Should You Prune Hostas In The Fall? Here's What We Know

Hostas are a popular addition to shade gardens, with broad leaves and lovely flowers that can attract hummingbirds. While they aren't native to the U.S., they're also not considered invasive, and they tend to spread slowly. A hosta's foliage is normally green, cream, or golden, but in late fall to early winter, they turn brown and pale yellow, withering and dying back. The plant will grow new leaves in spring, and the old ones can be removed. The question then is when you should cut them back? Should you prune your hostas in fall, or wait until spring?

While there are plenty of plants that shouldn't be pruned in fall, hostas aren't one of them. Once the leaves have faded, you can cut the plant back nearly to the ground. Leave a few inches of stem so that you don't lose track of where your hosta is planted. Be sure to use clean shears to prune your plant to avoid spreading diseases. If some of the leaves start dying before the others, you can cut it back in stages by removing only the dead foliage. This will let you enjoy your hosta for longer, although it might look a bit lopsided until the rest of the leaves fade. You can prune your plant throughout fall and into winter, depending on if you want to cut it a little at a time or wait for it to die back completely.

Hostas typically only need to be pruned at the end of the growing season, but there are other reasons you might want to trim them. They're usually grown for their foliage, and some gardeners prefer to cut damaged leaves off their plants to keep them looking nice and neat. Crispy brown leaves caused by too much sun are often best removed, as they won't heal and aren't doing your plant any good. Leaves damaged by other things may not need to be cut back, but they can be if you prefer.

Deer are a common source of broken hosta leaves, as they're a popular snack for them. You can try these tricks to protect your hostas from deer, but if you end up with some munched leaves anyways, you have the option to cut them off or leave them. The same goes for damage caused by snails, slugs, or hail. If most of the leaf is intact, it can be left on the plant or removed. If most of the leaf is gone, it might be better to prune it away to make room for new leaves. However, if the plant is dying due to a virus, such as Hosta Virus X, then the entire hosta needs to be removed, roots and all, to prevent the disease from spreading to other nearby plants.