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Hosta Blue Ivory has very attractive, large leaves of harmonious color: a green-blue central part with a cream-colored border. The bush grows small, but spreads up to 1 m or more in width. It completely covers the soil, which allows it to be used in carpet plantings. Blue Ivory has high winter hardiness, thanks to which it can be bred in Central Russia, Siberia and other regions.
Description of Blue Ivory Hosta
Hosta Blue Ivory has dense blue leaves with a wide stripe along the edge of a white or creamy shade. The leaves change color throughout the season: at first the center is bluish-green and the edges are creamy, then the leaf becomes more blue and the edges turn white. Leaf size: 25 cm long and up to 15 cm wide.
The bush grows small, no more than 45 cm, but very spreading - up to 120 cm in diameter. Blue Ivory blooms in mid-summer, lavender buds. It is a shade-tolerant variety and prefers medium shade. If planted in an open area, burns will form on the leaves.
In terms of frost resistance, it belongs to zone 3: it can withstand winter frosts down to -35 degrees.Therefore, it can be grown in different regions of Russia - throughout Central, in the Urals, as well as in Southern Siberia and the Far East.
The central part of the Blue Ivory Hosta leaf resembles the feathers or wings of a bird.
Differences between Blue Ivory and Fern Line hosts
Due to the similarity in appearance, Hosta Blue Ivory and Fern Line are often confused. They are really similar, but upon closer examination you can find differences:
- Hosta Fern Line has a dark green leaf center with no blue tints.
- The border around the edges is light yellow.
- In addition, it can be wider than that of Blue Ivory.
Hosta Fern Line has a distinct greenish tone in the center, rather than blue
Hosta Blue Ivory leaves are wider than those of Fern Line
Application in landscape design
Thanks to its interesting coloring, lush foliage and unpretentiousness, Blue Ivory is often used to decorate the garden:
- in single plantings;
- in combination with other types of hosta;
- in carpet plantings;
- in floral arrangements - bright flowers contrast well against its background;
- in rock gardens and rockeries.
Blue Ivory goes well with different colors:
- peonies;
- forget-me-nots;
- astilbe;
- low-growing daylilies.
It is also appropriate to plant it in compositions with conifers:
- dwarf firs;
- different types of thuja;
- juniper.
Hosta gets along quite well with different plants. But you shouldn’t plant it next to actively growing, spreading bushes that completely obscure its view.
Hosta Blue Ivory harmonizes perfectly with other varieties and bright colors
Reproduction methods
Blue Ivory can be propagated:
- seeds;
- cuttings;
- dividing the bush.
It is better to breed relatively mature plants aged 4 years and older. The fastest way is to divide the bush.It is carried out in almost any season - spring, summer and even autumn, and no later than a month before frost.
To divide a bush, proceed as follows:
- Use a sharp shovel to trim the soil within a radius of 35 cm from the center of the plant (you can use the size of the hosta bush as a guide).
- They dig up the bush along with the soil.
- Hit the surface several times to shake off the soil.
- Using a sharp knife, cut it into several parts so that each section has 2-3 sprouts left.
- Transplanted to a new place at approximately the same depth.
- For the winter they mulch (in the southern regions this is not necessary).
Landing algorithm
It is better to purchase Hosta Blue Ivory from trusted nurseries or specialized stores. When purchasing, you need to carefully examine the roots: they must be healthy, without visible damage and contain 2-3 or more growth buds.
Hosta is usually planted in the second half of April, when the snow has completely melted and the probability of night frosts is close to zero. In the south it is the beginning of April, in the middle zone it is the end of the month, and in the Urals and Siberia it is the beginning or even mid-May.
When choosing a location, the main attention is paid to the presence of shade: Hosta Blue Ivory grows well next to spreading bushes or trees. Also, the place should be protected from open drafts and stagnant moisture (ideally planted on a small hill). The hosta is not picky about soils - it grows even on depleted soil, provided that fertilizers are regularly applied. The reaction can be neutral or slightly acidic; alkaline soil is undesirable.
The landing instructions are as follows:
- The site is dug up within 2 weeks, complex fertilizer and a bucket of humus per 1 m2 are added. If you do not do this right away, you can then add humus directly into the hole.
- Dig several holes of small depth and diameter - 30 cm.
- Fill in a mixture of garden soil with a small amount of peat and a few handfuls of sand. If the soil is infertile, you can add rotted manure.
- Place small stones at the bottom of the hole.
- Fill in half the soil and water.
- Root the hosta and add the remaining soil.
- Water again and mulch with hay, straw or pine needles.
With proper care for Hosta Blue Ivory, you can get a lush, spreading bush
Growing rules
Hosta Blue Ivory does not require particularly careful care. To successfully grow this beautiful bush, you must follow a few simple rules:
- Water regularly, especially in dry weather, ensuring that the soil always remains moderately moist. Excessive moisture is not allowed.
- In the spring, it is better to lay a layer of mulch so that the soil retains moisture well. In addition, mulching prevents the growth of weeds.
- Periodically loosen the soil, which is especially important for young seedlings.
As for fertilizers, it is optimal to apply them 3 times per season:
- In April, urea, ammonium nitrate or other nitrogen fertilizer is added for lush leaf growth.
- In mid-summer, potassium salt and superphosphates are added to maintain flowering.
- In the last ten days of August the same composition is added. After this there is no need to feed.
However, in the first year you should not add additional fertilizing - the plant only needs humus or manure added to the hole during planting.
Preparing for winter
Blue Ivory is very resistant to frost, so there is no need to particularly cover it for the winter. Usually in the fall several procedures are carried out with the plant:
- All faded flower stalks are removed - they are cut off completely.
- If necessary, remove old foliage and clearly damaged shoots.
- Mulch the tree trunk circle with hay, straw, peat or pine needles. It is not necessary to specially cover the bush with burlap or other materials.
Hosta Blue Ivory does not need to be covered for the winter.
Diseases and pests
Blue Ivory, like many other hosta varieties, is resistant to diseases and pests. But sometimes she is affected by such diseases:
- root collar rot (leaves turn yellow and become soft);
- The HVX virus is a specific pathogen that parasitizes only on hosts (rings, spots or extraneous streaks appear on the leaves).
At the first symptoms, damaged leaves and shoots should be cut off and burned. If the bush continues to be sick, you will have to part with it so that it cannot infect neighboring hosts.
Snails and slugs also like to parasitize Blue Ivory. They can be collected manually and then processed:
- saturated saline solution;
- 10% solution of vitriol (iron or copper);
- a dry mixture of ash, red pepper and mustard (ratio 2:1:1) - it is scattered on the ground, in a circle near the trunk.
Typical pests (aphids, spider mites, scale insects and others) rarely settle on the host. But if they are detected, it is necessary to immediately treat them with an insecticide. For example, you can use “Green Soap”, “Decis”, “Confidor”, “Karbofos”.If Hosta Blue Ivory is affected by a fungal infection (gray rot, rust, etc.), fungicides are used (Topaz, Spor, Maxim, Bordeaux mixture).
Conclusion
Hosta Blue Ivory will surely decorate any garden. It looks especially beautiful in a composition with other hostas and flowers - for example, in mixborders or rocky flowerbeds, in rock gardens. This non-capricious plant tolerates winter well, thanks to which it can be grown in almost any Russian region.
