Hostas are popular foliage plants that look good not only in beds, but also in container gardens. When kept in containers, the hostas react more sensitively to care errors and problems with substrate, watering or location. They are most often noticeable through a lack of flowers. This is what you can do if your hostas don't have any flowers in the pot!
Hostas in containers do not bloom, but have healthy green leaves
A lack of flowering does not necessarily indicate problems. Sometimes the plants are completely healthy and feel good, but still don't bloom. A sure sign that your hostas are doing well are the leaves. Healthy leaves have no deformations, no dry tips and no spots. They are big and green.
In this case, there are two possible causes for the lack of flowering:
1. They are young plants or newly repotted plantsand need time to develop their roots and grow. A change of location can also have a negative effect on flower formation.
2. You gave the plants nitrogen fertilizer.Nitrogen fertilizer promotes leaf formation and reduces flower formation.
What you can do: Wait this year for now. Next spring you can use the hostasdiluted tomato fertilizerAdminister every two weeks to promote flower formation.
The plants have yellow leaves and no flowers
Yellow, wilted leaves, lack of flowering and slow growth are all signs that something is wrong with the location. Check plants for aphids - they usually attack weakened plants that don't get enough sunlight.
Hostas prefer a location in partial shade, but potted plants generally need more sunlight than garden plants. A place in light shade where the plant is sunny for at least 4 hours a day, preferably in the morning, is therefore optimal. In any case, the light requirement can vary greatly depending on the variety. Basically, varieties with light green or white leaves turn yellow if they are in dense shade. Vice versa – varieties with dark green leaves need relatively less sunlight and can thrive better in shady locations.
The hostas do not develop, have small leaves and no flowers
If hostas are not developing properly or not at all, you should check the pH of the substrate. Ideally this should be between 6.5 and 7.5. If it is too high or too low, the plant will wilt and not grow properly. The possible causes of a pH value that is too high or too low are:
1. Wrong substrate.You either bought the wrong substrate or mixed it yourself. A mix of garden soil and sand is often used for hostas, and then compost is added. However, if the garden soil or compost is too alkaline or too acidic, the plant cannot develop properly. The only solution in this case is to replace the garden soil with perennial soil.
2. Fertilize hostas incorrectly.A 10-10-10 nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer is best. You can also use horn shavings. Coffee grounds are often recommended as fertilizer. It is perfect for garden plants, in the pot it can reduce soil permeability and lower the pH value.
The hosta plants are not growing or flowering
At the start of the gardening season, the hosta plants sprouted heavily and then gradually grew more slowly. Now they no longer grow or bloom. The reason for this could be incorrect watering.
Water or lack of water can have a negative effect on hostas in the pot. The hostas do not tolerate wet feet, which means there should be no water in the saucer. But they need regular watering. Always keep the substrate moist by adjusting the watering. More water evaporates from potted plants, which is why you can water them more extensively than garden hostas. It's best to do this early in the morning and again late in the afternoon if necessary.
You should definitely avoid this when keeping things in a container
If the hostas don't bloom, remain small or have yellow leaves, then you want to save them as quickly as possible. A common mistake is therefore to take too many measures. Basically, think about what the reason could be first. If you're not sure, start with small changes. First, adjust the watering or stop fertilizing. If it is necessary to change the location or replace the substrate, give the hostas enough time to recover.
Also read:Your hosta hHosta isn't blooming? Here are the possible reasons for outdoor plants!
