# Winterizing hostas



## Girly_girl (Aug 31, 2011)

What are the steps for winterizing hostas? Zone 5A, Montreal, Canada
Cutting the hostas (how much?) or leaving them as they are or taking the bulbs out of the ground


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## Wiscbldr (Nov 1, 2010)

If memory serves me correctly, for hostas, you cut them down to about 1-2 inches above the ground. Thats it.


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## 95025 (Nov 14, 2010)

Girly_girl said:


> What are the steps for winterizing hostas? Zone 5A, Montreal, Canada
> Cutting the hostas (how much?) or leaving them as they are or taking the bulbs out of the ground


I generally mow over ours, cutting them down to about 3 inches. That's about the extent of it. In the spring, if any leaves or other crud have blown onto the hostas, we carefully rake the stuff off the little shoots.

Ours have done very well.


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## gma2rjc (Nov 21, 2008)

Same here. Just cut them down and remove the debris from the area. 

BTW, if you have a problem with slugs eating holes in the leaves of your Hosta's, spread some diatomaceous earth on the ground around the base of the plant. It cuts them as they're crawling across it and they die. 

Barb


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Same here; we're in zone 5, and cut them off in the fall, just above the ground, as we're cleaning up leaves. Last fall, my wife came up with the idea of relocating a half dozen or so, but it was already cold, so we stuck them in the ground between a combination of snow, cold rain, and sleet, and I just knew that they were going to be washed away or rotten by spring time. Nope; they turned out beautiful. Very durable critters.


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## HD_Newf (Oct 8, 2010)

Hey Girly girl.

I also live in Zone 5. I have found hostas to be almost impossible to harm as long as they live in the shade. 

When we can, my wife or I will pull the brown dead flower stems in the fall to keep the plants looking nice until a hard freeze. Then either we cut the foliage down near the ground in late fall for a nice clean winter look, or we don't and clean up the ugly leaves in the spring. The plant just won't care.

If you want to divide them, wait until spring to dig them up and divide into whatever size you want. There's just nothing easier than hostas! :biggrin:


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## Girly_girl (Aug 31, 2011)

gma2rjc said:


> Same here. Just cut them down and remove the debris from the area.
> 
> BTW, if you have a problem with slugs eating holes in the leaves of your Hosta's, spread some diatomaceous earth on the ground around the base of the plant. It cuts them as they're crawling across it and they die.
> 
> Barb


Thanks for the tip about the diatomaceous earth I haven't tried that out yet but I should since the slugs are ruining my hostas. Where do you get that? Do big hardware stores like Home Depot have that in stock providing they have a garden center or do you have to go to a nursery?


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## gma2rjc (Nov 21, 2008)

I found it pretty cheap online. 

2.5 pounds was about $11
50 (fifty) pounds was $23

So I got the 50 lb. bag and divided it into four 5 gallon buckets. I think it will be enough for years to come.

Only buy the 'food grade'. It's safe in your garden and around people. 

If you eat food with wheat, oats, etc. in it, you've eaten the food-grade diatomaceous earth. It's added to grain silos at a rate of about 7 lbs. per ton of grain. It keeps it from becoming infested with bugs.

P.S. it also kills fleas on your pets and in your house. It won't hurt pets, just don't get it in their eyes.


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