Reached full size or just multiplied

9 years ago

I am fairly new to hostas. How can you tell if a hosta has reached it's full size or if it has just multiplied. I have planted about 20 different hostas at our house over the past 3 years that we've had it. There are some that are only 3 years old and I'm not sure if they have multiplied or if that is just the plant growing?

Featured Answer

josephines167 z5 ON Canada

9 years ago

Hello, Patti! Would you have some pictures you could share?

Generally speaking, many hostas reach maturity around the 3 year mark but there are those slow-growers that can take much longer, up to 7 years. I remember my Sagae being slow although I noticed the leaves getting larger each year. Then, about the 5th or 6th year it leapt and became the largest hosta in my garden!

There is a popular saying - first year hostas sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap.

They grow and multiply at various speeds. (I have found that many hostas tolerate a good amount of sun in my sunny yard and they grow more vigorously with more sun exposure. Some burn and can look a bit crispy around the edges the first year but they get used to it the following years.) It is an amazing time in the garden by year three. Location means everything to a hosta. Find the right one and you will have happy and healthy hostas. It helps if you don't have to skimp on water, lol.

Depending on the cultivar, you may very well have some hostas that are on the verge of reaching maturity! :-)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

beverlymnz4
9 years ago
In my experience, hosta keep on getting larger unless there is something to hold them back. For example tree roots, a pot, lack of nutrients, and/or competition with other nearby plants. I have had to take pieces out of my hosta in order to keep them in bounds.
Patti (z6a ON Canada) thanked beverlymnz4
Related Professionals
Knoxville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Traverse City Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Merced Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Rome Landscape Contractors · Quincy Landscape Contractors · New Bedford Landscape Contractors · Norfolk Landscape Contractors · Bennington Landscape Contractors · Santa Rosa Landscape Contractors · Leamington Landscape Contractors · Southaven Home Additions · Philadelphia Home Additions · Norfolk Home Additions · Brainerd Home Additions · Edison Home Additions
Patti (z6a ON Canada)
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the info. When the hosta is coming up in spring, and there are three "pips", does this mean three plants?
ConnieMay ON Z6a
9 years ago
No, it is one plant. Mature hostas have many pips.
Patti (z6a ON Canada) thanked ConnieMay ON Z6a
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
short of hyper fert'g ..... on some level.. there is a mature height and mature leaf size..

the clump can continue to get larger in width over the decades ...

3 pips means the potential of 3 plants.. if you were to divide them into such ... but if you leave them all connected .. its one plant ...

and if you do divide them .... then you retard maturity ...

one can think of maturity.. as a root mass issue ... when you have grown a mature root mass ... then the plant should be.. what it has the potential to be... but if you keep dividing the plant.. reducing the root mass ... then you are moving back away from maturity ...

ken
Patti (z6a ON Canada) thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
Patti (z6a ON Canada)
Original Author
9 years ago
That's good to know. I received 3 tiny hostas from an online order the other day. I was shocked to see them so small for the cost. So each one was probably just one pip?