Funkien, also called Hosta , are also known under the name heart leaf lilies. The plant belongs to the perennial perennials and is hardy. The decorative leaves in particular add variety to the garden, as do the decorative flowers. To ensure that the hostas sprout again quickly after the winter and develop a rich bloom in summer, they need the right fertilizer. The article explains which ones are suitable as hosta fertilizers for what reasons and whether fertilizing with blue grain makes sense.
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Funkien (Hosta)
Funkien are available in many different designs and variations. That is why the decorative leaf perennials are so popular in many shady garden beds and also in tubs on the terrace or balcony. Depending on the species, the leaves are dark green, steel blue, yellow-green, creamy white or even patterned and multicolored. In autumn it often turns golden yellow. Bell-like flowers of various colors appear in summer. In order for the hostas to sprout again every year after the winter, they need a little support from the right fertilizer. Funkias prefer nutrient-rich soil and therefore want enough fertilizer every year to thrive. So the following fertilizers come into question here.
Guanodunger
Guano fertilizer is the droppings of seabirds. Guano forms particularly well in areas where there is little rainfall and many seabirds congregate on the cliffs. A thick layer of droppings develops here, for example on the coasts of Peru, Chile, Namibia or parts of the South Seas. The main nutrients in guano are phosphorus at around 30% and nitrogen at around 15%, both very good agents to stimulate a plant to grow in spring after winter. In addition, the following should be noted about guano:
- Mix of organic and mineral fertilizer
- fast-dissolving mineral nutrients
- organic active ingredients work more slowly
- therefore immediate and long-term fertilizer in one
- improves the soil as an organic fertilizer
Guano is available in all variants, as sticks, granules or as a liquid fertilizer and is therefore also versatile and therefore also a good hosta fertilizer for potted and bedding plants, which supports growth well after the winter.
Hornspäne
Horn shavings are a good additional fertilizer, for example with compost or together with a mulch layer. Because the horn shavings, or in a finer form also the horn meal, support the organic fertilizer in several ways as follows:
- Horn meal or shavings from cattle hooves
- release nitrogen
- also sulfate and little phosphate and potassium
- have long-term effects
- there is never over-fertilization
- the pH of the soil is not affected
Compost
Mature compost is inevitable for many home gardeners. And also as hosta fertilizer, compost is one of the best and most natural. Especially those who have created their own compost in the garden do not really have to worry about fertilizer for hostas. A well-made compost provides the ornamental leaf perennials in spring with all the minerals and nutrients that the plants need for a healthy vegetation year and good growth after the winter. Proceed as follows when fertilizing with compost:
- fold in after the winter
- work carefully
- Hostas form many rhizomes underneath
- this should not be destroyed
- a second fertilization can be done in early summer
- Compost improves the earth sustainably
- two fertilizations a year are enough
Different brew variants
There are also various suds or liquid manure variants that can be used as good hosta fertilisers, which you can make yourself and apply as a liquid fertilizer every two to three weeks. Plants are always soaked in water or boiled. The resulting brew can be administered with the irrigation water every few weeks. The following liquid manure can be produced quickly yourself, even if you don’t have your own garden:
- nettle brew
- horsetail manure
- gout brew
- dandelion manure
Once made, the brew can be filled into a sealed jar and used for fertilizing well into the fall. Because the liquid manure does not go bad and has a long shelf life. In addition to the released nutrients, the liquid manure also offers good protection against aphids and fungal diseases. The hostas are also strengthened in order to be able to better defend themselves against bacteria or viruses.
blue grain useful?
Blue grain is a complete fertilizer that contains a variety of nutrients that plants usually need for healthy growth. However, blue grain is also a mineral fertilizer that is chemically produced. Some hobby gardeners therefore swear by the gift, while others are more critical of it. The fact is that the complete fertilizer contains the following nutrients required by hostas:
- Potassium
- Phosphor
- nitrogen
The advantage of complete mineral fertilizers is that they work quickly. In this way, a plant that has been undersupplied for a long time can quickly receive enough nutrients for healthy growth. Blaukorn is always a useful fertilizer for hostas when they need a lot of nutrients quickly or when other types of fertilizer, such as compost, are not available.
