Hostas

[JumpyTheFrog]

I remember a few years ago someone mentioning buying "hostas by the handful" or something like that. I'm interested in planting hostas, but it looks like many online nurseries sell them for $8-20 each. Does anyone have any recommendations for getting a better deal?

[cintinative]

Maybe try looking for hosta starter plugs?

I don't know anything about online suppliers, so hopefully someone will chime in. I am only posting this as an example.

https://www.gurneys.com/product/shady_places_hosta_mix?p=0515548&pid=99565&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6cbK9L2Y6wIVD_DACh1rGw97EAQYBCABEgL_hfD_BwE

[PrincessMommy]

If I were looking for hostas I'd first go to FB Marketplace or Craigslist.   That is how I try to buy most of my plants.  I love getting them from local homeowners.  Sometimes they're much older than me and have great knowledge.  

Generally the best time to find plants is spring and early summer, but you can still get lucky now..  I just did a quick search on FB and there were plenty of people still dividing and selling their hostas.

 

 

[MEmama]

Ask neighbors for divisions in the spring? IME they can be divided every year.

[Tanaqui]

Come over to my house, take as many as you want. I can't kill them, and they're right where I don't want them. (And they don't want to be there either! They want to be in the shade, but this one stubborn patch is in the middle of my herbs.)

[Laura Corin]

23 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

Come over to my house, take as many as you want. I can't kill them, and they're right where I don't want them. (And they don't want to be there either! They want to be in the shade, but this one stubborn patch is in the middle of my herbs.)

Why are they so hard to get rid of?  I need to move some at the house we just moved into, so I want to be forewarned.

[livetoread]

Big box stores in the spring are a good source if you aren’t picky about cultivar. I snag them for $3 on sale at Lowe’s and Home Depot and that price all the time at Menards. Divisions from others are great because they are usually bigger than the cheap starters at the stores and will fill in faster.

[Hyacinth]

If you have a neighborhood Facebook group, ask there. We have several neighbors who divide theirs every year and LOVE when they can give them away.

[mom2scouts]

Ask in your neighborhood groups. Hostas grow fast, get too big, and need to be divided. Many people will happily give you divisions from plants in their yards.

[Tanaqui]

58 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Why are they so hard to get rid of?  I need to move some at the house we just moved into, so I want to be forewarned.

 

Oh, I could probably smother them under some cardboard. I'm a soft touch. Also, I keep forgetting to move them in the spring when they're eensy. By the time I remember - too late!

[HS Mom in NC]

$24 for 10 bare roots. I bought these at the end of April.  All 10 plants came up very quickly. I planted them in part shade with moderately acidic soil that drains well.
https://www.amazon.com/Hosta-Bumper-Crop-Mix-Fabulous/dp/B005WXVDQU/ref=sr_1_3?crid=15EPF2AFQ0Y0E&dchild=1&keywords=hostas+plants+bare+root&qid=1597338194&sprefix=hostas%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-3

Edited August 13, 2020 by Homeschool Mom in AZ

[itsheresomewhere]

Check out your local Lowe’s or Home Depot. Ours is trying to get rid of the plants for fall and I picked some up for a dollar a piece. 

[KungFuPanda]

I remember that. Handful of Hostas. I think it was this: https://www.directgardening.com/783-perennials/7427-handful-of-hosta#/quantity-5

[Tree Frog]

I think some varieties of hostas do better in either hot or cold locations. I'm not sure the ones I have here in the heat in TX would survive the cold in NY. And I'm not sure the ones I had in NY would survive the heat here. I've joined several local FB plant exchange groups and have been very happy with the exchanges. What I particularly like about the local groups is that I know the plants are tried and true and will grow in my garden. And because there's been a personal connection made, if I have a problem or concern, I can contact that person directly. Plant people tend to be generous with their plants and knowledge.

[melmichigan]

If you don't care what varieties you get you can do the hosta by the handful at Gilbert H Wild.  I have used them as a living fence from the sidewalk to the property line, before we get to my breeder garden.  I quarantine most plants, so they were allowed to come up and bloom the first year so I could tell where I wanted to put them.  I'm a little leary of just getting them from anyone because of hosta virus x, but then again I'm picky and have well over 100+ different varieties, many which aren't widely available. 

 

Edited August 13, 2020 by melmichigan

[QueenCat]

You just reminded me of the time my youngest thought the hostas were weeds AND  pulled ALL of them. 

[catz]

9 hours ago, MEmama said:

Ask neighbors for divisions in the spring? IME they can be divided every year.

This is huge in our neighborhood forums.  I would start with that.  Put out word in the spring.