Content
There is no clear opinion among gardeners about whether the hosta should be pruned for the winter or not. This is a fairly unpretentious and winter-hardy plant that confidently tolerates even Ural and Siberian winters (with additional shelter). Therefore, you can trim the shoots in the spring. But it is better to remove flower stalks in the fall. Moreover, there is no need to cut off all the branches for the stump - then the bush may become weak, which will have a bad effect on its growth in the next season.
Is it necessary to prune the hosta in the fall for the winter?
Gardeners still do not have a clear opinion about pruning:
- On the one hand, pruning bushes for the winter is a useful procedure. It allows you to stimulate growth for the next season.
- On the other hand, it is not necessary to prune the hosta for the winter, since it is a winter-hardy plant that will overwinter well even with leaves and shoots.
In any case, you should assume that the hosta needs to be pruned either in the fall or in the spring. Thanks to this procedure, the plant will become stronger: old and damaged branches are removed, and new shoots grow in their place.Therefore, each gardener can decide for himself when it is best to prune.
Many experienced gardeners do not prune hostas in the fall.
There is also an opinion that the need for pruning for the winter can be determined by the appearance of the hosta:
- If it has approximately the same number of peduncles and stems with leaves, then only part of the peduncles can be removed. If you prune all the shoots, this can lead to the bush losing vigor and becoming stunted in growth.
- If there are very few flower stalks, and shoots with leaves predominate on the bush, it is better to remove all flower stalks. This will not affect the plant at all - on the contrary, it will get rid of the need to direct nutrients to the formation of unnecessary seeds.
When to prune hosta in the fall
The timing of hosta pruning in the fall directly depends on the climatic conditions of the region. Moreover, it is important to pay attention to the appearance of the bush: if almost all its leaves have turned yellow, then you need to start trimming.
If all the leaves of the plant have turned yellow, the nutrients have passed into the stem and roots, then it’s time to start pruning for the winter.
When to prune hosta for the winter in the Moscow region and regions
Pruning is always stressful for the plant, after which it must have time to recover, and the cuts must dry out at least a little. Typically, autumn pruning is carried out at least 3-4 weeks before the first frost on the ground (temperature about 0 degrees). And even if the foliage has not yet completely turned yellow, pruning must be carried out, focusing specifically on climatic conditions.
In the middle lane
Since in central regions the first frosts usually occur in the second half of October, pruning hostas for the winter in the Moscow region can begin as early as the 20th of September. If a warm Indian summer is expected, the deadline is early October.
In the southern regions
In the Krasnodar Territory, Stavropol Territory, the North Caucasus and other southern regions, pruning hostas for the winter can begin quite late - in mid-October. At the same time, there is no need to hill up the bush, mulch it, and especially cover it with fiber. Hostas in most cases tolerate winters well, especially in the climatic conditions of the south.
In Siberia and the Urals
As for Siberia and the Urals, the first frosts here can occur even in the middle or at the end of September. Therefore, if the forecast is unfavorable, it is better to do pruning at the beginning of this month. If a warm Indian summer is expected (usually until mid-October), then pruning the hosta for the winter can be done on the 10th of September.
The optimal time for pruning is a month before the first frost.
How to prune hosta for the winter
Hostas are pruned for the winter according to generally accepted rules. First, prepare the tools, then inspect the bush and remove foliage, branches, and old flowers.
Preparing tools
To trim hostas, you can use regular garden shears or pruning shears that fit comfortably in your hand. Before you start cutting, it is important to disinfect the blades of the working tool. To do this, you can use any disinfectant:
- medical spray;
- alcohol wipes;
- rags soaked in potassium permanganate.
Alcohol-containing products are most often used as disinfectant compositions. It is also possible to use a weak solution of potassium permanganate 1-2% or kerosene.If you don’t have anything on hand, you can treat it with regular vodka.
It is more convenient to do pruning with gardening gloves.
How to prune hosta flowers
Hosta flowers are cut off for the winter immediately after they wither. If this is not done earlier, the ovaries will form small fruits. Therefore, the plant will begin to give up additional nutrients for these processes, including the formation of seeds, which will not be useful later.
Immediately after flowering, it is necessary to completely remove the flower stalks (pruning at the base) and throw them away. When pruning, you need to gently press the leaves so that they are not damaged. Theoretically, this can be done in the spring. But in this case, the nascent buds can be damaged - and the hosta will produce fewer shoots.
After flowering, it is better to remove the flower stalks
How to trim hosta leaves for the winter
It is not necessary to trim the leaves of the hosta, because the plant survives well with them. However, it is possible to remove several shoots. You definitely need to remove weak, dry and damaged branches - they spoil the appearance and also take away the strength of the plant. The haircut is carried out in the standard way - the branches are removed at the root using scissors or pruners.
However, you should not remove all the shoots at once. If you decide to do anti-aging pruning, they can be shortened, leaving 2-3 buds (up to 15 cm in height). Then mulch or hill up the bush. In the southern regions and middle zone (if the winter is forecast to be snowy), this is not necessary.
Caring for hostas after pruning
Regardless of whether the haircut was carried out in the fall or not, the plant should be prepared for winter.It's not difficult to do this. First of all, the bush is fed, and the deadline for adding supplements is the end of August. To ensure that the plant survives the winter well, potassium salt (for example, potassium sulfate) and superphosphates are added.
It is also necessary to ensure good watering by adding 2 buckets in the second half of September, 2-3 weeks before frost. As for mulching and covering, this procedure is mandatory in the Urals and Siberia. It is also carried out in the middle zone if the winter is expected to be frosty according to the forecast. The following is used as mulch:
- pine needles;
- sawdust;
- hay;
- peat.
In the fall, it’s a good idea to hill up the bush, and first loosen the soil in the circle around the trunk so that as much air can reach the roots as possible.
Conclusion
According to the experience of many gardeners, it is necessary to prune the hosta for the winter, and not completely (under the stump), but only partially. Wilted flower stalks are often removed immediately after flowering. And yellowed foliage can be left - together with the snow, it will serve as a natural shelter for the bush.
