Although considered to be undemanding crops, hosts do require careful maintenance in the fall in order to enter the winter healthy and strong. To do this, every year I carry out some autumn activities to prepare the plant for the winter period. I begin to perform the procedures from the time of flowering.
Autumn care of plants
Flowering crops can occur in autumn and summer, depending on the variety. Their main advantage is their lush foliage. And the flowers are generally unattractive. I usually cut flowering stems at the stage of formation.
In addition, even from beautifully flowering hosts, I advise you to cut off drooping inflorescences with a pair of stems, so that the culture does not waste energy on the ripening of seed material.
Autumn plant care is the most common, it includes:
- top dressing;
- watering;
- pruning;
- shelter for the winter.
They should also be planted by September 15, so that the plants have time to take root before the onset of cold days.
Feeding plants in the autumn
To prepare well for the upcoming wintering, plants need feeding with phosphorus and potassium. For their processing I use superphosphate (40 g) and potassium sulfate (30 g) per 1 sq. m or for feeding I use bone meal (60 g / 1 m²) and ash solution (100 g / bucket of liquid).
You can use special autumn fertilizers:
- "Ogorodnik Autumn";
- "Fertika Autumn".
And nitrogen cannot be used in the fall, since the substance helps to provoke the growth of green foliage. The last nitrogen feeding is done in June-July.
Autumn watering of plants
If the weather is hot outside, without rain, I definitely water it. Hosta herself will inform you about this with her drooping leaves. Water the plant abundantly so that the root system is saturated with moisture, but as soon as the air temperature drops, slowly reduce the watering until it stops completely.
During watering, make sure that the liquid does not get on the foliage so that the hosta does not get infected with fungal diseases.
Pruning crops in autumn
Florists did not come to a consensus on the issue of pruning: an autumn or spring procedure is needed for a plant. Some believe that the plant will need a lot of strength to recover, and therefore it may not survive the winter. In addition, the leaves serve as mulch and save the hosta from the harsh season.
Fall pruning allies cite dangerous parasites lurking in foliage and the risk of fungal infections. In addition, the flower garden will become well-groomed.
In general, I advise you to hold such an event. But it should be done before frost appears and after the leaves turn completely yellow. I cut them with a sharp pruner, leaving stems no more than ten centimeters high. I collect all the cut foliage, take it out of the site and burn it so that the pests do not winter comfortably and then do not spread throughout the territory.
An experiment can be carried out: some plants are pruned, while others are left in the same state. And with the onset of spring, compare the results of wintering.
I always mulch the hosts with peat or compost. To scare off the snails from the mulch, I add tobacco dust, and then treat it against bacteria with "Fitosporin".
Shelter
Khosta is a frost-resistant crop, in the southern regions there is enough mulch for it. And in colder regions, the plant needs shelter.
The mulch should be covered with spruce branches or dry leaves in case of a snowless and harsh winter. In addition, you can use a special material for shelter (lutrasil, agrospan), pressing along the edges with stones.
It is easy for the hosts to build a shelter, but everything needs to be done on time. In the northern regions, September is considered a suitable time, in the middle lane - mid-October, and in the south - the first half of November. As soon as spring comes, the shelter needs to be removed.
Read also: How do I treat garden trees in the fall from diseases and pests in order to get an excellent harvest next year
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