I challenge you to find oneself a neighborhood without a few adorable hostas hanging out in a shaded post . With their tending - snaffle foliation and beautiful flowers , they ’ve earned their spot as garden mainstays .
While they ’re perfectly gorgeous growing in the solid ground , there ’s no reason they have to rest there .
These democratic plant can make a big statement when you put them in container , whether alone or with other familiar .
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
rather of serve as accents in the garden layer , they can be the crowning glory of your patio or garden space .
Or you could create a welcome display in a shady slur on your porch where other plants betray to fly high .
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Some people uprise Musa paradisiaca lily – as they ’re sometimes prognosticate – in containers , but keep them in the garden so they can have some extra height .
Others do it so they can move the stool around as the season alter , or even bring them indoors to grow types they would n’t normally be able to in their clime .
And , of course , growing them in tummy lets you bring the beauty onto your terrace or pack of cards .
In ourguide to growing genus Hosta , we treat the basics . Whatever your motivation for container growing , in this article we ’ll help you pick the right pot and learn how to keep your genus Hosta respectable .
Here ’s what you may expect , coming up :
What You’ll Learn
If you have it away these leafy garden staples , all you need is a lilliputian bit , a good pot , and some gardening know - how . Let ’s dive in .
Choose a Good Container
Hostas arrive in a wide variety of sizes , so I suggest take your flora first and then deciding on a container .
That is , of trend , unless you have a particularly pretty pot already that you ’d like to utilize . With 1000 of species , hybrids , and cultivars available , you ’re trusted to feel one that will suit the bill .
Before we pass over in , just be aware that genus Funka generally maturate to a small size in a container than they would the ground , which can be a trade good or a spoilt matter , calculate on your finish .
So if you peck a cultivar that grows four metrical foot tall , while it ’s possible for it to get to its full size , it ’s more likely that it will be a snatch smaller . program consequently .
What does the ideal container look like ? you’re able to get away with using quite a range of alternative , but in the perfect scenario , here ’s what you should look for and keep in mind .
Plantain lilies have stem that are wider than they are long . At a minimum , the roots will grow horizontally as far as the foliation does , but not as deep as the leaf grow .
take a throne that is wider than it is deep , or with at least the same deepness and width . you may practice a pot that is tall than it is wide , butyou’ll need to transplantor divide more frequently since the roots wo n’t fulfill the lower portion .
An option is to buy a container that is taller than it is wide and set an empty liter - size bottleful in the bottom of the pot . verify the bottle is n’t crushed and the cap is in office so it holds its shape .
This will take up some of the extra space and reduces the weight of the container .
Use a pot that is the right sizing for your plant mighty now , not the size it will ultimately arrive at . You need a potbelly that supply about three inch between the base of the plant and the side of the container .
Hostas prefer for their roots to be coolheaded , so do n’t pick a black or metal container .
You might also desire to avoid clay on concrete because this fabric can collapse and split up in the winter , though you may recover glass types that are guaranteed not to break through for up to a decade .
reckon using recycle plastic or fibreglass pots , which are better for the environment than fictile containers . you may also habituate pressure - treated wood .
Whatever material you opt , verify the pot has drain holes . They do n’t do well in standing water .
Use the Right Soil
One of the good thing about growing in containers is that you do n’t have to interest about perfecting the soil like you do when spring up in the ground . you’re able to only grease one’s palms the sodding soil to start up with .
Hostas prefer loamy earth and do best with a well - draining , pee - retentive , robust medium .
Any standard potting soilwill do , so do n’t stress about it too much .
But if you want to give your plant the idealistic office , buy some dear - quality potting soil and oeuvre in some rice hulls or sphagnumpeat mossto improve H2O retentivity and drain .
Rice Hulls
I prefer rice hull because they are better for the environment , and more affordable .
you could pick some rice Hull upat Arbico Organicsin quarter- , half- , and one - cubic - foot bags .
How to Grow
Plantain lilies like a unspoiled amount of moisture . That ’s part of the reason they do so well in some shade .
The wet sticks around longer in places that are n’t discover to the drying effect of full Sunday . But that represent a challenge for potted plant because bay window dry out out more quickly than the ground .
You ’ll involve to leave superfluous water if you do n’t live somewhere that receives regular moisture in the form of hurry .
flock will need a little extra body of water during the warm summertime months even in notoriously wet places like the Pacific Northwest . Those mature in the ground might be fine , but container dry out fast .
ensure you ’re water at the soil level and not on the foliage . You might need to gift in a container lachrymation organisation that usesdrip irrigationto make things well-heeled , in particular if you live in an area that is hot and dry .
Alternatively , you could use a ego - lacrimation container . I can distinguish you that these pots have save my plants more than once when I got behind on watering .
Bloem Self - Watering Container
Amazon sells five - gallon lot by Bloem , which are what I use for my genus Funka and other water - lie with plants such aswasabiandfuchsia .
Both of these options water at the grease levelandkeep your soil regularly moist .
Once you ’ve put your plant in place , add a layer ofnatural mulchlike straw , coffee Isaac Hull , or pea plant gravel to the top to help hold moisture .
Now it ’s time to put one rumor to rest . I ’ve learn the suggestion that you should grow hostas in container if you shin with snail and slugs . I ’ll just tell you now that it does n’t help much .
The slugs will climb up the pots and go to township on your plants .
The one welfare is that those thirsty gastropods will typically attack in - ground plants before they make their way up the side of your container , so you might get few snails than you would otherwise .
Still , you might want to utilize somesnail deterring tactics .
One thing that ’s sure about bay window and pesterer is that containers will perfectly protect your plants from vole . If voles are your mainpest trouble , containers are the means to go .
Maintain Your Plants
At some level , unless you are growing a miniature hosta that stay petite , you will need to divide and/or repot your plant . Even with miniature Hosta , you ’ll need to replenish the territory every few years .
To repot , choose a container that is one size of it larger than what you are presently using , or practice two pots of the same size if you ’re carve up your genus Funka .
take out the plant from the be locoweed . I cerebrate the easiest way to do this is to wobble the container on its side and undulate it back and forth a few clock time , then transfix around the base and gently wiggle it out .
strike hard away as much of the soil as you may , and trim away any dead roots .
To divide , apply a duet of trimmers or operose - duty scissors to reduce down the eye of the root orchis and through the treetop . understand our guide to dividing hostasfor elaborate instructions .
Repot in raw containers with fresh dirt .
If you see roots come in out of the drainage hollow or circling the top of the soil , it ’s fourth dimension to repot . Once the base of the flora ( not the foliage ) reaches the side of the container , upgrade to the next size pot ( or divide ) .
The dirt in container tends to drop off nutrients over time as the plant life ask them up or when they wash out during tearing . That ’s why you call for to fertilize potted plants more ofttimes than those in the ground .
Use a balanced plant food designed for function on container plant . you could select either slow - release or standard plant food .
tiresome - dismission product are useful because hostas in containers are thirsty and you could get a longer flow go by between alimentation . You ’ll need to apply standard fertilizer every few weeks .
Proven Winners Premium Water Soluble Plant Food
I like Proven Winners ’ Premium Water Soluble Mix , which you may buy at Amazon . Apply at the grease level every two weeks . They make a continuous release option as well , which is alsoavailable at Amazon .
murder the folio in the evenfall , after they have died back and are completely sensationalistic .
When itcomes to wintertime fear , you do n’t want to bring your industrial plant indoors into your heated home . Plantain lily demand a dormancy period below 40 ° F for at least a month .
If you want to leave winter protection , your respectable pick is to move the pile to a sheltered situation like a service department or a shed . You ’ll involve to provide water , though not too much .
Dormant plants only ask a fraction of the H2O that actively growing plants do .
H2O once the soil dry out completely . How can you tell ? prove lifting the pot – it will feel significantly lighter than normal .
you may also cover the container in pine bough and leave behind them in the garden . The pot under the bough should receive enough coke or rain to keep the hostas well-chosen if they are site somewhere without too much covering .
However , if your hosta is intrepid to at least one spring up zona below the one you are in , you do n’t postulate to provide protective covering .
So , for example , if you live in Zone 6 and your plant is hardy to Zone 5 , you do n’t need to do anything extra in the winter once the plant is established . untested plants should be protected in the first class or two .
Container Hosta often start come forth earlier than in - basis Funka , so keep an eye on your works and bring them alfresco or remove any coating once the shoots start to emerge .
Best Uses
Container plant are the consummate thing if you want to bring colour and grain to your terrace or porch .
Hostas in exceptional make a lovely statement flanking the entrance to your nursing home , especially if you have an awning , large tree , or a concealment over your doorway providing shade .
grouping of potted Funka make an interesting focal level . A variegated eccentric paired with one that has yellow foliage or one with blue leaf stands out . incentive points if they have telling blossoms .
And really , do n’t leave the flowers . While the verdure is hard to beat , some hostas have large , intemperately scented bloom . Place these varieties near a seating area so you may enjoy the feast for the senses that they provide .
Let ’s ill-use away from the patio for a bit now . Sure , a container lets you get a hosta onto your porch or patio , but it can serve up another purpose as well .
I love to utilize them as a centerpiece or backdrop in a shady expanse , but they are n’t always tall enough to stand out among the other flora .
If you want to tot up some height , put them in a container , place the container in your chosen place , and voila ! you may have the height and pastime that you desire .
People love to employ hostas in shady areas , but these are often fill with a net ton of tree roots . You do n’t desire to plant your hosta right in the midsection of these .
If you really want to place a genus Funka under a tree , put it in a container , and put the container on the land under the Tree or else of planting in the ground .
If you pick out small enough plants and containers , you could also move your Hosta around with the interchange seasons .
Cultivars to Select
Any character of hosta can be raise in a container . However , as I mentioned above , large plant wo n’t ever reach their fullest potential sizing .
If you pick a very large salmagundi , you might eventually want to put it in the garden rather than fight down to keep it happy in a container .
If you project on growing your Musa paradisiaca lily with other plants in the same container , opt for one of the mini or smaller types .
‘ Dragon Tails ’ has slight , shiny green leaves with wavy border and stay under a foot tall . ‘ Blue Mouse Ears ’ is an incredibly popular plant , with small blue - fleeceable leaves that do , in fact , search like mouse ears .
This endearing industrial plant seldom develop over eight inches tall . ‘ Coconut Custard ’ grows to nine column inch tall , and has striking pallid yellow leafage with a over-embellished shank .
Shadowland ‘ Hudson Bay ’ is a bit larger , about two foot improbable and wide , but it does well in container . The folio are blue , mat , and heavily textured with a cream stripe down the center .
‘ Hudson Bay ’
Grab a ‘ Hudson Bay ’ of your ownat Nature Hills Nurseryin a # 1 size of it container .
‘ White Feather ’ can reach three feet tall in the ground , but in a container , it stays around 18 inches improbable .
It has strike white leaves that gradually conversion to visible radiation green as they mature . That means it provides colorful direct contrast all time of year long .
‘ Loyalist ’ tends to top out around 18 inches marvelous and has turgid , non-white green leaves with contrast creamy variegation down the middle .
Mini genus Hosta are fun to toy with . They stay so small that you could put them in unusual containers such as pitchers , old wood peter box , a toy wagon , birdhouse , or even a mug . Just be sure to put drainage hole in .
They ’re also idealistic for rock gardens . Just be aware that they do n’t do well in heavy the Great Compromiser soil . You also require to be extra diligent about maintaining the appropriate wet in a rock garden , particularly if the soil is sandy .
Mini options let in ‘ Itsy Bitsy Spider , ’ ‘ Little Treasure , ’ ‘ Mini Mouse , ’ ‘ Carolyn ’s Gold , ’ ‘ Blonde Elf , ’ ‘ Little Wonder , ’ ‘ Crumb Cake , ’ and ‘ Rock Princess . ’
Don’t Contain Your Hosta Joy
If you need to grow hostas in more places and even try cultivars that you might not have been able-bodied to otherwise , containers are the way to go . It ’s also a unspoiled way to avoid voles and to make hostas more of a focal point .
Once you have your plant potted up , come back and have us know which hybrid or cultivar you chose and how you terminate up using it .
We also have some morehosta guidesthat you ’ll hopefully find utilitarian :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Product photo via Arbico Organics , Bloem , Nature Hills Nursery , and Proven Winners . Uncredited photograph : Shutterstock .
About
Kristine Lofgren
