I've been working at a nursery for 30 years, Missouri Nurseryman and Master Gardener, and have never heard the term advanced starters. We call them liners when they are grown for repotting in the spring, or just bare root stock when they come in big bags all bundled together in batches of 25 with peat moss. Some bare root stock may have as many as 6 eyes, or as few as one. Usually bare root stock is field grown, dug and washed for shipping.

Liners usually come growing in trays of 10-30 plants and are usually two or three yr old plants that will get to an acceptable size for retail selling. Not mature, but pretty big. Bare root stock may be anywhere from 3-4 yrs old already. Sometimes liners are washed and shipped bare root also.

Tissue culture plants are usually smaller and are sold at about 2 yrs old, sometimes in liners and sometimes bare root. Not all hostas sold at nurseries are TC. many are divisions. And not all hostas will grow from tissue culturing. Many new cultivars are tissue culture only, unless you get originator stock, which is usually more expensive and are divisions. Tissue culture gets a lot of plants quickly, whereas waiting for plants to get big enough for divisions takes a long time.

By the time they get to Walmart or a big box store, the wholesale grower has potted the liners (or plugs, which is a term for small starter plants) in gallon (or quart) size pots and grown them on for a year (or less) before they are shipped. Which is why, sometimes when you buy one and take it out of the pot to be planted, you find that the plant itself is a small plant in a big pot.

There is a lot to learn! And just as you think you have learned a lot, you find out there is way more to learn. That's what makes it fun!

Sandy

This is the link I got the "terms" from. I found it helpful because it had pictures to compare to as well. This is what I meant by that. I just wanted to make sure they were on track and know how old they really are is all. It answered that and more.

Here is a link that might be useful: hosta growth

Ah! Hostas Direct. Good plants, but usually small. Interesting site tho, lots of information. I think the terms they are using are their own marketing terms.

I think you are already familiar with the hosta library, but there is a lot more information in there besides the pretty pictures that will give you a good understanding about them if you click on the various links. Maybe more than you really want to know, lol! Stay away from the link to Jim's Hostas. He has over 2700 varieties for sale and few of us have the time and/or money for that!

Sandy

I never came across Jims hostas but I was researching the growth of hostas. They all said the same thing pretty much, that my "babies" are right on track and perfectly normal and healthy. That's all I wanted to know! I had no idea they're possibly 3-4 years old at this point though. That was something interesting. Hosta direct was really the only one that had comparison pictures so it helped me to "visualize" it better is all.

I'm not going to order from there. Still going to try to make it to Hilltop Farms or Springfield before it closes for the season. If I do order online, I have some other places in mind. Not Jims hostas. LOL!!

Questions answered and I am satisfied. LOL!! But, I do look forward to next year!