Gardening Articles: Landscaping :: Yard & Garden Planning
Hostas: Ultimate Shade Perennials (page 2 of 2) by Jack Ruttle
Typically, the plant you buy is a one- or two-eye division. The
eye is a piece of a stubby underground stem or "rhizome"
containing a single squat, conical bud from which the leaves
arise. The many roots that grow from the rhizome are about as
thick as heavy twine, something like the roots of daylilies. New
rhizomes form slowly, and a clump may take four or five seasons
to begin looking its best. When spacing hostas in the garden, a
good rule of thumb is that the plants will spread about 50
percent wider than they are tall: A 24-inch hosta will spread to
cover a circle about 36 inches across when the plant is mature.
That can be in four to six years, depending on the vigor of the
variety. Experts advise against planting hostas closer in an
attempt to get a full effect sooner. Instead, fill in with
daffodils, Virginia bluebells or annuals. Established hosta
plantings have been in place for 3