How to Plant Bareroot Hosta
- 1). Select the appropriate planting spot for your bare root hosta; shade requirements vary by hosta variety. Target an area of your yard that has good drainage. Dig a hole 16 inches deep, with the width of the hole being one-and-a-half times the expected size of the fully matured hosta. Place 6 inches of Canadian peat moss in the bottom of the hole.
- 2). Soak your entire bare root hosta plant in a bucket filled with 1 gallon of water mixed with 2 tbsp. of fertilizer ("Peters With Iron," "Rapid-Gro With Iron" or a similar soluble fertilizer). Add 1 tsp. of fungicide such as Benlate. Let the plant soak for one hour in this mixture.
- 3). Remove the bare root hosta from its bucket. Place in hole in your hosta bed, being sure that the spot where the roots and leaves meet is positioned at ground level. Fill hole with dirt, firmly patting soil around the base of the hosta. Add 2 inches of mulch around your hosta, which will help keep weeds down during the summer and fall growing season and keep roots at a desirable temperature.
- 4). Provide 1 inch of water per week for your hosta, which can come from rain, hand watering or a combination of both. Water early in the day and be watchful for drooping leaves, which can signal water deprivation.