Content
Hosta is valued for its decorative qualities and shade tolerance, which makes it possible to choose shady areas of the garden where other flowers do not grow well. But even in such places they will be clearly visible. For example, Blue Angel hosta has blue leaves that stand out against the green of other plants. Not a single gardener will refuse to plant this variety on his site. A description of the plant and an understanding of its agricultural technology will help you properly plant and grow this bush in your garden or summer cottage.
Description of Blue Angel hosts
The Blue Angel variety was bred by a breeder from Holland in 1986. It is frost-resistant, unpretentious, resistant to infections and many pests, and can grow without transplanting in one place for many years. It is able to withstand short-term drying out or flooding, does not have high requirements for air purity, so it can be planted not only outside the city, but also within its borders. The Blue Angel variety is recommended for cultivation in the regions of Central Russia and is well adapted to temperate climate conditions.
The description of the Blue Angel hosta states that its height is 0.7-0.8 m, but if excellent conditions are created, it can grow up to 0.9-1 m. The diameter of the bush is voluminous, equal to 1.2 m. The leaves are large, 0.4 m long and 0.3 m wide, dark blue in color (turn green in autumn), tips pointing down. The surface of the leaf blade is slightly wrinkled, with parallel light-colored veins. Blue Angel hosta flowers are collected in cone-shaped racemes. Their color can be varied, ranging from white to pale lavender. Peduncles are erect and strong. Flowering lasts for a long time, occurring in July-August.
The Blue Angel variety is shade-tolerant and can grow without problems in shade, partial shade or in diffused light. If you plant hostas in an open area, there is a possibility of burns on the leaves. The ideal place for planting is under the canopy of trees, where the plants will be protected from too much light and strong winds.
Hostas of the Blue Angel variety are moisture-loving; for normal growth and development they need moist but well-drained soil, loose and with a full layer of humus. They grow worse on dry sandy soils, as well as on acidic or alkaline soils.
Hosta Blue Angel prefers neutral or slightly alkaline soil
Application in landscape design
Against the background of hostas with plain leaves, like the Blue Angel variety, other plants look good, for example, peonies, ferns, astilbes, and conifers. Next to them you can plant daylilies, kupena, phlox, and ornamental grasses.
Reproduction methods
Blue Angel hostas can grow in one place for about 10 years. If necessary, the easiest and fastest way to propagate them is by division. You can divide throughout the growing season, but it is better to do this no earlier than the end of August. At this time, new growth buds are formed in the plants, they become clearly visible, making it easy to properly divide the bush.
You can also choose any summer day for hosta cuttings. It is necessary to separate young shoots from the bush with a small piece of rhizome and plant them in a shaded place in moist soil.
If necessary, Blue Angel hostas can be propagated by seeds. They germinate well, but plants grown from them will develop slowly and can only reach the size characteristic of the variety in the 4th or 5th year of life.
It is best to propagate hostas by dividing the bush.
Landing algorithm
Young Blue Angel hostas suitable for planting must be healthy and well developed, with fresh roots and shoots. Specimens that show signs of disease or pest damage should not be planted.
In nature, hostas grow in the shade of trees; in the garden they also need to create similar conditions. But they can be placed not only under trees, but also near fences, buildings, along paths, near reservoirs. The main thing is that the area is not in direct sunlight and is protected from gusty winds.
Blue Angel hostas are planted at a distance of 1 m from each other, since the bushes are quite large and spreading. The size of the planting holes should be approximately 0.4 m in diameter. A drainage layer must be laid down, and a fertile mixture of organic matter and extracted soil is poured on top. The seedling is placed in the center, sprinkled with soil, and watered.It is advisable to mulch the soil surface on the day of planting hostas to reduce moisture evaporation. This will help the plant take root faster.
Growing rules
Hosts, including Blue Angel, are considered unpretentious. Most of all they need moisture, and mainly after planting, when rooting occurs. That is why it is so important to water them on time during the first month, until the seedlings develop new roots. Mature hosta bushes also need watering, especially on hot days. At the same time, you need to make sure that water does not fall on the surface of the leaves (burns may appear in place of droplets of moisture); you need to pour it only at the root. There is no need to water during wet seasons - despite its moisture-loving nature, the crop does not like too wet soil.
It is not necessary to feed Blue Angel plants in the first year after planting. Subsequently they are fertilized:
- early in spring, when new stems begin to grow;
- before flowering begins;
- after its completion.
Standard fertilizers are used: organic matter (humus, ash, compost) or mixtures of mineral origin. The amount of fertilizer applied should be moderate; overfed hostas become more susceptible to fungal diseases, grow lush foliage, but bloom poorly.
Experienced florists advise cutting off all flower stalks after Blue Angel plants have finished flowering. This will prevent seeds from setting (unless they are needed) and allow the hostas to better prepare for winter.
You can safely combine several varieties of hosta in one area.
Preparing for winter
Hostas of the Blue Angel variety are cold-resistant, so theoretically they do not need insulation for the winter. But in the first year, it is better to cover the young plants, especially if they were planted in early autumn.Adult bushes are covered only in regions with cold and long winters. Peat, sawdust, humus, fallen leaves, straw or old hay are suitable as covering materials. You can use light but durable modern agrofibre. It will cope with its task no worse than proven organic materials.
As for pruning leaves, flower growers do not have a clear opinion on this matter. Some people prune their plants in the fall, others in the spring. The first claim that pests overwinter under the hosta leaves, the second claim that the leaves protect the roots from the cold. One way or another, you can prune at any of the indicated periods of the year.
Diseases and pests
The Blue Angel variety is considered resistant to pests and rarely gets sick (subject to the conditions of agricultural technology). The only pests that can be seen on it are slugs and snails. But they can cause significant harm to plants. Mollusks reproduce especially quickly in wet weather, so on rainy and cool days you need to inspect the bushes in order to identify pests in time.
Slugs and snails are quite large and noticeable; if there are not many bushes, you can simply collect them by hand. Simple traps will help: damp boards, pieces of glass or slate laid out next to the bushes. Pests always crawl under them, where they are easy to detect and destroy. And to prevent them from reaching the plants, it is recommended to sprinkle the ground around with mustard powder, tobacco or simply ash. The ashes will also serve as a good fertilizer.
If the hosta has too many leaves, they can be thinned out for better ventilation.
Conclusion
Hosta Blue Angel is a representative of the group of blue varieties. It is well known to culture lovers, but can also attract newcomers.Hosta is equally decorative both on its own and in a composition with completely different flowers. That is why it can be chosen for landscaping any area.
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