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josephines67

Leap year for BME

This is a picture of BME in 2013. I've had it since 2008. It is in its 6th year this season and in what I consider to be a significant LEAP year.

Some of you may recall this newbie pondering whether or not to divide BME for no other purpose than to have more BME's last July/Aug. I did go ahead and ended up with 4 divisions as they separated themselves so easily.

Least year it produced 11 pips and 9 perfectly proportioned flower scapes (see photo). Are you ready??? ... ... ... This year ... "wait for it" ... ... this year the pots contain 14, 8, 6, and 4 pips respectively - for a grand total of 32 pips! I think that is a tremendous leap in one year, don't you? It may still be producing pips as I type!! Hmm, is there something significant about the coincidence of even numbers? Interesting. It is always more pleasing to the eye when they grow in multiples of 3 (per pot) but I am not disturbing these little Mice! :-) --- yet.

I think the dividing and potting up (don't mean up-potting) had a significant role in this huge increase. (It grew in the ground previously.) It was obviously happier in a soilless growing medium and snuggled in a small pot! - in only Miracle Grow - no other amendments.

Aside: I now use my own mix and will be repotting those hostas destined to continue in pots for the rest of the year. My mix came about as a result of numerous excellent responses to my recent thread seeking advice on potted hostas.

Would anyone care to comment on this phenomenal growth? I am obviously very happy.

This, and Holy Mouse Ears are the easiest minis to grow! If you don't yet own one, why ever not? It is absolute perfection! I've never "pampered" it and ignored written advice to let it grow in a pot until it gets established. It grew fairly well despite me, lol! But not as well as this.

Esther, you just got one and have lots to look forward to with yours. Bkay you also have a huge beauty in a pot.

Well, there are a couple of things I touched upon here. Looking forward to some dialogue folks!

Jo

Comments (17)

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    It is difficult to clearly see the very dark purple noses here but here's a pic anyway. The BME's will be keeping each other company within a larger pot but remain hidden inside these. I'll post an updated picture sometime. :-)

    Jo

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Boy but this board is jumping! I post a thread, add another pic and just like that I end up number 8! That'll teach me to leave it alone if I want it to capture attention, lol.

  • hostahosta
    9 years ago

    Jo: Very nice BME. My first one (2011, I think) went from ground to pot in 2012 and was putting on some size last year. After the winter I think it may be gone. I see/feel tiny little eyes, but it'n not really doing anything. Luckily, I bought a second one last year, just because it looked really nice. It's in the ground and coming up just fine with 8 eyes. Hope it grows like yours has in the next couple of years.

  • hosta_freak
    9 years ago

    I have BME,and I did have Frosted Mouse Ears,until this year,when it failed to return. I know you all like them mini hostas,but they are pathetic growers here,and I won't buy another one. Just too little to keep among my'land of the giants'. Phil

  • santamiller
    9 years ago

    That's a beauty!

  • User
    9 years ago

    When Blue Mouse Ears blooms, the plant looks like a nosegay....an old fashioned bouquet of fragrant items to keep the odor of unwashed bodies from overwhelming polite society. Honestly, back in the day of Charles Dickens and even polite Miss Austen. So I love the look of your BME in bloom.

    However, I do not have a BME. The only mouse I have is Snow Mouse. I really like it. I'll wait to get the BME until maybe next year, when I have some small hosta management issues resolved. I just repotted all of mine after squirrels messed up every mini pot.

    Jo, reckon there is something to scuffing up the roots, like you might have done separating the big root mass into four pieces? When I repot things, I rough them up a bit, not damage them, just make sure they appreciate being alive after it is all over! :)

    Here's the bowl of small/mini hosta which contains Snow Mouse. That's Oze on the left side, it lost its white/cream variegation. It's so ugly that not even the squirrels messed with it. But it grows.

    The other greenie is Marquis

  • bkay2000
    9 years ago

    Jo, I had a nice story all typed up and went out to take a photo and the electricity went off. I got photos, though.

    bk

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hosta hosta, I'm sure your Blue Mouse Ears will take off, having 8 eyes already in year two. Wow. When I first bought mine it cost $25+ tax for a tiny eye! maybe had 3 leaves, but SO darn cute I just had to have it.

    I understand, Phil - but I am sorry you lost your Frosted ME just the same. Like the reference to your "land of the giants", really appropriate, lol...space is at a premium here so the last year or more I've added several minis and smalls. Then I "needed" some biggies, and on and on it goes, lol.

    Thank you, Santa and Mocc! Mocc, I remember your nose gay description because it suited it so :-). Thanks for the pic! Yes, when I was dividing, "try a little tenderness" wasn't in the script! That is one cute but tough little hosta.
    I really think it was grateful for a change in growing conditions.

    Bkay, I'm so glad you were able to post your pic because yours is the biggest BME I think I've seen. I remember it was so big it looked like it was climbing out of the pot last year - looks like you've divided it some. I hope Esther sees it! :-). Sorry about your power outage ... so inconvenient ... I/we missed a good story no doubt!

    Thank you for looking, and reading and sharing, All.

    Jo

  • bkay2000
    9 years ago

    Jo, either you have me mixed up with someone else, or that was when I was trying to figure out which was the Blue Cadet and which is the BME. When Cleo mauled them, I just put blue pieces together in pots as I could not tell what was what. Blue Cadet is on the left with some BME in the pot. Since BME is a sport of Blue Cadet, they are very similar.

    bk

  • newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
    9 years ago

    I remember seeing a photo of your BME last year. It was so pretty---I said I want mine to look like Jo's!

    So you are saying you divided your 11 pip hosta into four and now have pots with 14, 8, 6 and 4 eyes! That is unbelievable. You lucked out. I'm envious! LOL

    I purchased two Blue Mouse Ears in 2012. One had two eyes and the other three. Last year that didn't really change. This year I am crossing my fingers that there will be more than the three eyes I see at present!

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I remember that post! I posted on it too as I had both BC and BME..Mocc may have posted too saying how Banyais Dancing Girl also resembled BC...or something to that effect...about it almost looking like a twin...I read lots of posts. I could swear it was your potted BME I was referring to - perhaps subliminally I was associating all gorgeously grown container plants with you...which started with So Sweet.

    Perhaps it was Babka's? Whoever is the owner, it is a superb specimen of BME. I should be more careful assigning credit - I would not want to slight anyone.

  • User
    9 years ago

    Jo, I remember that picture, which looks so much like yours, but was fuller perhaps, more blooms, but it could have been yours before quartering it. I loved it. Yes, and there was discussion about BME and BCadet, and then Banyai's Dancing Girl.....which I really admire. What's not to like about something that looks good and is cheap to buy and multiplies nicely. The smalls are some of the most versatile hostas around.

    I know if the picture that we speak of is still up, you will find it, Jo. You are the Search Queen around here. Speaking of slighting anyone, with all the posts flying fast and furious, it is easy to get confused by who put the picture up. Your sensitivity to the feelings of others is a hallmark of your posts on the forum. I appreciate your kindness, Jo.

    I found one thread which shows the Blue Cadet pictures of MBug in 2012. Not the main thread, but I recall that particular BC because it inspired me to order it! Perhaps it was MBug or she might know who had the BME that was so exceptional in bloom.

    Here is a link that might be useful: BME and BlueCadet short thread

  • Babka NorCal 9b
    9 years ago

    As BME matures the leaves get a lot rounder. They are much thicker and rounder than Blue Cadet. I've noticed that most of the mice start out with longer leaves...but then a lot of immature hosta leaves are like that too. My favorite and fasted growing mouse is Mighty Mouse, who is has smaller leaves. In fact I find all the BME variegated sports have smaller leaves than BME. Well, except for Dancing Mouse which is really getting big leaves. Hallson's has Flamenco Mouse that is brand new for me this year so I will be able to compare it with Dancing Mouse as it grows.

    -Babka

    The deck boards are 6" so you can see this is not a mini hosta ala Pandora or Cat's Eye.

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    BINGO! It was Babka's! I haven't looked lately but if this picture above isn't in the hosta library, it certainly should be! Her pictures are no longer available but the text is there....where she indicates how huge hers has gotten! There are great pics on this thread (link provided).

    Mocc, I appreciate your kind words. :-). I looked into your link which was from 2012 (before my time). Such amazing photos!

    NHL, it took 5 years to accumulate 11 eyes in the ground. You will definitely have a faster growth rate based on multiple eye count to start.

    Here is a link that might be useful: July, 2013 thread on BME

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    And here is the Blooming Mouse Parade link - meant to enable, of course. Lol. Amazing Mouse series photos.

    Jo

    Here is a link that might be useful: Blooming Mouse Parade thread July/13

  • don_in_colorado
    9 years ago

    Great pics of a nice (little?) plant, everyone. I was looking forward to maybe seeing some of those scapes on my BME this season, but my BME is suffering from...what's the technical term...Death! : (

    Don B.

  • paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
    9 years ago

    I can't wait until my 'Mini Skirt' leafs out! My hosta, of course :)