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New House...Hosta's everywhere..question on size

8 years ago

This is my first summer in this house and i discovered a lot of hostas. However they are very large and the center is hollow at the ground level. Being that I wasn't sure what they wre at first or what to do with them I left them alone. Now however,I want this divide these up a little bit to reduce their size. Should I just leave the center hollow and not mess with it or what should I do? I doesn't look to bad when they are full..but before they are full grown the hollow sport just looked unattractive. TIA!!

Featured Answer

josephines167 z5 ON Canada

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

It's called a fairy ring. This sometimes occurs in hostas which have been growing in one location for a long time without being disturbed.

I've divided two of mine like that in the past, cutting the outside ring into chunks/thirds or quarters. I dig out the centre and pot it up - a good give-away. :)

I don't know what zone you are in - but it's much easier to deal with pips when dividing instead of leafed-out hostas, in the spring.

Edited to add:. we were both writing at the same time, Bkay! Lol

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Comments (7)

bkay2000
8 years ago
Those must be really old hosta. It's called a fairy ring. I've heard of two options. One is to get a new hosta and dig a hole in the center and drop it in. It will blend just fine and allow you to keep your really big hosta big.

Since you want to reduce their size, the other is to dig it up, clean it up and replant part of it, which is best done in the spring. Use the other pieces somewhere else or use freecycle. Others would love a piece of a hosta.

bk
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Babka NorCal 9b
8 years ago
Common in many perennials. Fairy Ring as the above posts say. Another option is to dig out the middle (dead stuff) and fill it with nice compost and the hosta will then spread inwards. You get to pick what you want. I have that in several aspidistra, and liriopes. (been living in the same house for way too long).

-Babka
sandyslopes z5 n. UT
8 years ago
If you want to divide yours just dig up some of the pieces that make up the circle, and move them to other spots. More hostas for you that way.

My Guacamole came back with a fairy ring this year. I didn't get to it before it leafed out and looked fine, but next spring I want to try what Babka suggests. I want ONE full Guacamole so I hope that method will work.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years ago
yes.. fairy ring ...

if you dont like the size.. get rid of them ...

we can name many of the old standards.. and advise which are worth keeping.. and which are not ... if any

i dont understand peeps ... who insist on digging up a plant every 2 or 3 years.. to, in effect ... force dwarfing on it.. thru root pruning... in my lazy world ... they grow themselves.. and if they dont fit.. i hit the edit key ... and get rid of things ...

pix please .... just dont get rid of good ones...

ken

ps: many of the fragrant ones are blooming right now... make note which are.. and mark them for keeping.. IMHO ...
roth214
Original Author
8 years ago
OK thank you all very much for the information. I live in MO so im in Zone 6 I think. So helpful thanks again! Mine have bloomed and the stalks have already all died off. I do see other hostas around that are still blooming though...so I don't know. Maybe mine went early for some reason. Or I'm doing something wrong. Again thanks for the responses!!
Babka NorCal 9b
8 years ago
You aren't doing anything wrong. Hostas come in many varieties and they all do not bloom at the same time...and once in a while you will get a bloom on one as soon as it leafs out in Spring! And wait, there's more...sometimes a plant will bloom more than once! Please put the zone 6 MO in your name (edit your profile page). It makes it much easier to get advice that is more specific to your area.

-Babka

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