I have to ask again if anyone has any ideas why my 5 different types of Hostas are not blooming whereas my neighbours' hostas are all in bloom? They are in an ideal condition, get watered and fertilized and look healthy. 2 types are new, so I don't expect them to bloom; the others are 3 years old (H. sagae; H. Elegans are two of them). What gives?????
Have the older ones bloomed in previous years?
Perhaps you might have a talk with your neighbors or if that's not possible, take note of how they manage theirs, how often/much do they water, do they mulch, do they fertilize?
If they are in ideal condition perhaps fertilizer is the problem. Some plants respond to improper fertilization by producing plants that are prime examples of "what they should look like", producing gorgeous foliage at the expense of blooms. I am new to growing Hosta, so I don't know if that may apply, but I found this page on Hosta culture with some good information,
I don't have a strong opinon here, but I can tell you that I have very few hostas because they're not my favorite things, but I do have a few, which I tend to neglect a bit because, well, because they're not my favorite things, plus they grow amidst some hard evergreen ferns that are easily injured by fertilizers & the ferns' needs rate foremost. (I like them best as "horns" early in spring.) They are under-watered & never fertilized, though they do have nice shady areas, & this year I put some Sluggo around them & they didn't get as nibbled-on as in the past, but in the past I even let the slugs eat them. Yet they always bloom; they thrive on my minimal attention. It could be you're OVER caring for yours & that regular fertilizing & plenty of waterings is not their preference! It's just a speculation.
In support of this possibility I can say only that in cases when perennials are stressed, such as during a summer heatwave, there is a tendency for gardeners to respond to signs of stress with more fertilizer, though plants should NOT be fertilized while stressed. Secondly, when providing a lot of fertilizer & too regular a watering schedule, this may promote nice leaf growth & healthy general appearance, but it will not encourage the root system to penetrate more deeply & wider to maximize its access to resources in the soil, & until they have a big happy root system they might not bloom. Again, this is just speculation, something that is true of many plants & perhaps also of hostas, as it would explain why mine do well on semi-neglect, & yours won't bloom when blessed with the "ideal."
Hostas may also be slower to establish if they are just planted in holes a bit bigger than the pots they came in. An entire garden area should be deeply worked before putting in hostas, or a hole dug to three feet wide & enriched with organic material before even a small hosta goes in. If only a small area is well-worked for it, it may feel like it is still in a pot when surrounded by packed soil, & not put out the greater root system it requires.
Some have claimed the very best fertilizer for hostas is kelp. I never saw field tests so don't know if anyone proved it, but it sounds credible, as it is a fertilizer that increases anarobic bacterial activity so essential go the health of all shade-plants (& all plants generally but especially shade-plants which rely most heavily on soil conditions). But supposing fertilizing more than once in spring would ever be a good thing, even then, if you're using a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer this can have the opposite effect as intended. Check the fertilizer you're using & make sure it is LIGHT on the nitrogen end. Finally, summer & autumn fertilizing is often said to be detrimental to hostas; certainly the hostas should be "gearing down" their activity & not encouraged to put out a lot of new growth late in the year. I'd restrict fertilizing to no more than once each spring, though adding others with more experience specifically with hostas do recommend three topcoat fertilizings through the spring but none later in the year (though that would be to maximize leaf size & is not the chief influence on blossoms).
-paghat the ratgirl
You forgot to do the fertility dance!!!
During the next full moon, you wait until the stroke of midnight, strip naked and dance like a lunatic on your front lawn shouting "Ohm Bwana Ananas Siam" as loudly as you can. That should get prompt results!!!
If your plants really were in ideal condition, then they surely would be blooming. Wouldn't they? Most likely they have been over fertilized, over watered and pampered into excessive vegetative growth at the expense of flowers. It is probably too late for flowers this year. Don't over do it next year.
Could be as others are stating - too much fertilizer. Neglect them next year and see what happens.
karen
Hold on there, Dicky.
Nobody is saying to abuse the plants. Neglect would be a much better choice of word to describe their care.
She should just hold back on the fertilizer and not water so often.
Fertilizing Hostas just once or twice a year with a low nitrogen fertilizer is good enough.
Also, they shouldn't need any extra water unless they are showing signs of wilting. Watering once a week is more than enough unless you grow them in pots. Most Hostas are very resistant to relatively dry conditions. That doesn't mean they are desert plants but they do very well kept on the lean side. Most grow best as shade plants under trees and need very little extra watering if any.
fertilized,
I believe hosta feeding, if any, is better done in spring, and if done in autumn may result in a burst of growth at a time when it should be preparing itself for dormancy rather than new growth. It might not matter all that much, but that seems to be the common assertion.
-paghat the ratgirl
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