It looks like its in a pot in full sun, is it?

tj

Yes, my first guess is too much sun. For the most part hostas are shade plants.

:)

Dee

Sam, Hosta are basically shade plants. Some varieties can tolerate sun, but that means early morning or late afternoons when the sun is not too strong. Otherwise, dappled shade to full shade are best. The hosta in your picture appears to be in full sun all day and that’s the reason it looks the way it does. Hostas are perennials in that they return each year. Marigolds are annuals you have to plant each year. You could water this hosta all you want and at this point in the year, it will continue to decline. All hostas are in decline now. The plant is putting energy into growing roots and not foliage. Perhaps your friend can relocate this hosta to shade, even split it and then plant a perennial there. Good luck!

debra

Why is "weekly watering not an option"?? Considering how little rainfall we receive here from July through to October, unless PNW gardens were watered weekly (or even more frequently) they wouldn't exist. I garden extensively in containers and those often need water every 2-3 days.

The only reason I don't grow more hostas is because I live in teh woods and they are home to enormously large slugs and battalions of snails. And deer.

Northern Virginia hostas are in a similar condition. Our area is under drought watch and we're being told to avoid outdoor watering. In drought years I appreciate the people with brown lawns and crispy hostas ;)

I live in Texas and mine look terrible - and they are in shade and have been watered regularly. It has been really hot and dry this summer here, and I think a lot of the same weather patterns have been present in more northern places. As others have already said, hosta are shade plants and need frequent watering. In their natural environment, they live in an area with monsoon seasons and in lava sands.

bkay

The plants in my OP pic appear to be an attempt to hide a well head. I agree with the others, right now hosta looks like this whether in sun or shade.

As I drive around I'm seeing the brilliant yellow of Helianthus spp. the perennial sunflowers. The beautiful blue wild ageratum Eupatorium coelestium and it's cousin E. serotinum Thoroughwort the butterrflies cannot get enough of these. They grow in the road banks no pampering or coddling needed. I think its only natural to be drawn to low-maintenance selections like these.

Whether or not E. coelestium is 'low maintenance' depends on how you garden. It is a short lived perennial that likes to wander. It also disappears for years. So I plant is somewhere I'd like that nice fall blue, it blooms that year then disappears. A couple of years later, it shows up again on the other end of the garden. It's blooming now, about five feet from where I last saw it, and after going missing for several years. Not something most gardeners are going to put up with.

" I agree with the others, right now hosta looks like this whether in sun or shade. "

Not necessarily!! There are numerous recent posts on the Hosta forum illustrating lush looking hostas growing in a wide range of locations and environments. How they look now - mid September - is a factor of location/region, how they were sited and what kind of growing conditions they have been offered.

With the exception of obvious slug and snail damage and one yellow leaf (seasonality?), my collection of hostas look pristine.

Many of mine look good too. Check out the post “best late season hosta.” Plenty of terrific looking ones still.

debra

Correction, “happiest late season hosta.”

Actually, yes, growing hosta can be a pain. I would suggest it's not a plant for you. If you want something will grow in full sun and that never needs watering in Maryland, I'm sure there are better options.

Some of us enjoy them enough to put in the extra effort if we're not in zone 5 or 6. I think they can be foolproof in those areas if occasional dry periods are not a problem. One of my favorite TV programs is "Maine Cabin Masters". On that show, you see gorgeous hosta planted in weekend homes. You can tell it's not pampered, as it's not in a bed or part of a planned landscape.

bkay