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thisismelissa

Do you grow 'Gentle Giant' ?

thisismelissa
12 years ago

I have 'Gentle Giant' coming this week.

And I'm making plans for what hostas are going to move into the new front bed. So since this one is listed on the Sun Tolerant Hosta List, I would like to consider it. I've determined the bed gets direct sun til 9am, dappled sun 9am-11am, full sun 11am-3pm and shade from there.

So, if you grow it, how much sun do you have it in? any scorch?

how well does it retain its blue?

has it been a fast grower?

Comments (7)

  • aahostas
    12 years ago

    this,
    I have been growing it for two years now.This year it has began to hold its leaves more upright and the leaves are much larger...I wouldn't call it blue, more like a waxy medium green color. Mine gets around 4 hours of morning sun and maybe two hours of pm sun. I haven't noticed any burning so far. It is supposed to get very large and appears to grow a little faster than E. Wu.I had the space and loved the name. Always room for another big green monster!

    Denny

  • aka_margo
    12 years ago

    This is my second year with Gentle Giant. I would say that mine gets sun at least half of the day, and there is no scorch on it at all. As you can see mine stays pretty blue.
    Jen

  • thisismelissa
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I planted mine in full sun back in June and it looks fantastic. I can't wait for it to grow up!

  • Gesila
    12 years ago

    Great Melissa, I just got mine and need some green to go with all the golds and sum and sumstance sports I have in my sunny bed. Sounds like Gentle Giant is a go.

    Gesila

  • patty_sue
    9 years ago

    I have (2) Gentle Giant. The first I got directly from the hybridizer and purchased a cutting from his original stock (OS). It was expensive. I've had this one for three years now. The first spring only (2) small leaves came up and was somewhat disappointed. The second spring (4) leaves came up. Thank heaven I have enough other hosta to tend to so I just left it alone and put it to the back of my mind. The third spring (this year) (8) leaves came up and all of a sudden, with the very heavy rains that we got in Minnesota this spring, it literally exploded. It is now over 2 feet tall and I have at least (16) stems/leafs and I have to start moving other hosta out of it's way.
    The biggest and most important thing to do is dig a giant deep hole and amend the soil a lot for this plant because you won't be able to make it any bigger once yours takes off.

    My second Gentle Giant was not an OS. I purchased this one from the annual online hosta auction in January. Being one year younger than my first one, it is about 1/2 to 1/3 the size of the OS. But our heavy rains this year aided in it's growth.

    It does tolerate sun. My OS gets direct sun from about 2pm daily.

  • thisismelissa
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Well, nothing like a thread of yours being revived after 3 years!

    I got GG in 2011. She took her leap this year and is really getting tall and lots of leaves.

  • in ny zone5
    9 years ago

    I just planted mine today which I got from LOTG a month ago and had growing in a pot. It is in a spot where I removed a large fungusy hosta (Elegans). I removed a lot of soil, put a liner in and gave it fresh soil. It is not in direct sun, should become an attention getter as the 'Elegans' was. With placing hostas in direct sun comes also watching that you give them extra water all the time, and I might miss occasionally. Bernd