Hosta growth problems.

by Laura
(St. Paul, MN)

What would cause hosta to grow in a scattered pattern rather than in a clump? The centers of the plants don't seem to be emerging this year and the plants seem smaller. What can I do to fix this problem?

Doug says that it sounds as if you have a dead central core of your hosta. Some mouse/vole damage eating out the main plant but not deep enough to wipe out the root - so you get "babies" coming up around the main plant.

I'm not saying it was rodents but generally root rots take out the entire crown.

And you might want to check out whether these "sparse" plants are seedlings sprouting - totally unconnected to the mother plants but surrounding it.