When it arrives
Your plug tray
Plant 20-cell plugs straight into the garden or a 1-gallon pot; pot 72-cell plugs into 4-inch pots to bulk up first. Keep in shade and evenly moist. Plugs take 3–5 years to show mature leaf size.
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Forecasts can change. We check destination weather again before live plants leave the farm. Non-plant lavender goods continue shipping normally.

Real dishes from our Field Notes recipes, shared by the people who made them.
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Lavender companion · grow guide
Hosta · Hosta
Hostas want shade to part shade and rich, moist, well-drained soil. Blue and big-leaved types (like H. sieboldiana) need the most shade; many gold and fragrant types tolerate more sun.
Check my zone & planting dates
Part shadeLight
Moderate waterAverage drainage
pH 5.5–7.0Soil
Zones 3a–9bHardiness
30″ tall36″ wide
SusceptibleDeer · rabbits susceptible
Toxic to petsPets
Huckleberry saysTell me where you grow and I’ll check if Coast to Coast will thrive there.
Hardy in zones 3a–9b
Spring through early fall; spring as eyes emerge is easiest.
Your year with Coast to Coast
When it arrives
Plant 20-cell plugs straight into the garden or a 1-gallon pot; pot 72-cell plugs into 4-inch pots to bulk up first. Keep in shade and evenly moist. Plugs take 3–5 years to show mature leaf size.
Spring through early fall; spring as eyes emerge is easiest.
Set the crown (where roots meet shoots) even with the soil surface. Plants from pots go at the same depth they grew.
By mature size: minis 6–12 inches; medium 2 feet; giants 3–5 feet.
Rich, loamy, high in organic matter · pH 5.5–7.0
Fix-it tip: Mix in compost, composted manure or leaves. In clay, raise the planting area slightly so crowns don't sit wet over winter.
Part shade (tolerates full shade; morning sun).
Blue-leaved types keep their color best in shade. Gold types brighten with some morning sun; most scorch in hot afternoon sun.
Don’t give up on it
Pointed shoots (eyes) push up in mid to late spring, later than many perennials, and unfurl over a couple of weeks. Small plants may stay dormant until May; a firm crown is alive.
Watch for eyes; start slug control early.
Water deeply; flowers on tall stalks.
Cut down collapsed foliage after frost.
Dormant underground; light mulch after freeze.
First season: Water deeply 1–2 times a week the first season.
After that: About 1 inch per week; water deeply and less often, especially under thirsty trees.
Spread compost in spring; a balanced slow-release fertilizer in early spring if growth is weak.
Cut flower stalks after bloom if you don't want seed. Remove foliage after it collapses in fall to reduce slug eggs and disease.
Divide in spring as eyes emerge, every 4+ years or when crowded. Not required for health.
Very cold hardy. Needs winter cold for dormancy; mulch after the ground freezes and pull mulch off the crown in spring.
Handles heat in shade with water; leaves scorch in hot sun or drought.
Ragged holes in leavesLikely cause: Slugs or snails
What to do: Remove debris, trap, or use iron phosphate bait in spring
Leaves eaten off overnightLikely cause: Deer
What to do: Use fencing or repellents
Mottled, streaked, puckered leavesLikely cause: Hosta virus X
What to do: Remove and destroy the plant; clean tools
Brown streaks between leaf veins late summerLikely cause: Foliar nematodes
What to do: Remove affected leaves; water at the soil, not over leaves
Bleached or scorched leavesLikely cause: Too much sun
What to do: Move to more shade
Brown, crispy leaf edges and limp leaves mean too dry or too sunny; yellow leaves with rotting stems at the crown mean waterlogged soil.
ASPCA: toxic to dogs, cats and horses (saponins); can cause vomiting, diarrhea and depression.
Deer: susceptible · Rabbits: susceptible
Finnegan saysStill not sure what’s wrong? Ask Plant Health — describe it or add a photo.
Good in pots · 2 gallon+
Great in pots; match pot to mature size. Move pots to a sheltered, unheated spot over winter.
Outdoor plant
Needs a cold winter dormancy to return; does not grow as a houseplant.
Needs a cold winter
Hostas need a winter cold dormancy to regrow well in spring.
Plugs from the tray
3–4 inch pots for 3–5 weeks, until roots hold the soil
Garden bed or a 2 gallon potTime to move up? Slide the plant out: if white roots wrap the outside of the soil, it’s ready for the next size.
Planting with lavender
Give it its own spot
Grow hostas in a shady, moist bed away from lavender. They need opposite conditions: shade and rich, damp soil versus lavender's dry, sunny bed.
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Great Lakes Lavender Farm
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