Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Hosta 'Paul Revere' (Hosta 'Paul Revere')— schedule & NPK
Also called Paul Revere hosta.
More about hosta 'paul revere'
About Hosta 'Paul Revere'
Hosta 'Paul Revere' · also called Paul Revere hosta · flowering
Hosta 'Paul Revere' is a medium-sized shade perennial featuring dark green leaves with a broad, creamy-white margin and a distinctive, corrugated texture. It produces tall scapes of pale lavender flowers in midsummer and forms an attractive, structured clump in shaded borders. Toxic to dogs and cats.
Growth habit: Clump-forming herbaceous perennial
Watch for — Leaf margin scorch: Cream margins burn easily in direct sun or dry winds. Maintain adequate shade and soil moisture.
What fertiliser hosta 'paul revere' actually wants — and why
Hosta 'Paul Revere' is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for hosta 'paul revere': match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed hosta 'paul revere', and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For hosta 'paul revere':
Apply a balanced slow-release granular fertiliser in early spring. Supplement with a dilute balanced liquid feed monthly through summer. Avoid high-nitrogen formulas; moderate feeding supports healthy corrugated leaves without excessive soft growth. Treat that as monthly between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when hosta 'paul revere' is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for hosta 'paul revere'
Half strength is the safe default for hosta 'paul revere' — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water hosta 'paul revere' first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the hosta 'paul revere' watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding hosta 'paul revere'
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for hosta 'paul revere':
- Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering.
- A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim.
- Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops.
- Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered.
Signs you are under-feeding hosta 'paul revere'
- Uniformly pale or yellow-green leaves, oldest first.
- Noticeably small new leaves and stalled growth in good light and season.
- A generally tired, lacklustre look despite correct watering and light.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full hosta 'paul revere' care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush the pot of hosta 'paul revere' with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for hosta 'paul revere'
Organic options
A diluted seaweed or worm-casting feed, or fish emulsion if you can tolerate the smell indoors. UK: Westland or Baby Bio Organic, dilute seaweed; US: Espoma Indoor! or Neptune's Harvest fish & seaweed. Slow, gentle and hard to overdo.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A general-purpose houseplant liquid at half strength — UK: Baby Bio, Westland Houseplant Feed or Phostrogen; US: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food or Schultz. Convenient and fast-acting; the only risk is overdoing it.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising hosta 'paul revere' — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does hosta 'paul revere' need?
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula. Hosta 'Paul Revere' is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
How often should I feed hosta 'paul revere'?
Apply a balanced slow-release granular fertiliser in early spring. Supplement with a dilute balanced liquid feed monthly through summer. Avoid high-nitrogen formulas; moderate feeding supports healthy corrugated leaves without excessive soft growth. Apply a balanced slow-release granular fertiliser in early spring. Supplement with a dilute balanced liquid feed monthly through summer. Avoid high-nitrogen formulas; moderate feeding supports healthy corrugated leaves without excessive soft growth. Treat that as monthly between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
What strength of feed for hosta 'paul revere'?
Half strength is the safe default for hosta 'paul revere' — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
What does over-feeding hosta 'paul revere' look like?
Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering. A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim. Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops. Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered. Feeding hosta 'paul revere' year-round on a fixed schedule, including dark winter months, is the most common mistake — it cannot use the nutrients in low light and the surplus simply burns the roots and crusts the soil.
Should I flush the soil of hosta 'paul revere'?
Flush the pot of hosta 'paul revere' with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Keep reading
- Hosta 'Paul Revere' care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water hosta 'paul revere' — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise grey sage
- How to fertilise wild senna
- How to fertilise partridge pea
- All 11687 fertilising guides in the Growli library