Content
Hosta Golden Meadows has very beautiful, large leaves that decorate the garden well in single and group plantings. This is an unpretentious plant that tolerates even the most severe winters down to -40 degrees. The host is not capricious in leaving, so even a beginner can cope with its cultivation.
Description of hosts Golden Meadows
Golden Meadows is distinguished by unusual wrinkled leaves of a rounded, twisted shape. They have a very peculiar color: the center of the leaf is bright golden, and already in the middle of summer it becomes more muted, creamy, and then acquires a yellow-green tint.
At the edges, the leaves of Golden Meadows are painted in pale green and bluish shades - they are in good harmony with the central part. The leaves are rather large in size: 20 cm long, 10 cm wide. They are located on dense cuttings forming a large root rosette.
Golden Meadows is distinguished by beautiful leaves with a pleasant yellow-green-blue color.
A small bush - up to 50-60 cm, not very spreading. Begins to bloom in the second half of summer, flowers are not large, drooping, white shades. They are formed in small inflorescences, and the peduncles rise 10-15 cm above the main part of the bush.
Golden Meadows prefers to grow in moderately shaded areas. If there are many cloudy days in the region, it is better to plant in an open area. In the south, stable shade (from trees or shrubs) is preferred.
In terms of winter hardiness, the Golden Meadows host is one of the most hardy. It can withstand even very harsh winters down to -40 degrees, so it belongs to the 4th zone of winter hardiness. Cultivation is allowed in all regions of Russia, including:
- Central part;
- Ural;
- Southern Siberia;
- Far East.
Golden Meadows blooms in late July and early August
Application in landscape design
Golden Meadows is distinguished by really unusual, large leaves with an interesting color. Therefore, it can be used:
- in single plantings (a row of several seedlings of the same age);
- in mixborders;
- in rock gardens;
- in plantings along the paths for their design;
- on rocky flower beds;
- on the coast of small bodies of water.
This species, like other hosta varieties, goes well with a wide variety of plants. Bushes look good in compositions with such crops:
- other host species, especially higher ones (for example, Blue Mammoth, Jade Cascade, Dino, Empress W);
- undersized varieties of daylily;
- astilba;
- maidenhair stop-like;
- rhododendron;
- forget-me-not;
- purple periwinkle;
- conifers (juniper, thuja, dwarf fir, dwarf pine and others).
Golden Meadows looks good in group plantings with other hosts
Breeding methods for Golden Meadows hosts
You can dilute the host at home. For this, it is advisable to work with relatively mature plants (3-5 years old). The main breeding methods are:
- dividing the bush;
- growing from seeds;
- grafting.
The simplest of these is to divide the bush. You can dilute the host in this way at any warm season - for example, in spring, summer or autumn (a month before the first frost).The sequence of actions is as follows:
- Dig in the ground with a sharp shovel within a radius of 35 cm from the center of the hosta (diameter, respectively, 70 cm).
- Cut out the ground along with the bush.
- Gently detangle the root hairs, rinse off the soil if necessary.
- Cut with a knife into several divisions (each of them should have 2-3 sprouts).
- Transplant into soil with a similar composition and approximately the same depth at which the mother plant grows.
Landing algorithm
The optimal planting time is the second half of spring. At this time, the snow melts completely in all regions, and the risk of recurrent frosts is minimal. Hosta can be planted in the middle lane at the end of April, and in the south - at the beginning of the month. In the Urals and Southern Siberia - early May.
When choosing a place, pay attention to the following factors:
- decorativeness: Golden Meadows should be visible from different points of the garden;
- shading - the bush prefers to grow in partial shade, which is easy to provide with neighboring trees or shrubs;
- relative protection from winds;
- lack of stagnation of water (better than a hill, not a lowland).
The Golden Meadows host is best grown in light shade
Golden Meadows prefers light loams with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction (pH = 6.5-7.0). It will take root even on depleted soils, including sandy and clayey. But in this case, it will need to be fertilized regularly.
The procedure for landing is as follows:
- Previously, the site is dug up and a bucket of humus and a complex mineral fertilizer are applied for each square meter. It is not necessary to do this - humus with fertilizer can be applied during planting.
- Next, dig out several holes of small diameter and depth up to 30 cm. It is important that the rhizomes fit freely. The interval between them is from 50 cm.
- Prepare the soil: you can take the same amount of rotted manure and compost soil, add half the peat and 2-3 pinches of sand. If the soil is known to be very acidic, add a glass of wood ash.
- Drain the soil with 5-7 cm small stones.
- Cover with half of the soil and water thoroughly.
- Place the seedling in the center and sprinkle it with earth on top and tamp it down (but not too hard). The root collar should not remain on the surface - it goes to a depth of 4-5 cm.
- Water and mulch again - for example, with peat, hay or sawdust.
Growing rules
Like other host species, Golden Meadows does not need any special care. She does not need abundant watering or constant feeding. Water should be added only when there has been no rain for a long time or there is a drought. The soil should not be too dry or cracked. But it should not be overmoistened either.
As for fertilizers for the Golden Meadows hosts, they can be applied a maximum of 3 times per season:
- At the beginning of April, any nitrogen fertilizers are added for the active growth of green mass - for example, you can use ammonium nitrate.
- At the end of July, when flowering begins, potassium sulfate and superphosphates are added. An alternative option is complex fertilizer.
- At the end of August, after the end of flowering, a similar composition is added. And after that, you no longer need to feed - the host must have time to prepare for the winter.
Even a minimal amount of fertilizer is enough for Golden Meadows to produce large, attractive leaves.
Also, 2-3 times per season, you can loosen the soil in the trunk circle. Hosts love light soil with a lot of oxygen reaching the roots. It is advisable to keep a layer of mulch throughout the hot season - it retains moisture in the soil and blocks the growth of weeds.
Preparing for winter
Host Golden Meadows does not need special preparation for winter. In the fall, you do not need to apply any fertilizers - they are last added at the end of August. However, minimal care must be provided:
- Remove wilted peduncles by cutting them under the base. It is better to have time to do this a month before the first frost.
- Carry out additional pruning by removing old shoots. It is not necessary to do this in the fall - many gardeners carry out a similar procedure at the beginning of the next season.
- Covering the host for the winter is also optional, but it is better to cover it with compost. If there is a concern, young seedlings can be covered with hay or straw.
Since Golden Meadows is highly winter-hardy, it does not need special shelter.
Diseases and pests
Golden Meadows is resistant not only to frost, but also to pests and diseases. Its strong, tough leaves are inaccessible even to slugs, which often infect other species.
However, sometimes this host is parasitized by a black weevil, as a result of which the leaves begin to turn yellow and wilt. If round yellow spots appear on their surface, this indicates a viral infection. In both cases, diseased shoots are completely cut off and burned. And if this does not help, you will have to destroy the entire bush so as not to infect neighboring plants.
Conclusion
Hosta Golden Meadows are very easy to grow - in fact, you just need to provide sufficient watering so that the soil does not dry out. Since it is a very hardy plant, it can be grown everywhere. It is with the hosts that novice summer residents should start decorating their garden.
