What Is Wrong With My Hostas?

Hostas come in a variety of leaf shapes and colors.

Hostas are low-maintenance plants with characteristically lush foliage. There are more than 2,500 varieties of hostas with wide-ranging leaf shape and color. According to Ohio State University, hostas are easy to grow and are fairly shade tolerant.

Watering

Hostas grow best with at least 1 inch of water each week. Watering hostas regularly encourages good root development and growth. Root rot, caused from too much water, looks similar to underwatering and may cause the leaves to wilt, yellow and drop. Look for mushy roots.

Dead Centers

Dead center is common in hostas and is not an indication of a problem. New growth frequently grows along the edges of the clump. If you find the dead center unsightly, remove the dead areas of the clump and divide the live sections into new plantings.

Insects

Slugs and snails are common pests of hostas; they eat small round holes in the leaves. Remove slugs by hand and place them into a container of salt. Insects such as the mature black vine weevil chew notches on the edge of leaves. Larvae commonly feed upon roots and cause the most damage to the plant, including causing it to wilt and yellow.

Animals

Some animals do eat hosta leaves. If given enough time, deer will eat all the leaves until only the stalk remains. Rabbits will eat young shoots in the springtime and flowers later. Squirrels and voles may dig up roots during the winter or times of drought.

References

• Ohio State University: Growing Hostas
• Iowa State University: Hostas With Dead Centers