If you have limited space or are on a tight budget, the plants you select for your collection should be carefully considered. Grow varieties that you have seen growing well in your area.  If a Hosta is a disappointment for 3 years, get rid of it.  Put the space to better use because there are many other great hostas looking for a home.  Select Hostas with thick leaf substance to avoid having slug problems.  If you are new to growing hostas, select a classic Hosta from Perfect Perennials Nursery, Plant List.  Don't get so excited that you start buying ones you are not crazy about just to increase your collection.  You can use your money more wisely by not buying look-alikes, and also by being more knowledgeable about the plants you are buying.  Go to the Internet, look up the Hosta Library, and read, read, read!

Select the Hostas you like best: big vs. small, blue vs. gold, lance-shaped or more rounded leaves, etc.  Visualize the big picture and buy accordingly.  You should know that Tissue Culture plants (TC's) are sold as very small plants and may take several years to develop maturity, compared to Originators Stock (OS) that are divisions from the original plant and they are sold as more mature divisions.  You should know the seller before purchasing their plant.  Beware of E-bay sellers who do don't have any business selling Hostas.  Make sure, you have as much information as possible before buying.  Check out your seller's web site to be sure it exhibits a knowledge of hostas.

Once you have made your purchase, find out the mature size of the Hosta before you plant it, and arrange your beds accordingly.  Keep in mind that every plant purchased from Perfect Perennials will come with a detailed description of the plant.  This description contains information such as: Hosta name, plant size description, leaf size, leaf description, plant spacing, flower description, bloom period, pest problems, sun preference, soil desires, growth rate, and Hosta book references. 

PREPARING THE SOIL

Start a compost pile if you haven't already and use the compost in every planting hole.  Composting helps to take care of the planet and the benefit of adding compost to the soil in your own yard is absolutely amazing.  Strive for soil that is as rich and as fluffy as chocolate cake.  To prepare the soil, dig down 12 inches and remove the soil.  Then put the soil back and spread 6 inches of compost over the entire garden and then mix the compost into the loosened garden soil.  After you prepare the soil, plant the Hosta, water well and be sure to label it immediately. Do not plant the Hosta crown any more than 1 inch deep for medium to large plants.

Mulch is a must, but be careful not to smother the plants.  When mulching around your Hosta, cover the plants with plastic pots, spread the mulch over the entire garden.  When you remove the pots you won't have to clean the mulch from all the nooks and crannies of the leaves and the mulch is a few of inches from the crown, where it should be.  Some of the best mulches for Hosta gardens are wood chips and pine straw.

The best product to encourage rapid growth of Hostas is water. Hostas should get at least one inch of rain or sprinkler water every week.  When planting new Hostas, some collectors recommend that you sprinkle some water-retentive crystals ("Soil Moist" or other brands) into the hole.  The crystals provide water for the roots.  However, recent research has indicated that in the long-term, the crystals break down into products that are toxic to plants and harmful to people using it.  Other experts recommend soaker hoses (the ones made from recycled tires)!  Wind them around your Hosta beds, cover with mulch and leave them hidden from view.  Using quick disconnects on the hose make it a snap to hook up and water whenever needed.  If you have a plant that needs frequent watering sink a clay flowerpot beside it and fill the pot as needed.  The next best product for Hostas is a slow release organic fertilizer.  It only has to be applied once, in the spring. 

Use plant markers even when you think you will remember the names of all of your babies. A season later, you don't!  Push an extra plant marker with plant name all the way into the soil behind your Hosta then if your marker up top becomes faded or disappears you can always resort to digging up the one that is hidden.  Spray polyurethane on your plant markers to preserve the writing.  Sometimes collectors write the age and seller on back of the tag.  Take photos of all your new plants after you plant them, then next year you can look at them and compare their growth.  Always keep track of the plants with markers, make a map, and keep it up to date.

Have fun and enjoy, don't become so engrossed in numbers that it becomes another hassle or drive that depletes your energy.  Relax and enjoy them.  Remember the first year, new plants "sleep", the second year they "creep", and it takes about three years before they "leap".