Hosta hybrid: description, varieties, recommendations for growing

Plain green hosts in our gardens are increasingly giving way to their hybrid "brothers". Among them you can find miniature plants no more than 10 cm in height, and giants, reaching 1 m in length. Leaves can be variegated, combine several shades at once, or be monochromatic, for example, snow-white or blue.

Hosta is a perennial garden herb. The root system is poorly developed, the leaves grow directly from the root rosette on small cuttings. Depending on the variety, the leaf plates have a wide variety of shapes from narrow-leaved to broadly ovate.

The inflorescence is formed in the second half of summer, visually resembles a tassel carrying a flower in the form of a lily, funnel or bell. Ripe fruits look black, flat, have wings, are in a box.

As a rule, unlike varietal hosts, hybrids are not characterized by stability of traits, therefore, when such plants are propagated by seeds, the offspring may turn out to be unlike the mother. but as a result of hybridization, scientists are trying to develop new varieties with resistant characteristics... In the case of hosts, this experience was crowned with success, and today there are many interesting hybrids that are able to pass on their distinctive features by inheritance.

To date, more than 3000 host varieties are known, but scientists do not stop at this mark, breeding more and more new crops.

The most popular varieties of hybrid hosts can be noted.

It is a cascading hosta, reaching a height of 90 cm with a bush diameter of up to 1.8 m. The leaves are large, bluish, with a bright green edging. Inflorescences are bell-shaped, lilac in color.

Medium-sized hosta, growing up to 55-65 cm, bush diameter - 80 cm. Leaves are light beige with green edging. Bell-shaped inflorescences, lilac color, can have different shades.

A compact bush that grows up to 20-25 cm. The leaves are narrow, elongated, slightly wavy at the edges. The color of the leaf plates is green, with a light border. The flowers are light purple bells.

Hosta grows up to 40 cm. This is a rather interesting hybrid that has the ability to change the colors of its leaves. So, in spring they are dark green in the center and yellow at the edges... From the second half of summer, the core gradually begins to brighten, and the border, on the contrary, will acquire a rich dark green color.

Another original chameleon host, its young leaves are colored milky, but as they grow, dark green stripes appear on them, eventually filling the entire leaf plate. Bushes grow up to 50 cm, flowering is white.

Large plant with bluish wrinkled leaves. It reaches 1 m in length, blooms with light purple flowers.

One of the new hybrids, the leaves of which are reminiscent of ripe lime in their color. The flowers are lily-like, with a yellowish tint.

It is a variegated hybrid, its leaves are green with a noticeable light border. The height of the bush does not exceed 30 cm, and the diameter is 40 cm. The flowers are funnel-shaped, pale blue at the beginning of flowering, closer to the end they become milky white.

Hosts with green leaves and a pale yellow border. The leaf blades are wavy, large. The inflorescences are white and very fragrant. The height of the bush is 40-45 cm, the diameter is up to 70 cm.

Here is a description of several of these varieties.

The heart-shaped leaves of this hosta have a contrasting color: they are light cream in the center, and dark green at the edges.

One of the brightest and most beautiful representatives of the family. This plant is distinguished by snow-white leaves with a thin edging of dark green color.

Unique bluish hosta, heart-shaped leaves have a rather dense texture, yellowish-orange edging.

Glossy compacted leaves have a contrasting color: a milky white center with outgoing rays of a bright green color.

Quite an interesting bluish hosta with wavy leaf edges. The texture of the leaf plates is wrinkled, due to which the leaf plates take the shape of a bowl up to 10 cm deep.

This hybrid has dark green elliptical leaves with a pale green border.

One of the brightest hybrid host - has burgundy cuttings and tricolor leaf plates: the light center is combined with a green border and chartreuse strokes.

This hosta is distinguished by heart-shaped leaves of a deep bluish-green color.

In order for the plant to please you with the brightness of its colors, it must be properly planted in open ground. It is advisable to do this in the spring, even before the first leaves appear. However, you can plant a hybrid host in the first decade of September, but it makes no sense to do it later, since in this case the root system will not have time to take root in a new place and simply will not survive the winter frosts.

The planting process includes several stages.

• First you need to prepare a landing pit. It should be shallow (up to 30 cm), but wide - the roots of the hosts grow in a horizontal plane.
• Drainage should be laid at the bottom of the pit, filling it with a mixture of rotted manure, peat and river sand. If the soil is acidic, add some crushed wood ash. Fertilizers should be mixed and filled with water.
• The hosta roots should be straightened and carefully distributed in the hole, then sprinkled with earth and thoroughly moistened.
• At the final stage, you can sprinkle the soil near the bush with mulch.
• Experienced gardeners recommend adhering to a planting scheme in which the distance between the bushes is 1-1.5 meters.

Hosts are rather unpretentious plants. Nevertheless, if you want it to take root well, grow and develop, it needs to be looked after.

• Watering. Hosts love moisture, so the plant should be watered regularly. The hosts respond especially well to evening showers. At the same time, do not allow waterlogging, as in a substrate that is too wet, the roots begin to rot.
• Top dressing. Hybrid hosts should be fertilized 3 times per season, while it is desirable to alternate mineral and organic fertilizing. They need to be brought in in early spring, immediately after the snow melts, then during the flowering period and the last time after its end.
• Loosening. It is very important to provide the plant with air flow to the roots, so special attention should be paid to loosening. Keep in mind - the shovel does not need to be buried too deep, otherwise you will damage the root system.
• Fight against parasites. Perhaps the hosts are the only garden culture that never gets sick with anything. But there is a pest for them - this is a slug, it feeds on young juicy leaves.To protect the plant from its attack, you can go for a little trick - to mulch the ground around the hosta with coniferous needles.
• Preparing for winter. Preparation of hybrid plants for cold weather deserves special attention. Work should begin at the beginning of August - during this period, fertilizer is applied under the bush, it is not recommended to feed the plant later. Immediately after this, mulching is performed - it is designed to protect the roots from freezing. Some gardeners recommend trimming the leaf plates, but experts differ on this issue. Therefore, if you do not have sufficient experience, then it is better to refrain from such actions, so as not to harm the entire plant. Before the onset of frost, the hosts can be covered with agrofibre, roofing felt or natural material.

A hybrid host can propagate in three ways:

• seeds;
• cuttings;
• dividing the bush.

Most often, gardeners resort to dividing the bush. These manipulations can be performed in early spring or at the very end of summer. It is best to divide the roots with a pitchfork, since the risk of damaging them is minimal. It is not at all necessary to dig out the entire bush - the detachable part is quite enough, and the resulting void can be covered with a mixture of river sand and peat.

In the process of dividing, the cuttings are sometimes broken off, leaving a "root heel". They can be placed in a water bottle and covered with a greenhouse. After a short period of time, they will give roots, at this moment you can cut off the leaf, then rooting will go faster.

At the same time, you have absolutely no guarantee that a plant similar to the mother will turn out from the planting material.

We offer you a selection of the most beautiful hybrid hosts that can be a worthy decoration for any garden:

• Morning Star;

• Fire and Ice;

• Autumn Frost;

• Sting;

• Abikva Drinkin Gourde;

• Velvet Moon;

• Firn Line;

• Cherry Berry;

• Golden Tiara;

• "Katerina";

• France;

• Praying hands;

• "Es Angel";

• Blue angel;

• Red Oktober;

• "Eskimo Pai".

You can watch the video about the host and its varieties.