Hostas, by Robert Barlow
April 29 2026, Monthly Speaker.
Members and visitors packed the Hermitage meeting room to hear expert Robert Barlow speak about the cultivation, care and propagation of hostas.
Some 46 of us listened to a lengthy talk by Robert who has been growing hostas for 20 years at his base in Endon, Staffordshire. He has 4,000 plants in stock.
Hostas are perennials originating from countries such as Korea, eastern Russia and eastern Asia, and were first recorded in Japan in the eighth century.
Robert is in good company after he was awarded a Plant Heritage National Collection status in 2018, for His Majesty the King holds a national collection too at his home at Highgrove.
As collectors and horticulturalists developed the species, so the demand for different varieties grew. There are miniature hostas for those with small gardens and giants growing 5 foot tall with an 8-foot spread.
They favour shady spots and are popular for their rich and diverse foliage.
Hostas like a fertile, heavier soil with some shade and shelter from the wind. Robert recommended growing them in ericaceous compost with added sharp sand with mulching recommended around the crown.
Propagation is commonly by division in the early spring (after the frosts) or autumn (before the frosts return). He grows all his hostas in pots so there’s more control of the dreaded slugs and snails which love to eat the leaves.
And he has a good tip on watering. He said it was best to water them first thing in the morning rather than in the evening. Dusk watering encourages damp areas for those predators to linger and enjoy a late-night snack on the hosta leaves.
Advice on dealing with garden pests included keeping the garden tidy, removing dead vegetation and reducing the number of area where slugs and snails can hibernate in the winter. This includes keeping hostas away from dry stone walls and log piles.
Natural predators are sadly becoming rarer in our gardens. They include song thrushes, hedgehogs and toads.
He has a long list of other techniques to keep off the snails and slugs – putting down beer traps (or sugar solution), egg shells, stone chippings, teabags and coffee grounds, garlic water or wet newspaper.
Modern-day slug pellets are often safe for other wildlife. Vaseline and WD40 can work too but make Robert urged us all to check we did not have any tiny slugs within the pots first.
A comprehensive presentation from Robert, who runs his nursery North Staffordshire Hostas with his wife Margaret. They have open days planned for Saturday, May 9 and Saturday, June 20 this year. All are welcome.