Host Or Function

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

A herbaceous perennial plant named "Hosta" has recently become very popular among summer residents. Its beautiful leaves of different shades form a compact, beautiful bush, decorating the garden throughout the summer cottage. But the host flowers are inconspicuous, and therefore summer residents prefer to cut them out, growing plants for the sake of spectacular leaves

Dividing host by leaf color

Today, there are four host groups, differing from each other in the color of the leaves:

1) green;

2) blue;

3) striped (white-green);

4) golden.

Hosts also differ in other external features. For example, along the length of the leaf petioles; along the length of the peduncles; by the size of the leaves; by the timing of flowering.

The most common types of host

Hosta decorative

The ornamental host is one of the smallest host. Its light green leaves grow from 8 to 20 centimeters long. A rather wide white border runs along the edge of the sheet. Five centimeter purple flowers appear on tall peduncles in August. The height of the peduncles is up to 60 centimeters. Although the sun does not bake as hot in August as it does in July, the purple color of the flowers quickly fades.

Hosta lanceolate

Hosta lanceolate has large lanceolate leaves. The leaves have long petioles, rich green or white-variegated color and a shiny surface. Smooth flowering stems appear from large basal rosettes of leaves in July. On low peduncles (up to 25 cm), there are rare brushes collected from pale lilac inconspicuous flowers.

Hosta Siebold

Khosta Siebold is a very spectacular plant. Oval-pointed large leaves of grayish-green color form a large, beautiful rosette. High racemose inflorescences collected from purple flowers.

Hosta is small

Small hosta has elongated-pointed leaves of light green color. The length of the leaves is up to 20 centimeters. Rosettes of leaves do not grow as luxuriantly as those of other hosts. The little one attracts the host with its light green color. It blooms in July with white flowers.

Growing conditions

Regardless of the color and size of the leaves, hosts are unpretentious and frost-resistant plants.

All hosts, excluding variegated ones, feel great in the shade, being, perhaps, the most shade-tolerant of all ornamental plants.

Hosts love fertile soil, sufficiently moist, but without excess moisture. To maintain soil moisture, it is recommended to mulch the soil around the plant with humus.

In order for the leaves to please with density and beauty, fertilizing with nitrogen and potassium is necessary. It is also recommended to cut out nondescript host inflorescences, because they are bred for the sake of the beauty of the leaves.

Reproduction

Propagated by hosta seeds, green cuttings and dividing bushes.

Sowing seeds is carried out in the spring in open ground. When shoots appear, they dive and grow for two to three years.

The easiest way to propagate is green cuttings. It can be carried out throughout the summer. To do this, take small shoots with a small "heel". The upper part of the leaves is cut in half and the cuttings are planted in the ground. After 2-3 weeks, the cuttings take root.

For reproduction by dividing the bush, 6-10-year-old plants are taken. They are divided so that there are 3-4 shoots on each plot. Such plots restore the rosette of leaves in the same year.

Usage

Hosts can be used in curbs, in rock gardens, near water bodies. They are beautiful in single plantings, and also go well with other ornamental plants in mixborders and other types of flower beds.