How to feed the host in spring, summer, autumn, for the winter

It is recommended to feed the hosts in the spring 2 times – after the plant wakes up and at the end of May. In both cases, give nitrogen and organic top dressing. The next stage is the application of fertilizers in the summer at the stage of budding and flowering. The last time it is recommended to give top dressing no later than the beginning of September.

Host Feeding Goals

Almost all plants need to be fed, and the goals of fertilizing depend on the season:

1. In the spring, the bushes are given nitrogen and organic fertilizers in order to bring them out of hibernation and ensure rapid growth after the winter period.
2. In summer, top dressing is given at the budding stage to get a lush flowering bush.
3. Top dressing of the host with fertilizers in the fall is carried out to prepare for the winter so that the plant can endure the cold. This is especially important for regions with extreme frosts – the Urals, Siberia and the Far East.

Fertilizers are also applied to increase resistance to diseases and pests. Enhanced nutrition is required in the presence of symptoms of damage, as well as after transplanting the plant to a new place.

Top dressing provides not only rapid growth, but also resistance to disease damage.

Signs of a Nutrient Deficiency

If you do not apply fertilizer when planting the hosta and subsequently, the plant will gradually show signs of a lack of substances. This will affect the condition of the leaves and the overall decorative effect. Then resistance to frost, pests and diseases may decrease. Therefore, it is useful to know by what signs it is possible to determine the lack of fertilizers, and then apply the appropriate top dressing.

For example, with a lack of nitrogen:

• bushes do not grow well;
• veins turn yellow or white on the leaves;
• shoots and leaves become weak even with regular watering.

In case of insufficient application of potassium supplements, the following symptoms appear:

• spots of different colors on the leaves;
• leaves wither and curl;
• begin to fall;
• bush looks weak.

Phosphate deficiency can be determined by the following signs:

• apical shoots become lethargic;
• leaves become darker shades;
• growth is markedly reduced.

With a lack of calcium:

• leaves curl;
• they darken and may acquire unusual bluish hues.

Types of fertilizers for hosta

Organic fertilizers are often used to feed the host. They provide the plant with the necessary substances, stimulate the vital activity of soil bacteria and beneficial insects. Usually hosts are given the following organics:

• compost;
• rotted bark;
• hay;
• straw;
• husk from nuts and seeds;
• rotted manure;
• bone meal.

Despite the fact that organic matter is the main “diet” of this plant, hosts also need mineral supplements:

• potassium sulfate;
• superphosphates;
• Kalimagnesia;
• wood ash;
• special mixtures for the host (can be purchased at a country store);
• green fertilizers (green manures) – for example, crushed wild mustard, which saturates the soil with nitrogen compounds.

They can be used in liquid form, diluting the solution according to the instructions, or give long-acting granules. Gardeners often use drugs such as Osmokot and Bazakot.

When determining the dosage, you need to focus on the instructions

Some types of dressings that are used for other plants are categorically contraindicated for hosts. These are ammonium nitrate, which promotes too rapid growth, fresh manure, chicken manure and urea. It is also undesirable to use mixtures of inorganic fertilizers, which include nitrogen compounds.

When to Feed Your Hosts

It is recommended to feed the host regularly, 3-5 times per season:

1. When planting (March – April), the plant is given organic matter in the form of humus. It is brought into the hole or scattered on the surface.
2. After the plant wakes up for the next season (early April), humus or complex mineral fertilizer is applied as a top dressing. It ensures the steady growth of the hosta. Also, complex fertilizer can be given at the end of May. This is especially important if the previous step was skipped.
3. Summer top dressing is applied at the stage of bud formation. It provides long flowering and protects the plant from pests.
4. In summer, they also give organic top dressing in the form of a layer of mulch to prepare the bush for winter: in terms of dates, approximately the end of July – the beginning of August.
5. In autumn, the hosta can be fertilized with ashes, which are obtained after burning branches. The infusion is prepared on the basis of a dosage of 300 g of ash per 10 liters of water. You can let it stand for a few days, and then mix and water the soil, being careful not to get on the leaves.

Fertilizers are applied more often in spring and summer

How to fertilize hostas when planting

Every plant needs to be fed when planting, and hosta is no exception. After preparing the planting pit, humus and compost should be poured into it in equal amounts. Then the seedling is rooted, sprinkled with earth, compacted a little and watered abundantly.

If hosta food was not applied at planting time, it can simply be spread on the surface. For better assimilation, the soil is also watered abundantly. Then it can be mulched with straw, hay or pine needles to better retain moisture.

How to feed the host for growth

Experienced gardeners recommend feeding the hosta in the spring for lush growth – this is of great importance for both young bushes and adult plants. To do this, you can make (1 top dressing to choose from):

• fresh humus;
• complex mineral fertilizer.

The optimal time is immediately after the plant wakes up, when the buds begin to open (early April). If this stage was skipped, then complex fertilizer is given already in late spring or early summer.

What to feed hostas in summer

In summer, fertilizers are applied at the stage of bud formation so that the bush can grow stronger and grow green mass. For this, nitrogen or complex fertilizers are given in early June. They are pre-dissolved and carefully watered the soil, without getting on the foliage and buds.

In the summer (early August), you can also feed the host to prepare for the winter: for this, superphosphates and potassium sulfate are given. These top dressings contribute to a greater accumulation of nutrients in the rhizomes. Therefore, the plant will survive the cold period much better.

How to fertilize hostas for lush flowering

Since buds begin to form on the bush in early summer, it is important to add additional feed for lush flowering. These are compounds of phosphorus and potassium:

• calcium phosphate;
• phosphorite and bone meal;
• ammophos;
• superphosphate – regular and double;
• potassium sulfate;
• potassium chloride;
• Kalimagnezia.

These top dressings can be applied 1-2 times at the stage of bud formation and when the first flowers appear.

What to feed the host in the fall

Autumn top dressing of hosts in preparation for winter can be carried out both in early September and at the end of summer (mid-August). At this point, the bush needs to be prepared for the cold. You can use special mixtures, for example:

• “Fertika Autumn”;
• “Bonna Forte Autumn”;
• “Autumn Gardener”.

You can feed the host in the fall before shelter with wood ash. It will provide the plant with a calm wintering. It is not necessary to make other fertilizers so as not to create conditions for the active growth of new shoots.

How to properly feed hostas

Fertilizers are applied in liquid or dry form. In the first case, the mixture is pre-dissolved in a standard bucket of water 10 liters, choosing the dosage according to the instructions. It is better to water the host at the end of the day, at sunset, or in the morning (until 10-11 am). In this case, you should try not to get on the leaves, watering only the soil.

In the second case, the mixture or granules are simply scattered over the surface of the soil, in the diameter of the near-stem circle. Nutrients must first be absorbed by the roots, and only then they will get into the stems and leaves of the hosta.

There are 2 ways to feed hostas with fertilizers in autumn and other seasons:

1. Root – pour a liquid solution or scatter granules over the soil. It is important that even dry top dressing does not get on the leaves.
2. Foliar – for example, they use such dressings as “Aquarin”, “Mortar”, “Agrovit Aqua”. The solutions are prepared according to the instructions, after which they are poured into the sprayer and complete processing is carried out.

The dosage is selected according to the instructions. It is also worth paying attention to generally accepted standards.

Plants with blue and blue leaves should not be treated foliarly: top dressing can destroy the protective wax coating

Conclusion

It is important to feed the hostas in spring, summer and autumn. The most important is spring and summer top dressing – nitrogen and a mixture of superphosphates with potassium salt. For the winter, special fertilizer is not required – you can simply pour infusion of wood ash and mulch the roots.