Caring for Your Hostas – A Quick Guide
A quick and friendly guide to caring for your hostas—mulching, watering, dividing, and keeping those pesky slugs at bay. Perfect for shady gardens.
SHADE PLANT CARE
5/23/20251 min read


Good morning! While I’m busy behind the scenes building a website to turn all of these posts into a proper shade gardening resource, I didn’t want to miss sharing today’s tip, especially as our hostas are starting to stretch their leaves in earnest.
Now, if you’ve already got hostas in your garden, you’ll know how satisfying it is to see those crinkled shoots unfurl into big, bold leaves. But a bit of TLC now goes a long way to keep them looking lush.
Here’s what I’d suggest for hosta care this week:
Mulch generously – Hostas love rich, moist soil, and a layer of organic mulch helps retain moisture while keeping weeds at bay. Just keep it away from the crown to avoid rot.
Keep an eye out for slugs and snails – They adore hostas. Try setting beer traps, using copper rings, or going out in the early morning to do a gentle slug patrol.
Water well – Especially if the weather’s warming up. Hostas in pots dry out faster, so don’t forget to check them every couple of days.
Remove damaged leaves – Tidy up any torn or slug-chewed leaves to keep things neat and healthy.
Divide if needed – If your hostas are getting crowded or you've got a bare spot that could use a splash of green, now’s a good time to lift and divide them.
Don’t worry if it’s not perfect—hostas are forgiving and generous plants. A little attention now will give you weeks of lovely foliage right through summer.
What’s your favourite hosta, by the way? Or do you have a slug solution that works wonders in your garden? Pop it in the comments—I’d love to hear it.
Happy gardening!
Marcus