I have lots of hostas, some in pots and others in the ground. They have all started to die back now so do I cut them back or leave them to their own devices?
One of my favourite sights in autumn is the yellowing of the huge hostas in the gardens at Blickling Hall in Norfolk.
Leave your hosta leaves to change colour gloriously, and only when they turn brown and slushy with the frosts need you clear them away to remove hiding places for slugs.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Personally I prefer to remove the leaves after they have died back, Once the leaves are dead then they are very easy to pull away from the plant. I prefer to remove the dead leaves from hostas to prevent them from becoming a magnet for slugs.
Like me I'm new to gardening and was just thinking what to do with my hosta's this winter and this thread has the answer so I thought I would bring it back into the forum
I have under planted my hosta border with spring bulbs ie snowdrops and specie crocus. In autumn I leave the hosta leaves to die back then cover the beds in cocoa shell bark. The beds look good, and it discourages slugs. Then the joy of the spring bulbs before the host as shoot....gorgeous.
I have hostas which I am planning to move (along with lots of other shrubs!) I want to store them over winter, can I do that without them being in soil?
Posts
I would leave them. The leaves rot away very quickly and will feed the plant.
One of my favourite sights in autumn is the yellowing of the huge hostas in the gardens at Blickling Hall in Norfolk.
Leave your hosta leaves to change colour gloriously, and only when they turn brown and slushy with the frosts need you clear them away to remove hiding places for slugs.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Personally I prefer to remove the leaves after they have died back, Once the leaves are dead then they are very easy to pull away from the plant. I prefer to remove the dead leaves from hostas to prevent them from becoming a magnet for slugs.
Like me I'm new to gardening and was just thinking what to do with my hosta's this winter and this thread has the answer so I thought I would bring it back into the forum
James
I have under planted my hosta border with spring bulbs ie snowdrops and specie crocus. In autumn I leave the hosta leaves to die back then cover the beds in cocoa shell bark. The beds look good, and it discourages slugs. Then the joy of the spring bulbs before the host as shoot....gorgeous.
I have hostas which I am planning to move (along with lots of other shrubs!) I want to store them over winter, can I do that without them being in soil?
No, pot them up and keep them in a light but sheltered corner of the garden.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thank you