Hostas can be left alone to survive without any fertilizing amendments. But, to really have a fantastic hosta clump it pays to prepare the site properly and give it the extra nutrients that it needs to really flourish!

Top dress three or four time a season with a water soluble fertilizer (20-20-20). Be careful not to fertilize after the middle of August because (many hosta growers believe) it could affect the hardening off of the hosta in the fall ( to much tender young growth). A tip on fertilization from Bob Solberg is that if the second flush of leaves do not get to full size you are under fertilizing. If the second flush of leaves don't reach full size they draw more stored energy from the crown than they produce and it will take longer to grow large hosta crowns.

Please see also on this site the following related pages:

• Fertilizing - My Pages

• Major Natural Sources of One Element, The first chart shows some NPK percentage comparisons of various elements and rates of applications. The second chart shows nutrient deficiency symptoms.
• Nematode Control and Integrated Pest Management

Organic Gardening Web-References: