Hostas are a group of lily-like herbaceous plants that are a popular addition to any garden. Native to northeast Asia, cultivated hostas can now be found around the world.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosta These garden plants are prized by gardeners for both their contribution to erosion control and the splash of vibrant color that they add to the surrounding landscape.

Hostas are extremely easy to grow in most plant hardiness zones in the United States. Before you start, you should have a patch of garden in which to plant these shade-loving perennials. You should also have all of the necessary gardening tools such as a small spade, gardening gloves, and a method of which to water your hostas on a regular basis, plus a good garden plan. You can easily complete the process of planting your hostas in a single afternoon, however, it will take several weeks before you know if your hostas have successfully established a root system in your garden. The information below will give you the knowledge you need to know to be able to introduce hostas to your garden.

There are as many as 45 species of naturally occurring hostas, with an additional 3000 known cultivars.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosta All hostas do best in plant hardiness zones 3-9, which includes all but the coldest and hottest places in the United States. They grow best in soil with a pH range of 5.0-7.5. Hostas are best suited for shady areas, and will not thrive in prolonged direct sunlight.

The following are hosta varieties that you may commonly see in your neighborhood nursery:

• Abiqua Drinking Gourd: A striking variety that has blue/green cup-shaped leaves and vibrant white flowers.
• American Icon: A large, mounding variety that is characterized by dark green leaves with yellow edging. American Icon creates beautiful lavender flowers in the Spring.
• American Sweethart: Another variety with lavender flowers, this variety has shiny yellow leaves with a broad dark green edging.
• Americana: This green and white cultivar has thick, waxy leaves and exhibits above- average slug resistance.
• Deja Blu: This hosta adds a splash of blue to garden landscapes along with lavender flowers.
• Maui Buttercups: A yellow hosta that shows above-average slug resistance.
• Touch of Class: A dark blue hosta with a vibrant streak of yellow.

Pick one variety of hosta for a monochromatic landscape, or mix several for splashes of color throughout your garden.

Plan for a Good Garden Space to Plant Hostas

1. Hostas do best in full shade or dappled sunlight areas. They can withstand mild early morning sun exposure, but will die under more prolonged hot and sunny conditions.
2. Hostas prefer soil with a high organic content. If your garden soil is substandard, you can buy a high quality soil by the bag from your local plant nursery. You can also create your own soil by composting your table scraps.

Plant Your Hostas

1. Depending on the size of your hosta, dig a hole 12"-18" deep. A large, wide hole is desirable because hostas tend to spread and grow horizontally. Fill the bottom 4" with a good quality high organic matter soil.
2. Loosen the roots of your hosta by gently macerating the bottom and sides of the soil surrounding the roots. This will allow your hosta to take root in the surrounding soil.
3. Plant your hosta at the same level that the stems hit the roots while it was in the pot. Cover it over with a high-quality organic soil mixed with soil from your garden and water immediately. The area around the plant should be soaked through.http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1239.html<ref>

Hostas require at least an inch of water per week for optimal growth. Hostas should be watered on a daily basis. If your hosta is not receiving an adequate amount of water you will notice the following symptoms:

• Drooping
• Crispiness at the end of the leaves
• A subtle or dramatic change in color

Slugs and snails commonly forage on Hostas. To control these animals around your garden bed, try these organic methods before moving on to chemical means:

• Place a small Tupperware container of beer in your garden, digging a hole to place it in so that the surface of the beer is level with your garden soil. Snails are attracted to the yeasty smell, and will drop in and drown.

• Place a series of wet newspapers around your plant. Slugs and snails will find refuge underneath the papers in the sun, which will allow you to quickly wrangle them mid-day and kill them in a hot soapy water mixture. If you have a large property, you can move the slugs into a woody section or relocate to your local park as they are native species.

• Copper strips, sold at garden supply stores have been shown to keep slugs and snails away long term without repeated applications.

• Creating rough edges around your property will increase it's suitability for hosting bird and reptile species. This can be a viable long term solution for managing your insect and slug population through biological predatory control. http://www.greenharvest.com.au/pestcontrol/slug_and_snail_info.html<ref>