Hostas are one of the best foliage plants for those trickier shady spots in the garden. The decorative foliage comes in different sizes, shades, and textures, but hostas can struggle in the summer, and it shows first and foremost through their leaves.
A lack of moisture is often the root cause of summer woes when growing and caring for hostas. When stressed, the foliage loses its lushness; it can turn yellow, brown, curl, and wilt. It makes watering an important part of summer care. Perhaps even more crucial is mulching, as it retains moisture, keeps the soil cool, and prevents weeds.
Mulching hostas may not feel like a summer job, but if yours are not protected, it will make a remarkable difference. You can even use something as simple as this organic mulch from Amazon. I spoke to a vastly experienced hosta grower about caring for these popular perennial plants in the summer to keep them healthy and looking their best all season long – here’s what they said.
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Why Mulch Hostas in Summer?
(Image credit: Future/Jacky Hobbs)
‘Spring gets all the glory in the garden world, but summer hosta care is just as important,’ claims Richard Jolly, an expert hosta grower and owner of Pine Forest Gardens. ‘Summer gets busy fast, but a little consistent care goes a long way. Keep up with watering, weeding, mulching, and critter control, and your hostas will reward you with years of beauty in the shade garden.’
A healthy hosta puts on the best foliage display. In the summer, a common culprit that upsets hostas is a lack of moisture. If your hosta leaves turn yellow, droop, or have brown edges, it can be due to drought stress.
Larger-leaved hosta varieties will lose moisture quickly in a heatwave and will quickly struggle if the soil is dry and they cannot replenish what moisture they’ve lost.
‘Keeping the soil consistently moist is one of the best things you can do for your hostas,’ claims Richard. ‘Well-watered hostas hold their color and form longer through the season and come back stronger in spring.’
Watering deeply as and when required keeps hostas hydrated and the leaves looking on top form. Check the soil a few inches under the surface with your fingers or a soil moisture meter (you can get a long-probe soil moisture meter at Amazon), and water when it feels dry.
Make sure to water the soil rather than the foliage, and give them deeper waterings less regularly, rather than little and often, to get the moisture down to the roots.
What helps to maintain a good display of foliage and reduce the amount of maintenance required during the summer is mulching hostas. It is an efficient way to offer several different benefits to your plants.
‘A good layer of mulch does double duty,’ explains Richard. ‘It suppresses weeds and helps the soil stay cool and moist, which means less time spent watering and weeding.’
The usual advice for hostas is to mulch around them in spring. However, if yours weren’t mulched earlier in the year, now is the time to do it to prevent the leaves drooping if the plants get stressed in baked soil. Even if you mulched in spring, topping up the layer will benefit your hostas.
As for what makes a good type of mulch, the expert adds: ‘Bark mulch, wood chips, and even old leaves all work well around hostas.’
Richard does warn not to make the layer too thick, saying: ‘A heavy layer can create hiding spots for pests and rodents looking for an easy meal. Stick to no more than a couple of inches, and keep it away from the crown of the plant.’
Richard Jolly is the owner of Pine Forest Gardens, a nursery specializing in hostas. The nursery opened in 1995 in Tyrone, Georgia, just outside Atlanta. It packs and ships hostas across the US, and adds new hosta varieties to the Pine Forest Gardens collection every year.
Shop for Mulch for Hostas
A product made from the shredded bark of pine trees. The small chips range from 3/4 inch to 2 inches in diameter.
An organic mulch made from upcycled plant matter or wood fines from the United States. One cubic foot bag can cover 4 square feet at a depth of 3 inches.
An organic mulch sourced from sustainable pine forests across the USA. One box covers approximately 160 square feet.
FAQs
Can I Cut Back Hosta Leaves in Summer?
You can remove damaged hosta leaves during the summer. Any foliage that is dead, has suffered from leaf scorch, or has been destroyed by slugs or snails is best removed from the clump. These damaged leaves are unsightly and will attract further pests. Cut the stalks completely back to the base, using sharp pruning tools like these Felco F2 pruning shears from Lowe’s.
Richard Jolly from Pine Forest Gardens adds that hostas can get an ‘extra boost’ from a feed in midsummer, especially those growing in poorer soil types. Gardeners can use any balanced feed to fertilize hostas, such as organic all-purpose plant food at Burpee, but do need to avoid it coming into contact with the crown, shoots, or leaves.
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