Every year I tell myself I’m going to embrace the winter season and enjoy the process of putting my plants to bed until the following spring.
And every year, my attempt at improving my attitude is seriously challenged when it comes to saying “goodbye” to my hostas.
They are such a reliable, ever-present part of my spring, summer, and fall garden that it feels like watching dear friends depart on a months-long holiday without me. Don’t go!
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Hostas, unlike me, need to experience a period of frost to grow and flower their best.
So we don’t need to protect them from the cold. But there are things we can do to encourage healthy growth next year.
Potted specimens need more care than those in the ground. They’re a bit more exposed out there.
Think of it like the difference between living in a tent and living in a well-insulated house – that’s how the roots feel in a container versus the soil.
Hostas are a popular perennial known for their attractive foliage that thrives in shady areas. These shade-loving plants are also commonly grown in containers for their versatility. However, special care is required when overwintering hostas in pots to help them successfully survive the colder months. This complete guide will provide tips on preparing, storing, and maintaining hostas in containers over winter.
Should You Bring Potted Hostas Indoors for Winter?
Hostas are dormant during winter, which means they require a cold period to remain healthy. Bringing container hostas indoors can interfere with their dormancy, causing the plants to weaken or die. The ideal approach is to leave hostas in pots outdoors over winter in most cases.
Exceptions where you may want to overwinter hostas indoors include
- Areas with extremely cold winter temps below 0°F.
- Rare or expensive cultivars where you want to be extra cautious.
- If you have no suitable outdoor spot to store pots.
But allowing hostas to experience natural winter conditions is best for their health.
Where to Store Hostas in Containers for the Winter
While dormant, hostas don’t require warm indoor conditions The optimal place to store them is an unheated garage, shed, or cold frame Temperatures between 20-40°F are ideal.
Avoid storing hostas where they will experience
- Temps consistently below 20°F.
- Temps regularly above 50°F.
- Bright sun or intense light.
- Drastic temperature fluctuations.
- Repeated freezing and thawing cycles.
If you lack an unheated building, sink pots in the ground and mulch well. Just remember to remove them in spring.
Preparing Hostas in Pots for Winter
Follow these tips in fall to prep potted hostas for dormancy:
- Thoroughly hydrate before the first frost so plants enter winter well-watered.
- Remove browned foliage but leave healthy leaves for insulation.
- Move pots to winter storage before temps drop below freezing.
- Group containers together and cover with mulch for protection.
- Cover pots with fabric row cover or tarp to prevent soil freeze/thaw cycles.
- In very cold climates, wrap pots with insulation like bubble wrap.
- Stop fertilizing once dormancy begins in fall.
Caring for Hostas After Winter
In early spring when temps begin warming above freezing:
- Unwrap pots and move to a sheltered, shaded outdoor spot.
- Slowly reintroduce them to sunlight over 1-2 weeks.
- Remove any remaining leaf coverings from fall.
- Cut away dead leaves to allow new growth.
- Resume watering as plants break dormancy.
- Wait until new growth emerges before fertilizing again.
- Transplant into gardens or larger containers in late spring after the frost risk has passed.
Growing Hostas Successfully in Containers
Follow these tips for healthy hostas in pots:
- Use containers at least 12-16 inches deep and wide to accommodate the extensive root system.
- Ensure pots have drainage holes and use a well-draining potting mix.
- Site in morning sun and afternoon shade for optimal light levels.
- Keep soil consistently moist, watering when the top 1-2 inches become dry.
- Fertilize every 4-6 weeks during the growing season with a balanced liquid fertilizer.
- Rotate pots periodically to prevent uneven growth toward the sun.
- Prune spent flowers and damaged leaves as needed.
- Repot or divide crowded clumps every 2-3 years as the plant grows.
Top Hostas for Containers
These compact hosta varieties are best suited for pots:
- ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ – Lavender flowers, blue-gray foliage, 10″ tall.
- ‘Dragon Tails’ – Twisted green and white leaves, 14″ tall.
- ‘Green Eyes’ – Green with thin white border, 10″ tall.
- ‘Rainforest Sunrise’ – Yellow leaves with green edges, 10″ tall.
- ‘Stiletto’ – Slender blue-green foliage, 12″ tall.
- ‘Wheee!’ – White centers with green margins, 10″ tall.
Avoiding Problems with Hostas in Pots
Hostas in containers are more prone to certain issues:
- Scorch – From dry soil and hot sun. Improve site and water thoroughly.
- Crown rot – Due to excess moisture. Enhance drainage and allow soil to dry between waterings.
- Rodent damage – Line pots with hardware cloth to prevent chewing over winter.
- Slugs/snails – Hand pick or use non-toxic bait to deter these pests.
- Outgrowing containers – Transplant into larger pots or divide overcrowded plants.
With stunning foliage colors and textures, hostas offer limitless possibilities in containers. Follow these tips to successfully overwinter hostas in pots. Allowing them to go dormant outdoors will ensure your hostas return healthy and vigorous in spring.
How to Care for Hostas in Winter
As with all perennials, your USDA Hardiness Zone and the plant’s Zone rating dictate how you should care for your plants.
A Zone 4 to 8 hosta cultivar grown in Zone 6 is going to need less fussing over than the same plant might if it was grown in Zone 4.
You should also keep microclimates in mind. Every garden has its own microclimates, and they can impact the work you need to do.
In a cozy spot protected from freezing wind and extreme variations in temperature, you can probably skip the mulching step, for instance.
Some areas gather more moisture, some are drier, some reflect heat, and others stay colder.
Finally, don’t assume that just because your plant was fine last year, it will be fine this year.
Pests can build up in numbers over years, a particularly harsh winter might cause unusual damage, or a plant might have been stressed in the previous growing season.
Prepare to adapt as needed from one growing season to the next.
Divide Large Plants
If you didn’t do your division chores in the spring, now is the time to split up your hostas.
Before you break out the shovel, water the plants well if you’ve had a dry fall. You want the soil to be moist and easy to work.
It’s easier to divide them if you do it while some of the leaves are intact, but you can do it even after the leaves have died back.
If you aren’t familiar with the process of dividing a hosta, read our guide, which will walk you through the entire process from start to finish.
The easiest way to protect your containers from cracking and your hostas from freeze-thaw cycles is to bury them in the soil, even if you only partially bury them.
If you can’t or don’t want to do this, you can move them against a wall or wrap them in burlap. You could also cover them in pine boughs.
Avoid placing them somewhere they’ll collect rainwater or snowmelt off of a roof or other structure.
The point here isn’t to avoid the cold, so don’t take the pots into a garage or shed. Just protect them from repeated freezing and thawing.
The exception to this is if you’re growing a hosta that is on the border of hardiness for your region.
If you live in USDA Hardiness Zone 5 and you are growing a cultivar that’s hardy to Zone 5 in a pot, you should treat it as if it’s growing in Zone 4 and tuck it into a garage or shed to provide some protection from the cold. Always subtract one Zone for containers.
How to Prep Your Hostas for the Winter 2021
FAQ
Will hosta survive winter in pots?
You’ll need to either shelter your hostas in pots in the garden over the winter, or bring them into an unheated garden shed or garage.
Can I leave perennials in pots over winter?
Annuals grown in containers are discarded at the end of the season, but many potted perennials, shrubs and small trees can be maintained over the winter if steps are taken to protect the plants and their containers. The more cold-hardy the plants, the more likely you are to succeed in keeping them alive.
Do hostas do well in containers?
Small varieties of hostas work excellent in containers. Whirlwind works great, but there are other varieties as well. Some popular options are Blue Mouse Ears, Tiny Tears, or Cracker Crumbs. Dragon Tails and Baby Bunting hostas are also elegant.