Giant Hosts Are Great Accents For Small And Large Gardens. Varieties, Cultivation And Care. Photo

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Giant Hosts Are Great Accents For Small And Large Gardens. Varieties, Cultivation And Care. Photo
Giant Hosts Are Great Accents For Small And Large Gardens. Varieties, Cultivation And Care. Photo

Video: Giant Hosts Are Great Accents For Small And Large Gardens. Varieties, Cultivation And Care. Photo

Video: Giant Hosts Are Great Accents For Small And Large Gardens. Varieties, Cultivation And Care. Photo
Video: Peonies | Growing Tips & FAQ: Garden Home VLOG (2019) 4K 2024, March
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A few years ago, fantastic photos with huge hosts, behind which you can't even see the hedges, were amazing. But “waist-deep” hosts have gradually turned from exotic into a trend. Leading the market in popularity for mini and medium-sized hosts, giant varieties are slowly being mastered on the plots. Huge leaves and growth under a meter are not their only advantages, even if you have to "pay" for the size with careful care. The best varieties of giant hosts and the features of caring for them will be discussed in this article.

Giant hosts are great accents for small and large gardens
Giant hosts are great accents for small and large gardens

Content:

  • What hosts are considered giant?
  • The best varieties of giant host
  • Conditions that will please giant hosts
  • Giant class host landing
  • Taking care of giant hosts
  • Using giant host in garden decoration

What hosts are considered giant?

Giant hosts, Giants hosts (Giant Hosta, Extra Large Hosta, marked as G and XL in the variety name) are the most spectacular, but small group of host varieties, which stands out only for the size of the bush and the effect of a "giant" plant without specific standards.

If for "ordinary" large-leaved varieties the maximum height is 60 cm, then giant hosts are considered to be from 75 cm to more than 1.5 m in height. In diameter, giant hosts always approach 2 m with age. Long, powerful cuttings in many "giants" create the effect of an umbrella of leaves is a vase-shaped silhouette.

The leaves of giant hosts, with an area of 70 cm or more, are strictly veined, with very slight waviness or "waffle", painted in both monochromatic and variegated tones. They are glossy and matte.

Giant hosts usually surprise with the tenderness of flowering. Peduncles with loose inflorescences rise slightly above the leaves in the center of the bush. Water color, up to 5 cm in diameter, white or lilac bell flowers bloom at the end of summer, last no longer than 20 days.

Giant hosts are characterized by durability. They reveal their decorativeness only from the fourth year, but over the decades they only become more beautiful.

Hosta 'Big Daddy'
Hosta 'Big Daddy'

The best varieties of giant host

  • 'Big Mama' is a legendary variety with rounded, bluish, matte, wrinkled waffle leaves. At the edge, they curl upward, have whitish strokes at the cutting and shining white narrow inflorescences.
  • 'Big Daddy' is a broad-leaved variety with saucer-like emerald-blue leaves.
  • 'Jade Cascade' - glossy, narrow-leaved, herbaceous green, spreading variety with light lilac bells.
  • 'Blue Angel' is a very beautiful variety with large, almost round, strictly veined, wavy, dull blue leaves.
  • 'Empress Wu' is a gigantic, largest known variety with architectural bushes, long yellowish petioles and an umbrella of matte waxy leaves. The flatter, wider ' Kingsize' is a nice alternative with a lighter shade.
  • 'Jurassic Park' - a classic, elegant, austere variety with strongly veined leaves of a matte dark green color.
  • 'T-Rex' - a variety with giant, elongated-heart-shaped leaves, glossy dark emerald tone and very strict veininess.
  • 'Icy Halo' is a gray-gray variety with wide, heart-shaped leaves, slightly curling upward along the edge and showing off the thinnest white irregular border.
  • 'Tom Schmidt' - a variety with a matte, light, gray-olive tone and elongated almond-shaped leaves with a bright white border.
  • 'Dino' is a spectacular heart-leaved variety with emerald leaves decorated with a thick light green border.
  • 'Earth Angel' is the most spectacular variegated cultivar with a creamy wide border on wavy, heart-shaped leaves, irregularly flashing blue spots.
  • 'Victory' is a unique glossy variegated variety with a yellow border on heart-shaped, stern, creeping leaves.
  • `Blue Mammoth` -blue hosta with very unusual symmetrical, strictly veined heart-shaped leaves with a downward tip and massive white peduncles.
  • 'Blue Umbrellas' is a large-leaved variety with rounded leaf tips with slight wrinkles and the most beautiful matte bloom on light emerald blue leaves.
  • 'Sum & Substance' is a glossy golden-light green variety with perfect heart-shaped leaves with strict veining.
  • 'Coast to Coast' is a wrinkled-leaved variety with upward-looking yellow-green leaves and lilac flowers.
Hosta 'Blue Angel'
Hosta 'Blue Angel'
Hosta 'Victory'
Hosta 'Victory'
Hosta 'Sum & Substance'
Hosta 'Sum & Substance'

Conditions that will please giant hosts

Hosts with very large leaves are much more vulnerable to direct sunlight. They should be placed in secluded penumbra and shade. Such hosts feel most comfortable under the crowns of trees and on the northern side of the buildings.

When choosing the soil for the Gigant host group, you should prefer moist (but not soggy), fresh, loose and fertile soils. They will love the protected areas from overheating.

Read also our article Hosts - choosing a place in the garden and planting.

Giant class host landing

Planting of giant varieties can be carried out both in April-May and September-October. Giant hosts are placed at a distance of 55 cm to 1 m to neighboring plants, leaving about 1.5-2 m of area for each bush for free growth.

Despite the size of the seedling, already at the stage of site preparation, it is worth remembering what size the giant hosts will reach in the future. They need very large landing pits, about 50 cm deep and more than 1 m in diameter.

The need to create a maximum feeding area for the hosta growing to incredible sizes involves deep digging, the introduction of organic matter and full mineral fertilizers (1 bucket of compost and 50 g of mineral mixtures).

The seedlings are placed vertically at a depth of 5 to 10 cm after abundant watering, tamping the soil very carefully. You need to mulch the plants immediately with any available materials (layer - from 5 cm).

Giant hosts take root very slowly and adapt poorly. If it is possible to purchase seedlings with a closed root system, rather than bare sections of rhizomes, it is better to use it. But in any case, for giants it will take about 4 weeks to start full rooting. And at this time, the hosts need to be provided with regular watering (in a drought - daily), if necessary - additional shading and spraying in the heat.

Giant hosts are placed at a distance of 55 cm to 1 m to neighboring plants
Giant hosts are placed at a distance of 55 cm to 1 m to neighboring plants

Taking care of giant hosts

Giant varieties are often advertised as unpretentious, but when you buy them, you should be ready for regular thorough care. Due to the huge leaf area, such hosts will always require more attention.

Giant hosts cannot be grown without watering. In drought, it is better to do the procedures daily, in normal weather - supporting, with watering 1-2 times a week. The main goal is to keep the humidity light but stable. Watering for giants is carried out in the evening.

Top dressing is applied 1 time per season, at the beginning of growth, with a standard dose of complete mineral, organic or special fertilizers for the host. On depleted soil and after 5 years of cultivation, with signs of deterioration in growth rates or shrinkage, additional summer dressing can be introduced.

One of the important points in caring for giant hosts is to regularly add soil to the base of the bushes. The giants rise and bulge more often than their smaller competitors, and will have to add soil several times a year. Mulching will also help protect the plant from exposing its roots and make maintenance easier. But its main function is to protect giant hosts from overheating the roots, because giants most often die from the heat.

Giant hosts are more resistant to pests and diseases, but much more vulnerable to slugs. It is worth taking protection measures since spring.

If during the season soil was poured to the base of the bushes, then preparation for winter comes down to simple protective mulching. For the winter, the layer of protective mulch is increased to 10-15 cm.

Giant hosts cannot be grown without watering
Giant hosts cannot be grown without watering
Giant hosts are resistant to pests and diseases
Giant hosts are resistant to pests and diseases
Giant hosts are ideal for regular gardens and projects in contemporary styles
Giant hosts are ideal for regular gardens and projects in contemporary styles

Using giant host in garden decoration

Despite being a plant only for large plots, when placed correctly, giant hosts can single-handedly replace numerous design elements in a small garden. But for this you need to carefully "prevent" their negative impact. Giant Hosts are ideal for regular gardens and contemporary style projects.

Even hydrangeas seem to be dwarfs against the backdrop of giant hosts. These are some of the most spectacular architectural and ornamental plants that can bring order to any design. The ability to instantly attract the eyes and create dominants in the compositions of giant hosts can only be compared with large garden sculptures and small architectural forms.

If you're looking to create large-leaved contrasts and add textural variety, even badan will fade against the backdrop of the host giants in mixed compositions. But they are especially effective as single accents.

These plants can be planted both at architectural elements (stairs, walkways, paths, corners of buildings, etc.), and at the largest plants, or as a replacement. They look great by the water. Partners should be curvy, textured, contrasting and neat.

When choosing a giant hosta for your garden, it is worth remembering one more nuance: they very easily suppress other plants and literally "erase" the background. A Giant-class host should be placed next to a counterbalance - a house or large buildings and plants. It is a distracting, masking element and the main decoration of the opening plan, a great "stopper" and divider, as if cutting the garden space into zones without any screens and hedges.

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