
Lois says
Thank you!
Geri says
The secret to Beautiful Hostas is Epson salt. You will love the results.
Lois says
Thank you!!
Marsha says
What do you do with the epsom salt? Spread it by itself or mix with water?
Thanks Marsha
Kaye Hart says
You can do either. Epsom salt contains magnesium which is great for Hostas. Just search Epsom salt for Hostas and you can get the amounts to use either dry or with water, and it should also give you the benefits! Good luck, as I’m just learning myself!!
Lois says
Thank you for your help with the comment from Marsha!