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Hosta Gold Standard is a popular hybrid variety that gets its name from its unique leaf color. Due to its decorative properties, such a shrub is used for landscaping areas. The plant is characterized by unpretentious care, so it can be grown by both experienced and novice flower growers.
Description hosts Gold Standard
It is a perennial shrub plant. It has a dome shape. The height of the bushes reaches 70 cm. The diameter of adult specimens is up to 120 cm.
Each bush contains numerous short stems with many leaves. The Gold Standard hosta is sprawling, but due to the large number of shoots it does not deform. The stems are dense, so they can withstand the weight of the leaves and do not need a garter or additional support.
The leaves of the hosta “Gold Standard” are basal. They are heart-shaped with pointed tips. In length reach 12-14 cm.
The color of hosta leaves depends on the season. In the spring they are light green. In the future, the leaves become yellow-golden. With abundant sunlight in the summer season, they can fade. Then the leaves of the hosta become creamy white with a dark green border on the sides.
Hostas grow well in the shade.
The flowering period is in the middle of summer. In mid-latitudes, it begins at the end of June and ends after 3-4 weeks. During this period, small flowers (4-6 cm each) of lavender color are formed on the shoots. They are collected in brushes growing on non-leafy stems. More about flowering:
The plant can be grown in areas with any degree of illumination. Shady places work best. In well-lit areas, cultivation is allowed, provided that the host is in the shade at noon. This is due to the fact that excess solar ultraviolet can cause leaf burnout. At the same time, the host should not be planted in full shade, otherwise it will remain dark green.
The variety “Gold Standard” is frost-resistant. Hostas can be grown in almost any climate. This requires basic periodic maintenance.
Application in landscape design
Hosta “Gold Standard” was bred by a selection method for decorative use. Thanks to the abundant foliage, such bushes go well with numerous plants. Hostas are often planted under trees to visually fill the site. It is also allowed to plant single bushes in flower beds, near curbs, various landscape elements.
Hosts “Gold Standard” go well with these colors:
- lungwort;
- peonies;
- geyher;
- phlox;
- lilies;
- gladioli;
- lavender;
- astilba.
Often bushes “Gold Standard” are planted around trees, near water bodies and on alpine slides.
When combining bushes on the site, not only their color features should be taken into account. An important condition is the requirements for the composition of the soil. The Gold Standard variety grows well in any cultivated soil, while other plants may be sensitive to soil imperfections.
Breeding methods
The method of dividing the shrub is recognized as the most effective. The procedure is carried out in mid-spring-early summer. For division, an adult host (from 4 years old) with a large number of shoots and leaves is chosen. At the beginning of the growing season, the emerging buds are removed from the bush.
Division algorithm:
- The bush is dug on one side to get to the roots.
- With a sharp blade or knife, several shoots with roots are separated.
- The cut point on the main bush is treated with sand.
- Separated shoots are planted in a pot or in a greenhouse.
- After 3-4 weeks they are transferred to open ground.
Hosta is propagated by bush division, cuttings and seeds.
It is allowed to propagate hosta Fortune Gold Standard by seeds. After flowering, a trihedral leathery box is formed on the shrubs. Numerous seeds are formed in it, which remain viable for 1 year. They are dried, then planted in small pots, pre-treated with disinfectants. The top layer of soil is no more than 1 cm.
Seedlings are kept at a temperature of 18-25 degrees. Sun exposure is excluded. Periodically, the pot is placed in a lighted place for no longer than 2 hours. Seedlings are transferred to open ground in early autumn, when the temperature does not drop below 20 degrees.
Landing algorithm
Hostas of the Gold Standard variety grow well in areas with any type of soil. The most important criterion when choosing a place is soil moisture. The higher it is, the more leaves grow on the bushes. This is especially important in the summer, when moisture evaporates quickly due to the heat.
Hosta negatively affects fluid stagnation with abundant watering. Therefore, the soil must be well-drained. Young specimens require increased nutritional value so that the root system grows faster and the bush adapts to external conditions.
After choosing a place, landing occurs in the following way:
- Dig a round hole 40-50 cm deep.
- Drainage is placed at the bottom in combination with a dry garden substrate.
- A layer of cleaned soil mixed with peat and compost is poured on top.
- The seedling is placed in such a way that the buds are placed at a depth of 1-2 cm.
- Sprinkle loose soil on top, water.
The landing site must be well protected from the wind.
Planting is recommended in the fall. Then the plant is better to take root and quickly adapt to adverse factors. If you plant a “Gold Standard” bush in the spring, then the nutrients from the soil will be spent on the formation of flower stalks, and not the root system. This, in turn, will negatively affect the adaptive abilities of the plant.
Growing rules
The plant is very popular largely due to its unpretentiousness. Care provides a minimum set of measures.
At all stages of the growing season, it is required to remove weeds growing near the bushes. Another mandatory requirement is regular watering. In the summer, you need to supply the plant with liquid at least 2 times a week. For each Gold Standard host, at least 10 liters of settled water are recommended.
The plant responds well to feeding. For such hosts, both organic and mineral fertilizers are used.
The main task of top dressing is to increase the nutritional value of the soil. For these purposes, it is best to use organic fertilizer.
Among them:
- compost;
- manure or droppings mixed with straw;
- humus;
- peat;
- hay;
- pine needles.
For the Gold Standard variety, mineral slurries can also be used. However, foliar granular top dressing is considered the best option. Apply fertilizers consisting of phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium.
Fertilizers should be applied no more than 3 times per season
Organics are applied in the spring, when the plant wakes up after winter. Mineral supplementation is carried out after 2 weeks. In summer, it is recommended to make solutions with phosphorus and potassium before flowering.
In the spring it is necessary to loosen the soil. This is especially important during heavy rainfall, due to which the soil is compacted. Once a month, it is recommended to mulch using peat, sawdust, hay or straw to slow down the evaporation of liquid from the soil.
Preparation for winter
Buds should be removed immediately after flowering has ended unless seed collection is planned. In mid-autumn, the leaves of the Gold Standard hosta begin to fade.
“Gold Standard” is a winter-hardy and frost-resistant variety
During this period, they can be removed along with the stems. The remaining above-ground shoots must be covered with loose soil. After that, fertilize the soil around with a mineral solution, and also treat it with a fungicide. It is best to mulch the ground with fallen leaves and compost.
In regions where winter passes without severe frosts, it is not necessary to cover the host. If the temperature drops below -20 degrees, the plant should be protected with spruce branches, branches or brushwood.
Diseases and pests
One of the features of the Gold Standard variety is its exceptional resistance to infections. The plant is not characterized by fungal and bacterial lesions. The exception is gray mold, which can develop due to excess moisture. To combat pathology, it is recommended to use fungicides, as well as to remove the affected areas in order to exclude infection of neighboring plants.
Most often, the host is attacked by slugs, they feed on its leaves and as a result, it loses its decorative appeal.
The most common hosta pests are slugs and snails. However, the variety “Gold Standard” is resistant to them. For preventive purposes, the soil around the bush can be sprinkled with tobacco ash, which repels pests.
Conclusion
Hosta Gold Standard is a unique plant with unsurpassed adaptive abilities. The bush can be planted on any soil with different levels of illumination. Plant care is reduced to a minimum set of activities. At the same time, such hostas are distinguished by excellent decorative properties, which is why they are often used in landscaping.