Hosta's

Hi Forkers

Just placed an order with one of my favourite hosta nurseries, i already have a collection so i'am adding to that, by now i'am normally outside splitting my hosta's and re-potting etc, this time last year some of my hosta's were starting to show, so far this year - not much.

Well do you like hosta's ?  whats your favourite  ? and yes we alll suffer the slug problem........

My apologies if this subject has been discussed before

Hiya Verdun

Yes i have patriot and halcyon, i tend to split every 24 months, just purchased some yellow varieties - All Gold ; Fourteen Carat and Fire Island, yes have used copper tape plus i use garlic spray home made - slugs hate it !!

I have a couple of "Big Daddy" 's that have been going for years in huge pots and are always a talking point.  Have just invested in a couple of Full Monty's and a Blueberry Muffin for an old tin bath that we have acquired - they came bare-root so are acclimatizing in the greenhouse before they get planted up.  They are just beginning to show growth, so am really excited. 

I have about 30 different hostas which used to be in pots but I'm gradually turfing them out into the garden now they're outgrowing the pots.  Also, it's a lot easier without the spring and autumn job of heaving them all under shelter for winter and then getting them out again for the first warm sunshine and then moving them to the shadier side of the house for the summer.

I like Revolution, Sum and Substance, Royal Standard, Frances Williams, June and many more.  Gold edger is a good compact one that copes with sun and can be used as a border edger and I think often of maybe starying a collection of the tiny ones and keeping them in pots on a display stand but my favourites are the big leaved ones.

I like the idea of a home made garlic spray, Brumbull, I think I will try that. How many cloves to a liter of water do you use?

Thanks, Brumbull. Can't do a gallon here, we only have liters, but I guess 4-5 liters will be about a gallon! Oh, and I forgot to ask, do you spray the plants themselves or only around the roots/soil?

I've got two groups of Sum and Substance, and two of Blue Angel.  The Sum and Substance is ignored (so far) by slugs and snails, and they don't really bother much with the Blue Angel - however I'm a little disappointed with the colour of Blue Angel - it could be a bit bluer for me.

After several years growing hostas in the garden soil and watching slugs debeautify them I dug every one up and put them into a collection of pots on the patio. I can control slugs with proper pellets which are out of sight under the leaves and no danger to wildlife ( except the slug of course which is technically wild too...at least he is when he meets the pellet!)

This creates an attractive display which I can move around for effect. No sign of life this year yet.

Not ever grown hostas or ever been a fan of them before but picked up a clump locally off freecycle a few weeks back, one bit has gone into a pot and the other into the ground. The one in the pot is sprouting, I think the lady said that they were varigated leaves and had purple flowers. i'm looking forward to seeing what they look like when they flower

Thanks for the info, Brumbull. I guess if I spray my lettuces I won't have to add any garlic to my salad sauce. I've got several hostas dotted around my garden too, but don't know any names. One sort has bluish-green leaves with ridges, the other is green with cream edges.

Brumbull wrote (see)

Dove, does the Blue Angel get a lot of sunlight ?

Not a lot, they're in two spots on my Shady Bank - sort of north-west facing.