The Manual
Hosta Care Guides
Long-form guides on growing, designing, and troubleshooting Hosta shade gardens, with sources cited in our updated guides.
Browse by topic
Care
Watering, fertilizing, dividing, mulching, and everyday upkeep.
4 guidesDesign
Shade-garden composition, companion plants, foliage contrast.
11 guidesProblems
Slugs, deer, voles, viruses, leaf damage — diagnose and fix.
2 guidesSeasonal
Spring emergence, summer care, fall cleanup, winter prep.
1 guideVariety lists
Best blue, gold, variegated, white-margined, miniature, giant.
9 guidesFeatured guides
-
Garden Sprayers for a Hosta Garden: How to Choose One (and Why You Need Two)
Hand pump, 2-gallon, battery, backpack and hose-end sprayers compared from manufacturer documentation and extension guidance: which suits repellents, liquid feed or foliar sprays on hostas, why weed killer needs its own sprayer, and how to clean one.
Care -
Best Blue Hostas
Comprehensive list of hosta cultivars with blue foliage, drawn from the AHS Registry.
Variety lists -
Best Gold and Chartreuse Hostas
Comprehensive list of hosta cultivars with gold foliage, drawn from the AHS Registry.
Variety lists -
Best Variegated Hostas
Comprehensive list of hosta cultivars with variegated foliage, drawn from the AHS Registry.
Variety lists -
Best White-Margined Hostas
Comprehensive list of hosta cultivars with white-margined leaves, drawn from the AHS Registry.
Variety lists -
Hosta of the Year: Complete List 1996–2027
Every Hosta of the Year from 'So Sweet' (1996) to 'Clear Fork River Valley' (2027): the AHGA picks 1996–2025 and the new American Hosta Society picks from 2026, with color, listed size and parentage.
Variety lists
All guides
- Are Hostas Poisonous? Dogs, Cats, Horses, Goats and Humans Problems
- Best Blue Hostas Variety lists
- Best Gold and Chartreuse Hostas Variety lists
- Best Variegated Hostas Variety lists
- Best White-Margined Hostas Variety lists
- Blue Hostas: Best Varieties and How to Keep Them Blue Design
- Companion Plants for Hostas: What to Plant With Hostas Design
- Dwarf Hostas: Miniature and Small Types and How to Grow Them Design
- Garden Sprayers for a Hosta Garden: How to Choose One (and Why You Need Two) Care
- Giant Hostas: Biggest Cultivars and Their Registered Sizes Design
- Growing Hosta 'Francee': Site, Soil, Pots and Dividing Care
- Hosta 'White Feather': What It Is and How to Grow It Design
- Hosta Diseases and Pests: Pictures, Symptoms, Crown Rot Problems
- Hosta Flowers: Colours, Bloom Time and Fragrance Design
- Hosta of the Year: Complete List 1996–2027 Variety lists
- Hostas for Shade: Matching the Right Hosta to Your Shade Design
- Hostas for Sun: How Much Sun They Take and Which Ones Cope Best Design
- How to Divide and Transplant Hostas (Split, Move and Replant) Care
- How to Take Care of Hosta Plants: Water, Feeding, Pests and Diseases Care
- Large Hostas Variety lists
- Medium Hostas Variety lists
- Miniature Hostas Variety lists
- Small Hostas Variety lists
- The Best Hostas to Start With: Proven Cultivars by Use Design
- Types of Hostas: Size, Leaf Colour and Light Design
- What to Do With Hostas in the Fall Seasonal
- White Hostas: White-Centred and White-Edged Varieties Compared Design