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Dear George:
I have a hosta leaf that has some kind of disease on it. Is it nemotodes? How do I treat it?
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I have several clumps of Allen P. McConnell Hosta that on at least two of the plants, there are two or more white stripes down the green leaves. To encourage this patterning, should I dig up the Hostas and take out the section with the stripes or should I leave it undisturbed on the parent plant?
Answer: When I first saw something like that on one of my 'August Moon' plants, I waited 5 or 6 years to have the sport grow stronger. The I separated it. Most folks are too anxious to remove the sport and then lose it. My sport turned out to be the same as 'Abiqua Moonbeam' or 'Mayan Moon'. Oh well, shouldn't have waited that long! On my striped 'Gosan Line Up' I waited ten years but no one has duplicated that one yet. I would suggest waiting until the entire shoot starts showing that variegation, then you can say it's progressive and might lead to something. George

Why is my hosta turning yellow?
Answer: There are lots of reasons that hosta leaves turn yellow. If the plant is healthy, it may be planted where it receives too much direct sunlight. You may want to try moving it to a shadier location. In other cases there may not be enough water getting to the leaves. The soil around the hosta may be too dry. Disease or insect damage to the crown or stem of the hosta may be interfering with the flow of water to the leaves. Late in the season hosta might just be going dormant and are shutting down for the winter.

Can I plant hosta in the sun?
Answer: Sometimes. Generally in Atlanta and further South hosta will not tolerate full, daylong sunshine. In their original habitat hosta are forest edge or meadow plants. They prefer morning sun and afternoon shade. Yellow leaved hosta tend to tolerate longer periods of sun than blue or dark green hosta. That having been said, I have seen clumps of hosta, that receive a lot of water, do relatively well in the sun. The key is a lot of water. More than an inch per week throughout the growing season.

I bought a hosta and it’s grown bigger than I thought, how can I divide it?
Answer: There are several ways you can handle this problem. First, if you just wish to remove a section, you can take a sharp knife and remove a pie shaped section. If you want to cut it in half or quarters you can take a shovel and cut the sections. You can also dig up the entire clump, wash the roots and divide the plant into as many pieces as there are stems. Just make sure that each stem has a piece of crown and some roots.

When is the best time to move my Hostas?
Answer: Hosta can be moved any time as long as there is sufficient water. However, in the spring before the plants get too big or in the fall after they have gone.

How can I find out how big each variety gets?
Answer: A couple of great reference books which list hosta sizes are “The Hosta Handbook” by Mark R. Zilis and “The Genus Hosta” by W. George Schmid. (Schmid’s book gives average sizes, more in tune with the South; Zilis’ are more maximum sizes.)

What do I do about tree root competition?
Answer: First understand that it exits. Tree roots will take their fair share of water and nutrients, so plan accordingly. Almost anything you do, such as lining your planting bed with landscape cloth will eventually be overcome by the tree roots. Avoid planting too close to tree trunks and during dry periods make sure the hostas planted under trees get a little extra water.
I’ve seen huge hostas in the North, how come mine don’t get that big?
Answer; Hosta are native to cooler latitudes. Atlanta is almost as far South as hostas get enough cold time in the winter to regenerate. Further north growing conditions are more ideal for the plant.

What’s the best way to get rid of cutworms? Slugs? Deer? Rabbits?
Answer: Cutworms: If cut worms are a problem, wrapping the stems of young plants with cardboard or alum foil can keep the cutworms from girdling the plants.
Slugs: There are several control methods for slugs and snails. First don’t’ use mulches around hosta that encourage their growth, such as pine bark nuggets. You can put out saucers of beer or use commercial slug baits. (Always read and follow label directions). Also encourage habitat for toads, they eat slugs.
Deer: Ultimately physical barriers work best. The deer netting has been used by some of our members with some success. Repellents continually need to be reapplied the same is true for rabbits; a short rabbit fence keeps the critters out of my garden.

What’s the best fertilizer for my hostas? How often should I use it?
Answer: Don’t guess soil test. I use a slow release, balanced fertilizer in the spring just as leaves emerge. I also have my soil tested every three years to make sure that the soil ph is proper.

We have clay, will my hosta survive?
Answer; Yes, hosta will tolerate a wide variety of soils. They would like it much better if organic material was added and sand for better drainage.