Can you put a hosta in a hanging basket?
Bought this tiny little hosta for 50p. So far I have been avoiding hostas , even though they seem massively popular. I saw a slug damaged on in the park and thought it looked horrendous. Also been avoiding heucheras for the slug reason, even though I would love to have the one. Couldn't face the battle with slugs after what I've been going through with my marigolds and dahlias lol. And I also didn't see the appeal of hostas - is it because the grow in the shade?
But then I saw it, it was calling out to me so for 50p I thought okay. Thinking of putting it in a hanging basket lol! Will it become pot bound and not survive? Are these evergreen? Does it stay like this throughout winter?
Last edited: 31 July 2016 09:03:37
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They are herbaceous so die down at the end of summer and would need sheltering over winter to avoid freezing the root ball. I don't see why it couldn't be grown in a hanging basket as long as it's big enough to keep it moist and not dry out between waterings.
Heucheras do not get eaten by slugs in my experience.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Oh wow how beautiful Verdun. Thank you for sharing these. Hmmm I would be so upset if the slugs got to it. Amazing that yours are so undamaged and perfect. How many years has it taken them to grow to this size and even producing flowers? I am becoming a convert...never used to see the appeal of hostas.
Heucheras aren't usually bothered by slugs as obelixx says - vine weevils are the usual culprits for those.
You'll just have to take precautions with hostas to keep slugs away, but some are more resilient. When you see the new lush growth in spring it's the time to get hunting!
Pots are easier to control if you have a lot of slugs. I only grow a few as I don't use pellets and I don't have time to slug hunt enough.
Great plants but I don't think a suitable candidate for hanging baskets for the reason Verdun gives. You wouldn't get the benefit.of the foliage. They make great statement plants in big pots though.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Hmm okay I will have to have a little think and a plan B. Looks like the vote is don't put it in a basket lol. And there I was thinking I had a bright idea! Hang it high up and they can't get there - lolll!!
Verdun do you know what variety I have there? It looks like your last photo. Yes I may become a convert..I am getting addicted to aspidistras which I feel are similar only in that they are a big leaves and not much stem...very beautiful. Currently I am looking for an aspidistra Asahi which has white tips...impossible to find! Hostas have similr shaped leaves.
Fairygirl it's all these slug precautions I wanted to avoid..I think because I am not at home much I have found it very stressful this year. Some nights I have forgotten to put out pellets and found plants decimated when I've come back from work. We have a loads of snails too. Also I don't like fighting off of killing these animals so instead I thought avoidance of the plants was the best option. But now I have this little hosta, I need to look after him lol.
Wakeshine - your garden has to suit you and your needs. I don't have time to constantly faff around with fussy plants now, and I don't use pellets, so I simply don't grow them. I prioritise. I love clematis, which slugs love too, and apart from that I grow very few plants that are 'slug restaurant' material. I do a bit of slug and snail hunting to keep the clematis happy, but they still get flowers eaten. It's about getting a balance.
Some hostas are more slug repellent - the heavily ribbed ones are better, and the blues are often quite sturdy as the foliage is thicker, but molluscs will be worse in some years than others too.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I have some fairly low hanging waist height baskets on the back wall so a hosta would do in there but I agree, they're better seen from above or side on in pots and troughs or the ground.
I use wildlife friendly pellets to great effect but this year the slugs have been so prolific there has been some damage, even in pots standing on gravel paths and treated with pellets. I saw copper rings here for the first time this year but very expensive so stick to the pellets and picking off.
I let mine flower as bees love them and some are scented but they are removed the minute they go over as this helps the foliage stay attractive much longer.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
might it be H. crispula? To be fair, there are lots which look similar to each other, so I might well be wrong.