I would love to have a GE that got bigger in 3 years. You, my dear, are not cursed...lucky you.

-Babka

PS. I am on my 4th GE. Too many years trying to grow this one.

This post was edited by Babka on Sun, May 18, 14 at 22:30

I just bought my "annual" GE a couple of weeks ago.
I like it enough to replace every year or two.
That's about the only way we can have them here around Memphis.

This is the sixth summer for mine. I am not sure how it is doing this year as I am still patiently (somewhat) waiting for it to show its leaves.
{{gwi:1009697}}

Got this one in 2012, so this would make it the third season in my garden. It's looking pretty good, but it's not gotten much bigger at all, so I figure I'd better enjoy it now, because I think it's gonna die.

GE law of averages.

Don B.

Here is mine taking over the bed. I loss tag but everyone agreed they thought it was GE.

After 15 years I still using mine as an edger and it has 5 eyes this year. I love it otherwise I would have sent it to the neighbors gulley to be used as landfill. Fried Green Tomatoes is going there as soon as I can get it dug up.

Congrats and enjoy!

I realize that GE is hard to grow in warmer zones. I have also heard it doesn't like to move.

I THINK that many times it is killed with kindness. The two I have are both doing well. The only difference between the two is the one I keep showing is the one I stepped on. I have never fertilized them, never nipped off dead leaves, never pampered them in any way except some mulch now and then.

My advice (for what its worth); half day of sun in zone 6 (in the morning, if possible), adjust up for lower zone, down for higher zone; don't feed it, water it only when really dry and only occasionally look at it. Any moving, pampering, forcing with food, water and excessive dotage will kill it.

Jon

Here is the smaller of my two. Large rain and sunny days have brought this one to life. It was much smaller a few days ago. Not taking its picture at the time probably helped it along as well.

Don, I suspect you have that one planted on a rock.

This post was edited by jonnyb023 on Mon, May 19, 14 at 9:56

Paula, those pips are amazing in size - can't wait to see it when it's all unfurled!!!

Don, no buddy, no! Just walk up to it, stare into that gorgeous centre and say "grow you beauty grow" and get on with your day. It helps if you touch it as you speak! Lol

Go, Tim, go! I think GE favours zone 5 - I've been mentally tracking success stories on GE and it seems to do better in colder climates.

Johnny, I tend to agree with you as I have always sited my GE in morning sun...it takes sun from sunrise till 1:30 or so which is quite a bit. Since the hottest part of the day is 11:00-2:00 I am quite happy with its resilience. Granted, it's appearance is quite a bit lighter overall in terms of colour and not as dramatic as those grown in more shade, but I won't split hairs - it is downright drop-dead gorgeous regardless of siting!

Jo

P.S. I met with NHL last week (great visit) and picked up two more GE's she found in her area. Mine is just unfurling but I wanted it to have some company and insurance is always a plus! (Optimistically pessimistic)

I've got three of them, one of which was one eye for ten years and just got its second eye this year. However, I don't grow them in a gravel road like the Winter Gardens near our lake cabin in Wisconsin does.

This is mine from May 1st,and it is much larger now. Not a big plant even after many years,but it looks good in this spot. It survived the spring freeze,because,like all sieboldiana types,it never comes up early. Phil

{{gwi:1009699}}

Don, don't talk to it, don't pet it...just get that rock out from underneath it and leave it alone. GE is the Greta Garbo ('I want to be alone' to all you youngsters) of hosta.

Jo, 6 is the lower limit for GE. They thrive on nice long dormancies and the cold.

esox, a gravel road in Wisconsin is the perfect location for a GE.

Looking good, as always, Phil.

Jon

Johnny, you slay me with the Greta Garbo thing, lol.

Nothing leafed out yet here, but 8 pips for my 4yr old GE that is in the sun, up from 4 last year...woohoo...the second one in the shade I'm sure is probably still 1 nice division after 7 years....lol.

Paul

edit....just checked, make that 3 nice division on the 7 year one.....another woohoo.

This post was edited by paul_in_mn on Tue, May 20, 14 at 17:46

Fourth year

Maybe 15 years old photo today

Nice, nice, nice.

The mature GE is something to behold!

Jon, I give my GE no special attention, BTW. (Obviously, cuz it's stll ALIVE!) ; )

So, everyone with GE's that are growing slowly, go dig out the rocks from under 'em? (Don B.

A little tongue-in-cheek, Don, but the rocks around your GE make me very suspicious. It looks so healthy and vigorous and evidently has been for years I have to just wonder.......

;o)

Jon