I'm curious as to how and when everyone fertilizes their hostas.

I give mine a few handfuls of rich composted manure and work it into the soil a bit (letting my many worms do the rest) in the spring as they're unfurling, and that's about it. Could I be doing more to promote good root growth and nice foliage?

Karen - if you have any varieties that are prone to drawstring effect, you might want to hold off on that fertilizer until AFTER your hostas are unfurled. Extra fertilizer and water tend to encourage the green centres of the leaves of such plants to grow faster than the margins can and the margins end up tight and tear.

I don't fertilize a lot. A handful of alfalfa in the hole when planting and maybe a bit of tomato fertilizer - weak solution of water soluble - to the new plants. A couple of times during the summer I might brew up some alfalfa tea. And occasionally I'll add Epsom salts to the water if they are looking yellowed with darker green veins.

I just water... yup, that's about it!!! I love my low maintenance hostas!

I used Miracle Grow slow release fertilizer around the hostas, just sprinkled lightly around. I added some last year in around June and then this year in mid-April. I think I might have overdone things a bit, some of the hostas are gigantic, but everyone looks pretty happy. I will not fertilize again this year, only the new plants when they are planted - I have about 20 that I need to plant tonight.

20 plants! I'm envious.

I guess I've been doing right by my babies, more or less, then. I've been top dressing them with compost and doing little else. I just wondered if they needed a little extra boost in the spring.

Okay Elizabeth -- what are you planting??? Do tell!!!!

Christine, you really want me to list them off? LOL, okay, here the are:

Awakening Angel; Baby Doll; Beet Salad; Boracay; Candy Dish; Color Festival; Confused Angel; Devil's Advocate; Dewed Steel; Gentle Giant; Little Treasure; Margie's Angel; Mouse Tracks; October Sky; Secret Ambition; Seducer; Sharp Dressed Man; Woop Woop; Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

Looks like it is "only" 19

Okay -- now I want all of those too!!! How funny to name a Hosta "Woop Woop"!!! I love this addiction!!

I know, I wanted 'Woop Woop' and 'Yellow Polka Dot Bikini' last year and they were sold out by the time I placed my order (Naylor Creek - love them!). This year, I actually ordered in October 2009 and got my order last Saturday. All of those hostas that I named were from either Naylor Creek or In the Country Gardens - I went to their open house on Saturday. It was cold but I had a BLAST, Josh and his family are awesome people.

I will have to add Naylor Creek to my list. What is "In the country gardens"? -- is that an on-line store? where is it?

I ordered 5 Hosta's from "GreatGardenPlants.com" and was pleasantly suprised by the hosta's I received.... they were completely potted (not a bare root in a bag)... completely staked.... all specially wrapped....in a special box! When I pulled them out, they all had at least 2 and one had 4 eyes that were fully developed with leaves etc etc. Very nice people to deal with too.

I may have to order a Woop Woop!!!

Christine -
Info about In the Country Gardens and Gifts is in the Hosta Address Book - Gardens, Exhibits, Vendors database. Browse the database for it and others.