Hostas are shade tolerant plants and will thrive in more sun than expected. Plants tend to have many smaller leaves in the sun and will multiply faster. Hostas grown in complete shade will have larger, fewer leaves and multiply more slowly.

All hostas need an inch of water a week. If nature doesn’t provide rain you need to water. If you don’t water in the late summer and fall your plants will be smaller. We water until the first frost.

High nitrogen fertilizer in early spring will increase the leaf size. We use triple 12 three times (about 2 weeks apart) in September and October to feed the roots.

We add lots of organic matter to our soil. Most plants like the soil loose and well aerated. We also add Greensand for micro-nutrients and alfalfa meal for growth. (Greensand is the powdered natural mineral iron potassium silicate, only a small % is released each year, so it is a very safe way to add micronutrients. Alfalfa meal is a source of slow-release nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and triacontanol, a growth hormone found in alfalfa.)
All items are available at most local co-ops.