What part of the country are you in? Do you have a picture from the side of the plant?

probably lack of water down where the roots are .... how are you watering them??/

also ... if the fence faces south... and there is a lot of direct sun ... you are cooking them ... which could be offset by better watering ... though i now see the sun shining under the fence ...

you are very close to the large one going dormant due to heat and water stress ...

ken

So, some of my hostas are looking a bit like this. The changing angle of the sun is putting more sun on them than they like. Also as ken has said before, hostas start to get ugly this time of the summer. I don’t know if it’s that they have spent their energy growing for the summer and/or are now beginning to prepare for dormancy.......? Ken and Kathy can speak to this better thanI though. Agree that they look very stressed.

"I have been watering them every day in the morning." Depending on your zone, sun exposure and where you are, you may be overwatering. Why not dig the soil near the plant and check whether the soil seems dry or not.

Thanks to everyone who's replied! I live in Louisville, It has been very very dry here - no rain in over a month where I live (although other parts of the city have had thunderstorms.) I do not think it could be overwatering - they are on a slope and the ground is hard as a rock; i cannot even dig in it. I inherited these plants, and from what you say I think they are probably now getting too much sun. The fence is on the west and the sun has moved south since the Solstice; they were being shaded all day by a big maple tree but now they are in sun part of the day. I will definitely dig them come fall and move them to a shadier spot and will add humus and compost to the soil. I know the soil they are in right now is terrible, this house was owned by an older lady who I was told "was not interested in plants!" So they will definitely get better care next year.

If they go dormant from the stress, will their roots survive till fall when I can move them when it gets cooler?

Some of mine are looking ugly this time of years also. Between the hail we had and branches dropping from the wind and the seed pod I still haven't cut off , I just take pictures farther away and they don't look near as bad as close up. As they say, every dog has it's day .. Next year is a new year for your tired bodies and tired plants too

Yes, keep watering all the way into late fall and you should get them back, maybe smaller maybe the same. Next year consider amending your soil and figuring out more water retention.

Sculpu, I also live in Louisville! A few of my hosta (I have a LOT of hosta in my small garden) are starting to look a bit tatty, but most are very happy. They have bloomed and bloomed and bloomed, one variety after another, most of the summer.

I do have the advantage of an in-ground sprinkler system, and I started watering daily about 2 weeks ago - just too hot and dry. They get 20 minutes very early each morning, in the various "zones" of my garden.

I do find that the big-leafed, showy ones continue to look good the longest. I was so lucky to find a LOT of these (think 30-40 over 2 years) at the Home Depot on Breckenridge. They had 2 gal pots of these fancy varieties for $8.99, thus my "binge". They have not disappointed. I have discovered that hosta are heavy feeders. Mine get a top-dressing of either compost from my pile or bagged manure each early spring (late Mar, early Apr). They're very happy!