Thanks Ken. Some of them didn't come back at all and some of them didn't get much bigger. I also need to move one around to get less sun. I have mulched them all in my little Hosta garden.

I usually fertalize mine late April when the bullets are popping out. And again in mid to late June. I don't worry about the middle number (phosphorous) too much as this is mainly for flowering. For roots the first number (nitrogen) is the most important.

But hostas don't really need it......if your plants are shrinking or static it's a water issue. Usually it's tree roots that create this problem.

I used miloganite this spring before the rains. It has a smell that makes the garden less desirable for rabbits (my main problem) and deer. I read, I think in Fine Gardening, that some synthetic fertilizers contain salts making the plants saltier and therefore more liked by deer, so I don't use them. If you don't have to worry about critter damage then go ahead, like Ken says, any balanced fertilizer will work.

Some of them didn't come back at all

==++>>> do you see them generally in the area ... i THINK some areas of SC do not get the requisite cold dormancy in winter???

ken

I got some from Walmart and split the pot and they looked good the first year. Only one came back the second year.

This is last year:

Some of the ones on the front row didn't come back. Oh and I did clean the bottom of the trees. The one on the corners are the same and one didn't come back. Well i only have about four of seven left on the front. One doesn't seem to like the sun.

I know you are south of me so it's a bit tougher on hostas down there. LSU is even further south and they have a list of dependable hostas for the south:

Http://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/lawn_garden/commercial_horticulture/ornamentals/thriving-hostas-for-southern-louisiana-landscapes

A lot of those are ones that come from Hosta Plantaginea.

I don't know about the midlands but we had a weird winter in the Upstate. It was unusually warm most of the winter. Just when my hostas decided there wasn't going to be a winter and sent out pips, we had several days of cold nights in the mid 20s that froze a bunch of my plants back.

In the previous 5 years I've lost 2-3 hostas. I had 5 plants that didn't come back last winter and 3-4 others that came back smaller than last year.

The hostas at the Clemson Botanical garden got whacked too - they have a ton of plant markers without plants this year. Hopefully we have a more "normal" winter next year.

"I don't worry about the middle number (phosphorous) too much as this is
mainly for flowering. For roots the first number (nitrogen) is the
most important."

This is incorrect- nitrogen supports foliage growth.

Too much nitrogen pushes foliage growth which in turn produces weaker foliage which in turn invites insect/temperature damage.

Root development requires phosphorous -P, and a bit of potassium- K.

Here is an article about fertilizer that sums it up:

"Commercial fertilizers typically display an N-P-K ratio that indicates the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, respectively; if you want a fertilizer that supports root growth, ensure the second and third numbers are larger than the first. For example, a 3-20-20 fertilizer that contains 3 percent nitrogen, 20 percent phosphorus and 20 percent potassium encourages roots to grow strong and healthy. Keep the nitrogen content low, as it promotes leggy green growth at the expense of rooting, flowering and fruiting."

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/can-use-promote-root-growth-75498.html