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Happy Pip Day!

After my previous message about this cold winter and the hosta mortality rate, I am happy to report that in the space of 2 days some plants have come alive! Some of them are in the ground, some are in pots that are in the ground and some are in pots that were in the garage that I took out last week. The garage ones went away in October and I did not water them, I put them on shelves and basically forgot about them - well not really; I could never forget about my hostas.

Perhaps some folks are interested in where the plants were over the winter with regards to their survival; so in the ground will be 'G', in a pot in the ground will be 'PG' and in a pot in the garage will be (Gar).

The survival list thus far is as follows:
Abiqua Drinking Gourd Gar
August Moon G
Blue Angel G
Blue Mouse Ears G
Bright Lights Gar
Brim Cup PG
Cameo G
Capt Kirk G
Chartreuse Wiggles G
Cherry Berry PG
Clear Fork River Valley G
Dream Weaver PG
El Nino Gar
Emerald Necklace G
Fantasy Island PG
Fire and Ice G
First Frost G
Fragrant Bouquet G
Francee G
Frances Williams G
George Smith PG
Gold Drop G
Great Expectations G
Guacamole G
Halcyon G
Hanky Panky G
Hyuga Urajiro PG
Inniswood Gar
Irish Luck Gar
Kiwi Full Monty PG
LS Beach Capt G
LS Cha Cha G
LS Dragonfly Gar
LS Kaleidoscope PG
Liberty G
Little Aurora G (this is in a volcanic rock planter sitting on top of the ground)
Little Red Rooster
Little Sunspot (Volcanic Rock as above)
Loyalist PG
Love Pat PG
Marilyn Monroe G
montana 'Aureomarginata' PG
Pineapple UDC G
Praying Hands PG
Rainforest Sunrise G
Ripple Effect PG
Silver Bay PG
Singing In The Rain G
So Sweet G
Stiletto G
Striptease G
Sum of All PG
Tokudama flavocircinalis G
Twilight PG
Twist of Lime G
Wheee! G
Wolverine G

So many are in PG because I have run out of space.

btw - I had so much fun preparing this list like the true hosta geek that I am! Now i have to wait to see what the other 47 do, fingers crossed :)

Comments (10)

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago

    Fantastic! Enjoyed going over your list of hostas, fellow hosta-geek! Things are happening on the Canuck side and we can get down off the bleachers where we've been impatiently waiting. Happy, happy Paula! :-)

    I'm doing another round tomorrow - BME has just the cutest and fattest buds - reminds me of Fat Albert!

    Cheers all around!

  • newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
    9 years ago

    So far it looks like you are on a roll now and will soon have all your hostas awake! I am impressed with your list and your organization. I think I need to step it up!

    I am in Ontario, zone 6b. I overwintered my hosta pots in the garage, a window well and some were buried into the ground. I also have some hostas in ground. Two thirds of my pots have begun to grow, but only the undulata variegata and Blue Mouse Ears in the garden are showing eyes---no Liberty, no Earth Angel, no June, no Atlantis etc. are emerging as yet. I am hoping that they will appear soon, but the ground must still be cold. I worry the soil is too wet (from all that snow) and they may experience some root rot.

    I wonder how you determined whether your hosta pot would go in the ground or in the garage?

    Anyways, I am happy for you, and I hope your other 47 will be up soon. It sure is exciting to see our hostas come alive again!

  • paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Josephine, I appreciate you being excited for me :)

    The hostas where the soil is still wet aren't up yet, so like you, I am waiting and hoping that there isn't any root rot.

    Regarding which hostas go where - the ones in the ceramic pots that would crack over the winter go in the garage and the ones in the black nursery pots are buried in the ground. The black nursery pot hostas are the newer ones that I didn't/don't have space for.

    I buried them in the garden where my tomato plants were. They happen to be in my front yard as it is the only place with full day sun! At least I bought fancy coloured tomato cages because they are in the front. lol

  • josephines167 z5 ON Canada
    9 years ago

    Hi, NHL - I don't think you need to worry about the planted ones. If mine keep coming back year after year in their very soppy environment, yours will surely be just fine. Have you lost any in the ground before?

    Jo

  • newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
    9 years ago

    Hi Jo - I have never lost a hosta in the ground before, but I have never had as many hostas in the ground as I do now! It makes me feel a bit better knowing that your hostas have emerged in your "soppy" environment! LOL

    I don't have any hostas in ceramic pots as you have Paula---your hostas must look lovely in those pots. I put my most loved hostas in the garage to overwinter. I am still experimenting with overwintering in the window well, but it seems like it works.

  • User
    9 years ago

    It is great to hear the happy chatter coming from the top row of the stadium up in Ontario! Keep it up, those of us here in the cheap seats are pleased to have a two way dialogue about this year's hosta!

    If there are pips, can pictures be far behind!

  • hostahosta
    9 years ago

    Can you describe how you "bury" your potted hosta in the ground. Do you mean pot and all? As you might have read in a different thread I posted, I lost most of my potted hosta this past year. I don't have inside (garage space) for them. Don't really have a place to bury them either.

  • paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Moccasin, I like the term 'happy chatter'.

    I dig a hole and put the black nursery pots with the hosta in them, in the ground as though planting the hosta. Each pot has its own hole. It is important to make sure the top is level with the surrounding earth so water doesn't sit in it. I put earth on top after it is dormant, and in the spring I cut the side to make sure water doesn't sit. Make sure it the surrounding earth is up tight to the pot - like I said, just like planting a hosta.

    Close to when you are expecting them to emerge which was this week for me, I take off the extra dirt to last years level. It was easy to tell where this was because there were leaves, maple keys, etc. there from last fall.

    Their roots are well insulated and protected from the foul winter weather. I do this with all sizes from little ones to 5 gallon ones and so far, so good. The first year wasn't very good but once I learned that they don't like to sit in water all has been fine since and I have five or so winters under my belt.

  • User
    9 years ago

    PaulaB, I saw your picture standing in a field of rocks, and I know you are a lot younger than I am.....in fact I noticed that in about a fraction of a second. hehehehe So when you are telling me about all the stuff you must go through to keep your hosta through the winter in pots and in the ground,.....

    .....lady, I am totally impressed. You go, girl! Never say never.You are awesome. But, that being said,

    I am extremely thankful that I was born raised and chose to stay (and garden) in a place that does not know what soil freezing is all about. Don't know if faced with the same circumstances what my alternate solution to your pot in ground method.....but I'm all for the "grandma alternate."

  • paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you, Moccasin, you are such a positive, happy person! Spread the cheer :)