Problems with my Hostas - please help

One is not thriving at all & the others are showing similar browning of leaves. I have been watering them.

(I'm new to gardening - my dad planted these for me !)

Any advice please ?

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Thanks

 

Hi Swayzak,It looks to me as though they need some shade,they look very exposed,could you move them to shade or partial shade?and loads of water and a mulch.

 

I agree with Roders .... they need shade

some yellow leaved hostas can take more sunnier positions, but they need lots of watering

here is a good site that has loads of hostas
Bowden Hostas - Welcome To Our Online Shop

you also need to use slug/snail repellent and there is a recipe using garlic that stops the snails and slugs from eating the leaves ... this is the recipe from the same site (but it is advisable to also use the slug pellets):

Ingredients

2 Bulbs Garlic
2 Pints Water

Instructions

Crush 2 bulbs of garlic
Steam or boil in 2 pints of water for 3 to 4 minutes until blanched
Strain mixture and make back up to 2 pints
Leave to cool


When ready to use, mix one tablespoon into a gallon (3.8 litres) of water. Sprinkle on to leaves in late afternoon (in dry weather). Reapply every two weeks.

The mixture will apparently dry on the leaves making them rather unappealing to slugs and snails!


and here are a few hostas that do ok in sunnier positions:
Sun Tolerant Hostas

 

Yep, need shade. There is a very short list of hostas that can handle sun. And unless you've really hunted down that short list most likely what you have is the shade lovers.

 

Thanks all

The position is more partial shade (next to a fence) so they only get sun for some of the day.

Is the appearance of the leaves specific e.g dehydration ?

Would fastidious watering help them ?

I've used slug pellets too, as I gather hostas are vulnerable to them.

 

Hostas are very prone to slug damage, but the browning of the leaves looks more like sun damage to me. Have you watered them when the sun is shining on them? this could cause the sort of browning you have. I find that they don't like any direct sun at all, dappled shade is OK.
Lovely flower!

 

if the fence is south facing, it would still be classed as full sun (it's hard to see the amount of shade in your photos)

if they are in the shade, and browning on the leaf edges, it could be a lack of water (they enjoy damp soil) ....

I never overwater hostas, but prefer to water moderate amounts on a regular basis .... if you use a hose to water, it's best to water very late afternoon so that they do not get leaf burn from the sun ... looking at the photo, I doubt it is leafburn from watering, as it is either in too much sun, or too little water

it also depends where they were grown before you acquired them .... if they were grown in a hothouse, they will need time to harden up

 

Example ---beautiful hosta





Nice tall vase type hosta, and a yellow and green one next to it on the left side. And I have a ton of them. This is the view from my car.

http://youtu.be/M0Kt_g-OcwY

 

Lovely hostas Redstar..
Dave

 

Thanks Dave.

 

The fence is north facing - but that patch gets full sun for a few hours.

I'm going to water them more regularly (they've only been in a month or so as well) & see how it goes.

If they are getting too much sun, will they die or just fail to thrive ?

 

Hello my lovely , Hosta's the country over have had problems this year - Do u remember april / may ? This is the time that hosta's r making a real showing and , bless their cotton sox , up they came with much enthusiasm to be greeted with stormin sun and drought . Its the drought that hit them so hard . they browned off from the edges of the leaves first . I have a huge 'blue angel ' that is usually a good 5' across and was developed around the same time as 'sum (sun?)and substance' to be sunnable , this is the first time in about 12 years that it has struggled at all , bless it ! I'm just looking out of the window and it has managed to put out a few late leaves that look just fine . appart from that ... scorchio !!!!