Hostas in pots.

Hi All,

I have a lilac tree and was thinking of putting a couple of Hostas in pots underneath it. What compost mix would be best to help retain moisture? I have problems with slugs also and have read that putting gravel on the top of the pot and raising the pot in water helps to keep them out. Does this work? What does everyone else do with there container grown Hostas?

Rusty

 

I've found Hostas to be much easier and less fussy than is generally believed. Mine are in pots in ordinary garden soil and I move them around to wherever I think they look good at the time. Some are in full sun, some in shade. The only two precautions I take are that I try to ensure that as far as possible the leaves aren't in touching distance of other plants (so slugs can't just walk across) and I put copper tape around the pots. In winter I keep them covered so that snails and slugs and other bugs can't get in and lay eggs in the soil - I use fleece bags tied tightly over the pot and keep them out of the rain.

I did have one which got eaten at the start of this summer, I'd left it under a Camelia and forgotten it. I cut off all of the damaged leaves, checked for any other marauding bugs and then put it out in the sun. It recovered perfectly.

 

I use John innes NO 3 with added grit , also grit once its all potted on the top helps to stop weeds moss etc and hopefully slugs