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thisismelissa

How far apart do YOU plant?

thisismelissa
15 years ago

Tasha's post about moving plants "already" got me thinking.

As you are planting a new hosta garden (with relatively small plants (6 eyes or less...more likely 1-3 eyes), how far apart would YOU plant?

With the hostas I planted this weekend, I think I was around 24-30 inches apart. Last year, the first phase was planted around 18-24 inches apart, knowing FULL WELL that likely next year (2009) I may have to start thinking about thinning out my garden. But I really am anxious for that "mature" look to a garden, i.e. touching hostas.

What YOUR preference for how close to plant a new hosta bed?

Melissa

Comments (9)

  • omoelegba
    15 years ago

    Melissa,
    I, too, was motivated to plant my new hostas last year TOO close to each other, trying for that "fuller" look; needless to say, I have spent the last 2 weeks moving every single hosta farther apart. It hasn't been 6 months and they were already encroaching upon each other. I moved all the big ones as far back along the fence as possible & managed to give each one at least 1 more foot of clearance. Eventually, these must be dug up & divided, as I have managed to fill up almost every nook in my garden. I will try to post pics so that you have an idea. They say patience is a virtue; it's better to space them apart & wait the 3-5 years it takes them to reach full maturity, than to have to dig them up & move them. My two cents.

  • Tasha
    15 years ago

    2 1/2 to 3 feet. And I know I'll still have to move some around when they get bigger. But, they should be able to stay put longer this way.

  • woodthrush
    15 years ago

    I do a little of both. Some are really close because I want the 'drift' look as they mature. And others I've planted alone with 3-4 feet between them, so they'll stand out on their own. My 'some day' project would be to edge the whole property line with them.

  • lindac
    15 years ago

    When I plant a new area, I try to plant the "good ones" where they will stay, and fill in with bits I cut off the edge of "ordinary" hosta that are fast growing and that I have lots of....hosta like golden edger, august moon, krossa regal, antioch and varoius undulatta. Then when the "good ones" grow I remove the ordinary ones....well that's the plan anyhow!
    Linda C

  • woodthrush
    15 years ago

    lol - yeah, then comes fall, and you are trying to plant all those new babies that have been in pots all summer, squeezing them in here and there, and the 'plan' goes out the window - lol
    Pam

  • esox48
    15 years ago

    I usually plant them four feet apart unless they are really big, then maybe five feet. On occasion, I'm down to about 40 inches depending on the setting.

    So far, I don't have any hostas touching in my yard, and I don't really want any touching. It may happen this year. There's a Daybreak that is getting dangerously close to a monstrous (60-plus inches last year) Abba Dabba Do, which went from 30 to 40 eyes this year and who knows what the width will be.

    Another combo to watch is a Sun Power and Blue Angel planted 5-1/2 feet apart. They were only about a foot apart last year. The Sun Power has gone from 16 eyes last year to 24 now.

    Basically, I like to look at them one at a time.

  • Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Ken, I appreciate your sentiments. Having said that, I was curious what it was all about and I clicked on the link in Firefox, which I have set pretty securely with ad-blocking turned on. I saw no signs of any ads. Then I tried MS Edge, which I have set-up with few limitations and whatever ads there would have been were just spinning circles, nothing showed. In Chrome only one ad showed for me, tolerable but not as good as the Firefox settings, must change the Chrome settings. All-in-all though there is potentially interesting information on his site and I've bookmarked it....

    Pieter