Hosta seeds germinate well in normal house circumstances, with temperatures ranging from 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a “peaty” starter mix and a light layer of peat moss to cover the seed. Until the seed germinates, keep it moist but not soaked. Sow seeds 8-10 weeks before the end of the frost season. Keeping the plant hydrated throughout the summer months is an important part of hosta care. They typically require 1 inch of water per week.
When should you plant hosta seeds?
The viability of hosta seeds varies, according to the University of Kentucky Department of Horticulture, but harvesting the seeds at the right time of year and treating them properly can assist ensure the best potential germination rate. According to the Delaware Valley Hosta Society, hosta seeds can be sown shortly after collecting, although keeping them for a month under cold conditions can assist boost germination rates. The seeds grow best if planted in the middle of the winter, but they can also be planted in the spring. By early summer, seeds sowed in early spring will have grown large enough to be hardened off in a shady spot outside and transplanted into the garden.
When should I start my hostas indoors?
Optimal Growing Conditions for Hostas Indoors To simulate the winter, six to twelve weeks of temperatures below 42 degrees Fahrenheit are required. In the spring and early summer, use a slow-release fertilizer before moving to a water-soluble fertilizer once a week in the summer.
Can you start hostas indoors?
Hostas are a leafy, shade-loving perennial with rich foliage and beautiful flowers that will impress any client. Hostas are ideal for indoor plant arrangements due to a variety of qualities. The foliage, which is their most beautiful feature, will lend depth to any plant arrangement. Hostas are a plant family comprised of several species and cultivars that come in a wide range of color, size, and shape, making it simple to select the right match for any plant arrangement. Hostas grow nicely in containers and don’t require direct sunlight, so they can be grown indoors.
Is it hard to grow hostas from seed?
Hostas are a popular plant among gardeners because they are easy to grow from seeds and maintain. If you wish to keep your Hosta seeds until the next spring, store them in the refrigerator in a jar for the winter.
How do you start hosta seeds?
Plant Hosta Seeds: Sow seeds in cell packs or 2 in. pots, lightly cover with soil. Germination takes about 4-5 weeks when kept at 60°F. If not, place the container in a zip-lock bag and store it in the refrigerator for 4 weeks.
Do hostas grow year round?
I think I already knew that there are over 6,000 named hosta types, but only around 500 are actually garden-worthy, according to Tony, who uses what he refers to as “The 10-Foot Test.” Meaning:
“If you can’t tell it without a label from 10 feet away, throw it out,” he says flatlyclassic Tony. “You don’t need to keep introducing plants that are identical to each other.”
He knows what he’s talking about because he’s composted a lot of plants, including a lot of hostas. In 2013, Plant Delights Nursery celebrated its 25th anniversary, as well as Tony’s 29th year in the hosta breeding industry (he’s been doing it since 1984).
He recalls the 1980s as the hosta’s “true heyday,” and a few varieties from that era have survived the test of time, such as blue-leaved ‘Halcyon’ or ‘Sun Power.’
But, for the most part, not so much.
“You look back at the hostas you grew all those years ago, and those, of course, would be thrown out today,” Tony says. “We’ve gone a long way.”
Tissue culturelab-based micro-propagation techniquesarose about the same time and “introduced new kinds out of the collector’s market into the public,” he says. “You can go from one plant to maybe 10,000 in a year” with tissue culture. It has reduced the cost of new hosta introductions from several hundred dollars to as little as $25 or $35.
Tony’s once-10,000-square-foot hosta production area is now closer to 4,000 square feet, which is great news for gardeners but not necessarily for breeders’ economics. Another element influencing a reduced focus on the genus is the world’s expanding deer population. Tony mockingly refers to his insidiously hosta-eating four-legged opponents as “wood goats.” (On his website, he has a list of additional perennials that do demonstrate deer resistance.)
A few of my recent hosta “aha’s” are highlighted below, but be sure to listen to the entire episode using the player just below for more. Among other fun Avent-style facts, the “more” includes why Tony has titled his otherwise-elegant hosta introductions things like “Elvis Lives” and “Out House Delight,” or “Bubba” and “Red Neck Heaven,” among other things.
my 6 hosta ‘aha’s,’ thanks to tony avent
1. The fact that it’s enormousand especially big and bluesells more than any other physical feature. (I’m a huge fan of yellow, but I’m regrettably out of step with the market.)
“Our breeding focus has always been on having things that appear differentbut it doesn’t always mean they’re as commercial,” Tony explains. What’s on sale: “Big blue hostas,” says the narrator.
“That’s where the money is,” Tony explains (who in classic Avent style is therefore particularly excited about small hostas). He claims that large blue has been the thing since the 1980s “and will continue to be for the time being. “Today’s best-selling hosta is ‘Empress Wu,’ which is around 4 feet tall and 7 feet acrossmassive,” it’s Tony notes, adding that it’s not even a good hosta beyond its size. “It’s a big deal to be big. So, because size matters, we’re breeding miniatures.”
2. Hostas have a single species that is responsible for their tiny leaf size and overall stature.
The root of this feature is Hosta venusta, which can only be found in nature on a volcanic island off the southern coast of Korea; most miniatures (such as the sport known as ‘Kinbotan’) have venusta in their background.
3. That there’s a reason why some types’ leaves fade faster in the summer than others, from vibrant to bland or otherwise as the season progressessomething I’ve always lamented but never understood the mechanism behind.
Tony explains that a waxy coating on the leaves of blue hostas enables the light to be reflected in such a way that they appear glaucous blue “In the 1990s, we all know what happens to wax after a few days: it melts. Also, if it rains a lot in the summer, the wax can be washed away.
“The blues become less effective as you go to a warmer area. So it’s the amount of waxwhich is why I enjoy ‘Touch of Class’ (top photo) since the wax lasts a lot longer because it’s double-layered.”
“The standard for me in the blues would be ‘Pewterware’ or ‘Blue Jay,’ since they keep their color better than practically anything else,” he explains.
Tony demonstrates that the mechanism underlying white, variegated, or yellow leaves aging through the season is entirely differentnot it’s about wax.
“All of those hostas are either lutescent or viridescent,” he explains, referring to the hereditary features that determine how quickly leaves fade.
“Lutescent ones start out green and fade to yellow, or they start out yellow and fade to white,” he continues, “while viridescent ones start out bright and fade to green.” Because practically all gold, white, or variegated hostas are one or the other, and don’t keep the same color as they age, you’ll need to know which one you’re obtaining.”
3. Beyond the lovely scent radiating from its enormous white blossoms, that Hosta plantaginea (below)from whose genetics breeders acquire fragranceis even more distinctive than I imagined.
Tony notes that all hosta variety with scent has Hosta plantaginea in its background (all the fragrant varieties he offers are here). Plantaginea is also vigorous and has a higher sun tolerance than other hostas.
Another contrast is that plantaginea flowers later in the season, even in August, when those large, fragrant white blooms are most appreciated. However, there is a drawback:
“As a breeding plant, it’s quite difficult since all hostas expect that one bloom at 7 a.m.,” Tony explains. “At 5 p.m., that one will open. It’s the hosta family’s white sheep, and you have to deceive it into having sex with the others.”
But he pulls it off, and as a result, he’s establishing a whole new line of aromatic hostas at Plant Delights.
5. That when Southern gardeners look for “heat-tolerant hostas,” what they really want are hostas with “low chill requirements,” i.e., ones that don’t require much chilling in the winter.
“What matters in the winter is the quantity of cold they get,” Tony explains. “As we travel south, we’re looking for hostas with a low winter chill need.”
What’s the best way to tell? As soon as there is a hint of spring warmth, you can walk out into the garden and look for the ones that appear first. Those are the ones who require less relaxation.
Tony claims that Hosta plantaginea, for example, is the only hosta that does not require dormancy and hence may grow all year. The cold requirement of Hosta venusta is relatively low. Hosta nakaiana is another Korean plant with a low cold need.
6. That some of my favorite hostas aren’t the result of a breeder’s planned hybridization (that is, pollen exchange between two plants with favorable qualities), but rather are naturally occurring mutations or sports (genetic variation within a species or variety).
Consider some of the outstanding progeny in the top photo of ‘Halcyon,’ the seminal blue-leaved hosta from the late 1980s, according to Tony. Not-all-blue varieties such as ‘First Frost,’ ‘Blue Ivory,’ or ‘June,’ as well as ‘Touch of Class,’ which Tony claims is even better. “Those are all sports from the beginning.” Who knows what kind of beauty will appear next?
How long does it take for hostas to sprout?
After sprouting, I discovered that hosta plants grow at a rate of around 1/2 inch each day, reaching maximum growth in 30 to 35 days. Mine began growing at the end of March, however it will vary depending on where you live and the weather conditions at the time. If it’s a warm spring, it’ll sprout and grow faster. I hope you’ve had a good time and learned something new.
Are hostas bulbs or seeds?
Hostas are all hybrids, which means they are the offspring of at least two separate plants with diverse genomes. Multiple genetic parents are common in hostas. Hostas can also self-seed, resulting in a “selfed” hybrid, according to the Delaware Valley Hosta Society’s “Hosta Lingo” page.