Hostas are a beautiful addition to any garden, they come in many different shapes and sizes and while it can be hard to figure out the best way to start your hosta filled garden, its actually much easier and cheaper to start off with a hosta bulb as compared to a nursery plant.
You can easily grow hostas from bulbs if you follow the recommendations in this article. In the following, we will cover all the basic questions concerning this topic.
When Should Hosta Bulbs Be Planted?
The best time to plant hosta bulbs is early spring. Usually, in March, the ground is already warm enough to put hosta bulbs in the ground. You also have to make sure to prepare the bulb properly for planting.
Continue reading on to learn how to properly prepare your bulb for planting and how exactly to plant a hosta bulb. We’ll go over all the steps and even how big the holes should be.
Should I Soak Hosta Bulbs Before Planting?
The biggest concern when dealing with hosta bulbs compared to hosta nursery plants or sprouts is whether or not bulbs get any special care or if they just get dropped into the ground. So what special treatment do bulbs get?
Hosta bulbs should be soaked in water before being planted in a garden. A good rule of thumb is to soak the bulb for one to two hours or until the outer flesh is soft and tender to the touch. Make sure you are careful not to break any root growth that has already started to show by this point.
Next we’ll be going over the full list of how to plant hosta bulbs from start to finish, outlining the most important steps and how to ensure your bulb will receive an optimal growth!
How To Plant Hosta Bulbs?
Planting hosta bulbs is a different process then planting hosta plants. The size of the hole is different, the area of ground between each plant varies and even the placment of roots is different so read on to find out exactly how to plant hosta bulbs.
There’s seven easy steps to planting a hosta bulb, just be sure to soak the bulb in water for an hour or two before planting.
- Dig a wide hole: At least 4 inches deep.
- Add fertilizer: Add 2 teaspoons of slow-release fertilizer, providing a nutrient-dense place for root formation.
- Use soil that drains well: This will keep the new roots taking root from rotting away due to water settling in the hole.
- Place the hosta bulb in the middle of the hole: Make sure the roots are pointed downwards but spread them up towards the sun.
- Fill the hole back up with soil carefully: Make sure not to leave any harsh clumps of soil or air pockets.
- Water after planting: This will add moisture to the soil.
- Add a thin layer of compost and mulch mixture to the top layer: This will not only keep the new root network cool and safe but add a protective layer against pests.
Now that we know the steps behind planting hosta bulbs, lets learn about how far away hosta plants should be planted.
How Far Apart Should I Plant Hosta Bulbs?
When you take the time to plant a garden, you want that garden to be beautiful. Barren spots, too close together plants killing each other and just the misplacement of plants can all lead to the least desirable garden. So how far apart should hosta bulbs be planted to ensure the most beautiful, healthy garden possible?
Hostas are larger plants, therefore planting them 1 to 4 feet apart provides not only enough space for them to properly grow and spread out but will also provide your garden with an even ground cover of beautiful thick leaves and hosta foliage.
Continue on below to learn just how deep you should plant your hosta bulbs.
How Deep To Plant Hosta Bulbs?
Learning how deep to plant a hosta bulb is as crucial as learning the actual steps it takes to plant a hosta bulb. Bulbs, nursery sprouts and full grown plants all have differing practices when it comes to planting them.
The hosta bulb should be planted at least 4 inches deep in the ground so that the roots are completely covered and the crown or head of the plant should be above the ground.
Next we’ll go over how long you can expect to wait and see all your hard work pay off.
How Long Do Hostas Take To Grow From Bulb?
Of course youo can’t wait to see your beautiufl new hosta bloom in the warm summer, so how long do hostas take to grow from bulb into plant?
Most hostas generally take 4 to 10 weeks to start growing from a bulb, they most likely won’t bloom flowers in the first year of being planted. Its very important to keep a careful eye on the new hosta plants, study their leaves to ensure they are not being attacked by pests like slugs or rabbits as the first year is crucial for a hostas continuous survival.
We’ve gone over how to plant hosta bulbs, the best places for them to be planted, and now we’ll learn the best way to care for hosta bulbs.
How To Care For Hosta Bulbs?
Hosta bulbs still require a fair amount of care, they may not be as vulnerable as a baby hosta plant for example but they still need tender love and care to grow into those vulnerable little plants and eventually into hardy, strong adult plants. So how do we ensure that happens?
You need to make sure the newly planted bulb has plenty of water. Every time you test the soil and find it dry to the touch, watering is a must. Most of the care for hosta bulbs comes into play after they first sprout, these small new hosta babies will be incredibly vulnerable to all matters of pests.
Conclusion
Many things go into growing a beautiful adult hosta plant from a small bulb. Everything from proper soil, to width, depth and placement of holes and even being sure to pre-soak the bulb before planting and properly caring for the bulb afterwards. But even with this all being considered, hosta bulbs are still a cheap, easy alternative to planting baby nursery plants and offer a lot more satisfaction knowing that you grew your own hosta plant from just the bulb.