Sandy and NYnic,

Welcome. I would suggest you start with the plantaginea (fragrant) family of hosta that have their origins in warmer climates. If successful with these then lighter colored hosta as Barbara suggests might be your next challenge. Should you choose to accept it.

Pots would help give you better moisture control as you will need a lot of water.

Jon

Why not give it a try. Oh, and WELCOME!

Just keep in mind that they do go dormant, and during that time you will need to tuck those pots elsewhere, so you don't have to look at pots with dirt in them when everything else is green. Also, they most likely won't get anywhere near as large as those in Chicago that you (and I) have seen.

Still, they are fun and adictive plants to grow. Why not try a few and see what happens? A fun adventure.

-Babka

Hi, Ocala! Welcome aboard the Hosta Addiction Express!

My location is just south of I-10 in near-coastal Alabama, Mobile to be exact. You have the record as far as I know of being the furthest south poster on this forum.

I'm about headed to bed at this hour, but will think about the ones I'd recommend you grow. Like JonnyB says, the fragrant flowered hosta or plantaginea family of hosta, grow the best for me, so far. But I've really been doing this only for less than two years. I LOVE what I've discovered about hosta, and I was always before that growing sub-tropical things.

Look for another Floridian to show up, Paula over in Jacksonville, who goes by the screenname Ilovetogrow. So very pleased to have you join us.

Yes you can grow them. I am headed to work but I will be back. Welcome Sandy. Great horse country out there in Ocala. Start buying pots. Paula

I can't contribute to what our hot climate pot-heads are telling you except listen to them. i also can say a hearty welcome and warn you about the addiction: though not as cutely as Teresa did with the Zoloft post-it. tee-hee

I liked that Teresa in MN. :o)

Theresa in IL
ps: Janice, I like your smiley with the cute button nose also I hope you don't mind my borrowing it.. 'T'

This makes me think of something not related to a new forum member, but it is concerning hosta in central Florida.

Okay, I looked at the membership list of the American Hosta Society and discovered another member just across Mobile Bay from us. I thought about this a bit, and a scenario came up which involves growing out tissue culture hosta and having masses of hosta ready for market at least a month earlier than the folks further north using their greenhouses to get a jump start on shipping to market. Not a nursery that sells their own product, I'm seeing this as a ripe possibility for a commercial grower located here in a milder climate, who will then ship to the (shudder) BIG BOX STORES or other nurseries whose own-grown hosta would not look as developed or vigorous that early in the season.

I guess as an amateur I am overlooking the logistics of commercial hosta marketing, but it sounds possible to me.
So. Am I naive? Or with good transportation to market, could it be profitable?

One local grower here in zone 5, started growing hosta TCs in his greenhouses around February, for sale starting in May, so growing TCs early in Florida was not required. Bernd

We once gave some Hosta to a relative by Bradenton FL. They lived for a few years, but gradually diminished to nada.

Now Bradenton is pretty much coastal, and Ocala is inland, and I know how the climate here in MI is dramatically different from the central highlands to the Big Lakes coastal lowlands, so perhaps and hopefully that will make the difference for you.

Bet ya most of us here are interested in what you find!

happy trails,

hh

I just noticed that the original post was dated June 2010. I wonder what the results were.

-Babka

OMG, Babka, are you kidding? Do I have to scroll all the way up there to read it.......and I was going to add something to what HH said about coastal and inland, air circulation, humidity, etc.

But now I'll just think about it myself a bit more.

I totally missed that babs-nice catch.
Theresa

How funny. I guess the results were not good for Sandy.

NYnic- I am assuming that you are also near Ocala? Watering is of the utmost. One has to be committed to that almost daily. Get a bubblier attachment and soak each pot good. And drainage is so vital also. It is raining in Florida today all day and sometimes torrential. Water has to drain fast. I drill extra holes in my pots to help with this. I use a mix of soil, perlite and pine fines, lots of pine fines. Did I mention the pine fines? OK. I use pots and only pots as I found I could not keep them moist enough and trouble with invading roots when they were in the ground. Keep it simple and they will grow. Watch out we will enable you. I get my pine fines where mulch is sold. Timberland is a good brand.

This post was edited by ilovetogrow on Mon, Feb 25, 13 at 20:08

I live in zone 9B, Central Florida. There is a plant called Sun Hosta or tropical hosta that is made for our area. So far I haven't had luck having them come back, but i was just told these hostas need sun, and i have the one from last year in a shady spot. the one I bought this year is in a container garden in a sunnier spot, and doing great . Now I just have to figure out where to move the hosta from last year that is just really tiny and hasn't done much this year . Is there anyone on this forum who knows a lot about tropical hostas?

1. I have not found a 'Tropical' hosta.
2. Hosta Sun Is usually sold by Wal-Mart in February. I have 2 and each is different. They have actually grown into a nice plant both.
3. Grow in pots. Do Not use anything moisture controlling as it is not good to use.
4. Drainage is of the utmost. You know what a Fla afternoon looks like. Downpours daily. I use a lot of pine fines.
5.You have to water all the time, unless a good rain and if only a couple of minutes rain? Get out there get that hose.
I have some who stay full sun till July 4. Morning sun if possible as it is softer. Afternoon shade with martini is considered best.
6. Feed. I give a MG in hose spray almost weekly. I do not over do it just a light snack.
7. I have over 200. I had to stop collecting as house renovations took over and a broken wrist. (hint: Lift pots with 2 hands) I was told they do not do well here and would not grow. I have lost 2. Treat them right and they come back. Some of my babies are 4 this year.
8. Read. Great group of people here. Glad to hear there is someone on this sand barge too. Welcome

Hi Ilovetogrow,
In my are the two best nurseries are selling this tropical sun hosta. They told me it was developed by the University of Florida for our climate. The nursery I spoke to yesterday told me to put it in the sun, get it out of the shade, but morning sun is best. ??Sure sounds like a lot of work from what you said. Wish we had more varieties. I fell in love with hostas when visiting a friend in Virginia about 10 years ago. I have not seen the hostas in lowes or home depot. I do have one in a dish garden, but have enough pots ot worry about. I really need stuff in my landscape. They won't do well in landscape?

Missylin, glad to see you on the forum.
I think the hosta is not actually "made" for the tropics, it is just tolerant more of a shorter dormancy. Because hosta should all have a dormant period below 40 degrees for about 40 days. And, the more heat tolerant among them have less chill requirements than the regular hosta.

BUT, that being said, while they are growing, I'd heartily recommend that the sun they get should be morning light. Then when they get tired in November/December, place them where your coolest spot is. And do not water them, protect them from winter rains. Otherwise, the crown will rot and not come back in the spring.

I live in Mobile, which is zone 9a now. I have about 400 (maybe a few more) hosta, and especially the plantaginea fragrant hosta do beautifully for me. The ones with morning sun stay looking fine for the whole season. The ones with afternoon sun wind up with burned or bleached out leaves. I like the yellow ones the best, along with the solid greens. I discovered that the white tends to burn off the leaves and in full shade it turns mostly green.

Your experience with the hosta is of interest to myself and several other hosta gardeners in the hotter zones. Please tell us how they winter over for you.

missylin I will not grow in this sand. Mine started sinking down in the sand as the tree roots pulled them down. It was not going to be a winning situation. To keep them watered good you loose so much to the sand as it dries out faster. Pots are the only way to go. They are actually easy to care for which is one of the reasons I have them. I have had to beg for my vendors to get hosta for me. I mail order from good and reputable companies. Addictive and you can do it here in Florida.

Hi love to grow.ammending the soil doesn't work? One nursery had tons of the tropical sun hostas but they are very large and $14. My other source doesn't have many since, maybe because they"'ll die back soon. I wanted them in my landscape, so will have to think this all over. Thanks for the sd ice. Wish we had more Florida hostas. Thanks!

Hi mocassinlandinge, the one nursery I got my first older hosta from said to put in a shady spot. my screened in porch is shady and has a roof. It did not do well there. They knew I'd want a hosta as for years I'd been asking for them. I was always told they could not be grown here. It did so so during the growing sesson, but it did not come back. Last year I planted one behind ruella. It did fine during the season. During its dormant time the ruella drew tall and I guess the hosta is getting too much shade because its tiny. Now another nursery told me they need at least 4 hours of sun, so I will have to move that hosta. It is alive but has tiny leaves and no shape. My newest hosta I have I got in June. It's in a large dish garden that has white stones on top, i guess to help with drainage. it is in an area that gets sun, but not that super much. Its on the north side of my house and It is doing well. I was told by one of the nurseries the tropical hosta is the only one we can grow regardless of whether it comes back. That no other type will take our heat that includes warm humid nights. Our nights can still be in the high seventies and super humid now. If I should not water the hosta in the winter I have a problem as it is the star of the dish garden . I bought the dish garden with a gift certificate to the nursery i received for my birthday. In the dish garden growing sort of below the hosta, is a leafy beautiful purple plant, which is trAiling. They are gorgeous together. I would need help getting it out of there and pitting it back next year. I am worried. I had visions of hostas in my garden. Now I don't know what to do. I am sad.

can someone please tell me what kind of dirt to put the hosta in that I'm taking out of the ground today. What should I put in the pot to help it drain well with the dirt. We don't have to worry about winter rains, I think. Unless they are allowed no rain at all. Winter and spring are drought months. It seldom if ever rains. Its our summer that is the rainy season. But if it does rain I can move it in the winter.

Missylin,when you pot them up, you don't use the dirt from the ground at all. In your case, since you are even further on the frontier of hosta growing than we are, I'd do what Paula (Ilovetogrow) said.

The recipe that I use is MiracleGro but NOT with "moisture control" which retains the water. You will be trying to wash away the salts and such that collect in a pot.

As for the winter, hosta will go dormant. In fact, they might even go HEAT dormant in the summer, if they get too hot. So while the nursery may tell you to keep them in sun, under no circumstances does that mean afternoon sun, which is very hard on these plants. Even Hosta 'Sun' should get only dappled morning light.

My potting mix is the MiracleGro, to which I add some of the bark fines. Bark fines is a term for well broken up pine bark that is almost composted but still looks like bark. It is smaller than what I find at Lowes labelled "mini bark nuggets" and it appears trashy to be honest! Paula mentioned a brand Timberland, but I've not found it in Mobile.

Hosta look very tropical, but they are definitely not a tropical plant. They need the coolness below 40 if possible. And the ones which thrive up north like to have at least 6 weeks of nights that are that cool. If you have a spot on the north side of your house where you can keep them (away from the outdoor heat pump unit) just plop the pots there. Keep them out of the sun, and do not give them any water once the tops die back. I imagine that would be from maybe mid December to perhaps mid February for you. When you check the pot and notice some little green pips poking through the soil, turn them upright and allow it to rain on them but don't yet begin to water them. Last winter I turned my pots on their sides to prevent rain from rotting the dormant crowns and roots. However, I lost some anyway because the squirrels (or perhaps you might have armadillos) dug them out and they dried in the air. This year I am planning to put 1/2" hardware cloth over each individual pot.

Perhaps you might consider a raised bed for some of your plants, including the hosta. If I don't have shade, I create it with a big patio umbrella. They come in handy for that, and might help keep sun and rain off the hosta during the winter. If you have only a few plants to worry about, perhaps you could place them in an unheated ventilated space where heat does not build up. This August I created my first raised bed for the hosta, which I'm testing in the ground. I put a deep layer (6-8 inches) of the mini pine bark mulch down after the soil had been dug clean of the roots. Then I put bags of the composted cow manure on top of that, about 8-10 inches after it was spread. It was fluffy, so it settled as it rained on it. I put in my hosta and topped the bed with another 3 inches of mini pine bark nuggets. I kept the bark away from the bottom of the plants. And, in my case, I liberally sprinkled the crushed hot peppers (the kind you put on pizzas and HOT) around them beneath, because the squirrels love to dig in soft soil. The pepper needs refreshing as time goes by, especially if it rains a lot.

We have a rainy winter, so tipping the pots was my approach last winter, and the winter before that. I lost a few hosta, but that can happen in any climate. I've grown hosta for only two years, so none of mine are mature YET.

There are hosta which have less need for a long and cold dormant period, but they will all go dormant as part of their nature. You might look for the ones labeled as fragrant , because they come from the plantaginea species. This species originated in the warmer parts of China (relatively speaking warmer, not tropical), and have less need of a cold period. They arise earlier, and they need the longer growing season that our climate can provide so liberally.

Do not despair. You can grow hosta. Realize, however, that you are on the far frontier of hosta culture. It is all a learn-as-you-go process. I'm sure other folks in your area buy the Hosta 'Sun' too, but you are the first to bring your questions to the forum. If you drive around your city and see a hosta, perhaps you can strike up a conversation with the gardener, ask how they deal with the winter dormancy. You might find out that they treat hosta as annuals and replant young plants from the nursery every year. They will be missing the process of the hosta maturing, and believe me, if you like your young plants, just wait until you see it show off as a mature one!

I have a Flickr photostream under the name MoccasinLanding, which you are welcome to peruse. Mostly about HOSTA, which is a passion that is all consuming. So you see how my garden is arranged for 400 POTTED HOSTA. With big umbrellas, and with tropical plants such as bananas, elephant ears, bromeliads, palms, blueberries, cannas, and ferns. It is a learning process for me, the reverse of keeping things WARM in winter, now I'm seeking COOL for the hosta.

Show us what your garden looks like, or how you want to use your hosta. Pictures are worth a thousand words.
:)

Hi Moccasinlanding,
It will be 80 during the day here well into October, maybe even November. it is still not far below 80 at night in late September. The nurseries here have a growing soil that I think is less moisture conserving than miracle grow. Should i get that. I also have a Faford (i think that's the name) potting mix. My Miracle Grow is moisture, so that's the wrong one. I also have a "100% organic Garden Soil" one local nursery sells. It says "adds texture to sand, loosens clay soil." Or I could get something else.
I have 3 shady areas. My Magnolia tree is in teh west, but under it is always shady, next I have the north side where the little hosta is, but I could move it to a less shady spot on the north, In the east, I just removed a huge clump of creeping juniper. Half of that area is under a ligustrum tree.It gets some morning sun, not a lot. Directly under the ligustrum tree it never is sunny, but this other place where the juniper was . gets different amounts of shade depending on time of day. I am going to use the sunniest part to add new daylilies.. I just went out and took photos of each area with the ipad and then remembered you can't attach pictures here but have to use stupid photobucket, and I don't remember how.. I know for certain no other kinds of hostas can survive our weather except this so called Tropical Sun hosta. Strange that the one nursery told me me they need 4 hours of morning sun and everyone here seems to be saying no. This Tropical hosta is the only one sold here at all, and few places carry it. I just noticed what will be a bloom on my "new" hosta which I got in June. It is in a dish garden in the north. It gets sun on and off there during the day, but not intense heat. My home email is lin2@cfl.rr.com if someone could please explain photo bucket to me again. I am hoping they will develope more hostas for my climate. I know they die back, but our "tropical hosta " is at least a Hosta. But I love the green ones with the big leaves.

use the GW search for PBucket info ...

of my 1500 ... about a thousand came in the mail ... as you realize.. you are not going to find them local .... and i suspect.. your local nursery peeps are NOT going to be highly educated on them ... thank the Lord you found us ...

refer to plant delight nursery.. for info on hosta in the south ...

ken

I know for certain no other kinds of hostas can survive our weather except this so called Tropical Sun hosta.

I do not know what I am going to tell these hostas. And I am in Jacksonville! I will give you the best advice: Nursery people are in business to sell. I keep both ears open to filter the junk. You are not going to find any hostas for sale. I have to ask for them and mail order the most in. Hallson is great. Green Mountain. I buy by eye and seem to be doing ok here. Relax it can be done.

Missylin, I think someone is "spoofing" you. I checked the University of Florida horticulture website and there is no information about trials of hosta or a breeding program for hosta. There were no hits on a yahoo search for "tropical sun hosta".

Hosta "Sun" or "Sunhosta" is a hosta that is a trademarked brand name that is patented by Grolink. It is a sport of hosta "So Sweet". (I can actually see no differences between the two.) It is in the trial garden at the Dallas Arboretum. Grolink is out of Oxnard California.

It's possible that the nurseries were told that story about U of F, but I found no evidence to support it. (Think a salesman might stretch the truth?) I researched the "Sun" hosta when I saw it in Dallas a couple of years ago.

It actually did hold up well in the heat. That was the year that we had so many days of over 100 temperatures and no rain. However, so does "So Sweet", it's parent plant. "So Sweet" is a hybrid of "Fragrant Bouquet" and an unknown plant. "Fragrant Bouquet" would do well for you, I'm sure, as would So Sweet. They are similar in looks, though. All mentioned are fragrant hosta.

I think you are the victim of an exaggerated sales pitch.

bk

Sun hosta at the Dallas Arboretum in August 2011

Thanks BK. this does not look exactly like our hostas, but close. These two nurseries are very honest. But maybe the one nursery was told the story by the vendor.one I believe calls tropical hosta or maybe Tropical Sun hosta.i did notice the ones on sale this year some are white on the perimeter of the leaves, and some are a light yellow on the perimeter.i think the leaves do not have the ripple effect the leaves in the photo appear to have .i will check into the others you mention, but I would like to have ones that look different .I'd love the deep green all one color rippled ones. I wrote the nursery Ken mentioned. Someone said they were from Jacksonville. I am over three hours south. There winters have many more cold days. I have not had a single freeze in 4 years.

Missy, I gave up on Photobucket when they redid their format. I use Flickr now. However, the code you must use to insert into the text of your post is the HTML code, where ever they hid it, that's what you need.

But, you can also upload one picture per post with the GWeb Image uploader.....it is right beneath the blue line which says POST A FOLLOW-UP....."Browse" and find the picture you want to share from your computer.

There is an app for the iPad and Android to directly upload from your phone or tablet direct to Flickr, I'm sure there is the same sort of thing available for Photobucket, if you wish to continue using them.

And about the fertilizer....Fafard is probably the best of the mixes. If you have access to it locally, go for it. I wish I could find it locally....

I recommend that you take a look at the hosta pictures in the Hosta Library, I'll give you the link below. You really came to the right place to get help growing hosta---although not many people have the first hand experience growing hosta under conditions that the deep south hosta must endure. However, we have access here to people who hybridize hosta, who've sold them professionally for years, who have won awards for some hosta, who do research on hosta. I realize that their years of hosta knowledge jump started my understanding of growing hosta. in south Alabama. Paula (Ilovetogrow) and I are south of I-10 and seriously growing hosta, and we are pleased to hang out here with experts and hobbyists. Even without being an expert, forum participants are always willing to tell it to you pleasantly but straight.

Don't get hung up on putting your hosta in 4 hours of sun a day. That's not the prime issue. One hour of our sun is like a day of sun in a more northerly climate. Put it out there and watch it go heat dormant. Won't kill it, but it will go to sleep to wait for a cooler location.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hosta Library

I am following this thread carefully as I have outlaws and in laws in Central Florida. I am going to be really interested in finding out how they can have some of our wonderful hostas!

hh

I love my hostas at our cabin and look forward to finding those tropical hostas to nuture in Central Florida.

Elbearss- I think the biggest problem in the warmer areas is....where do you put them when they are dormant? It is tough to grow them in the ground because they don't get the chill hours...about 6 weeks with night time temps below 40 degrees. So you will need to put them in pots.

Hostas are a big hit where everything goes dormant during winter, covered with snow...but you have to be really, really dedicated if you wish to look at bare pots during the winter months when camellias and other things are blooming. I am able to put my pots out of sight and under a tarp to keep off the winter rains.

Many considerations.

-Babka

Babka, In central Florida we can only grow the one kind I've been told. It is deciduous but does not have to be cold or below 40 degrees. Maybe that's why I'm told we can only grow this one kind called a "tropical host"

BK2000 you are very lucky. We can not grow those kinds in 9B. I just came back from a trip to New England and just loved the hostas. Only one kind can be grown here so far .. I hope they develop more.

Missylin-

Very curious...what kind would that one be? Never heard of a "tropical host". I am in a 9b zone, cold wise. I believe you have been mis-informed. What is the name of the kind of hosta you can grow? Where did you get that info?

-Babka

Edited to direct my comments to Missylin.

This post was edited by Babka on Thu, Jun 26, 14 at 23:54

LB, hi there and welcome. I see you are a fan of patio umbrellas too. If I need shade, that is an instant solution.

I'm a hosta fan in Mobile AL and like Babka says, the major problem is what to do about dormant hosta. Mine are in pots...except for a small number I put in my "experimental" bed along the driveway. They went in last summer, and all are surviving but we'll see if they thrive or not. I raised the bed so they'd be above the native soil, and I added a layer of pine bark nuggets about 6 inches of it below the cow manure compost and then covered them with another layer of mini pine bark nuggets (from Lowes).

It was hard for me to wrap my mind around a total reversal of how I thought about wintering over plants. Instead of keeping hosta WARM in the winter, the challenge is to keep the COOL. And fairly dry, else the crowns will rot and if the plant comes back it will be smaller and I think that is why they say we cannot grow hosta in the DEEP south.

Meanwhile I'm a real hosta pothead with over 500 of them potted up and growing like crazy. I'm committed to making it work. It is a learning process but the reward is worth it.

Look forward to seeing more deep south hosta growers share experiences of what works for you. Trial and error is a hard way to go alone.

May 31. 2014

As a comment to Babka's comment....
Where there is a will there is a way. Oh, I have a lot of platitudes that fit here.....mostly along the lines of "think outside the box." And, if you let them tell you something cannot happen, I'd immediately challenge that.

I'm not zone 9b. I'm zone 9a. Not really that much difference.
Pots do not have to be ugly or obtrusive. If you wish to grow hosta, you need to research and discover what the requirements are for growing them where you live. You know what the master gardener's here told me? "Oh you cannot grow hosta in Mobile, they'll last only a short time." So I have my money riding on the hosta. Not that I'm a gambling person exactly, not with money. I like a good challenge.

So sorry you have decided you cannot grow them in your area. Believing that is a self fulfilling prophecy.

Here is a link that might be useful: MoccasinLanding Flickr photos

I'm concerned about this whole thread and the direction it keeps going. Yes, you can grow hosta in zone 9. That's not a question. Some will do better than others. Those of us who grow in warmer zones are figuring out which ones do best by trial and error.

I've just spent the better part of an hour looking for some evidence that there is a "tropical hosta". There is no registered hosta with that name. I have found nothing, using Google that suggests there is such a thing. There are a couple of hosta that have "tropical" in their names, but one is out of Walters' in Minnesota and the other is out of the Netherlands and the other is not in distribution.

I've gone over the University of Florida website (general and agriculture) and cannot find the word hosta mentioned. Nothing comes up on their search function in the horticulture department. Their work in perennials is very limited.

As has already been discussed on this thread, the "sun hosta" is a trademarked, patented hosta developed by Grolink of California. It is marketed extensively in Florida. It is a sport of hosta So Sweet, which also does well in warmer areas. It is medium green and comes up with a yellow edge that will turn cream in more light and the season progresses. Like all plants, it needs some light.

If someone in Florida wants to grow hosta, we have ample evidence that it will work. To continue this thread as if there is a "tropical hosta" is probably not constructive and is, in my opinion, misleading.

Missylin has not provided any photos, any plant ID sticks or marketing material that supports her assertions. I don't mean to be ugly, but if there is such a thing as a "tropical hosta", I want to see the evidence.

JMHO

bk

Here is a link that might be useful: Sun Hosta

This post was edited by bkay2000 on Fri, Jun 27, 14 at 10:51

Where the heck is our Floridian hostaholic, Paula/ilovetogrow???

Don B.

Ilovetogrow answered in 2013. A lot of us have posted answers to this post over the last 4 years.

Sure you can grow them in central Florida. How well depends on your dedication and your weather. Try a few cheaper ones first and get your confidence up from there. Or not.

-Babka

Oops, thanks Babka! : )

Don B.

BKay speaks well on the issue. So does Babka. So did ILoveToGrow who really spelled it out chapter and verse. I also tried. Are we not speaking the same language?

I do not think the message is getting through.

There is a new variety that will grow all the way down to South Florida called Sunhosta. I bought several last year and they are doing well. Every plant is blooming and one has four flower stalks. If it is not very cold they will not go completely dormant, one even bloomed in the middle of winter. They are not easy to find yet. Home Depot had them last summer and Wal-Mart had some this year. I have had one for three years and is doing very well under my oaks. I have one lime green variety that is also doing well, but I don't know the variety.

So, gdrummond, Welcome.

How can we help you?

bk

I'm in San Antonio (8b) and fairly new to hosta keeping. I had looked at keeping hosta about 4 years ago, did some research and decided it was a waste of time to even try so I wrote it off. The next spring, which was a little over three years ago, I decided to go for it and picked up three at my local nursery. I had still not found this forum at that point but knew enough to understand that they needed to be potted because of the massive amount of pill bugs we have here. I didn't know about the chilling factor at that point, which we certainly don't get the proper recommended amount of, although we do get some cold weather, just not extended cold. I used straight Miracle Grow potting soil. They sort of hung in there the first year, keeping them in a heavily treed area with some dappled sunlight. They were slow to come out the next spring, but they did and looked better. So year one test was complete. I bought three or four more from my local nursery the next spring. They all came out much earlier this year, maybe because of the unusually cold winter, and my three oldest ones suddenly took a huge upturn for the better. I was shocked at how great they looked this spring. I then bought about seven or eight more online this spring from Hallson Nursery. They are all from the fragrant line, as recommended by Chris, and all are doing wonderfully. That was about the time I found this forum and began to learn that a few others in the south were having great luck with hosta. My learning curve went straight up after spending some time here. We'll see what happens this coming spring and I'll go from there on what does well, what doesn't, what I did right and what I did wrong. Then I'll figure out next year's buy.

As far as the empty pot thing through the winter, that's an easy trade off to me for the challenge and the beauty of these plants from around March throughout the warm weather season.

We are going to be colder here than you are in your zone so I don't pretend to know how you will do keeping hosta, but don't get run off like I did at first. I'm still a relative newbie at this but these folks giving you advice are super smart. Don't listen to your local nursery people unless they have grown them themselves. If not then trust me, they don't know squat about growing hosta. We have a nursery here that I rate an A++++ overall and they are clueless about them. Let the folks here advise you on the best choices for hosta for your area, and if you have the shade for them (I have a couple that have never seen any direct sun), order a few online next spring, pot them up and see what happens. I'm glad I gave them a chance.

Grummond, how about putting up pictures of those hosta? We'd like to see what they look like. So far, they seem to be very elusive.

What I'm wondering is if they are really a hosta, or perhaps something which is a "false" hosta, you knows looks like but is really a different type of perennial plant with even less demand for dormancy or cool weather. It's happened to other plants, so logical that someone would try marketing a wannabe hosta as a real hosta to an emerging market.

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Edit....
Santa, I just saw your post. It is one of the best testimonials to going ahead and trying, JUST DO IT, that I've read in a long time. You are so right too. If I'd listened to those saying "they don't grow in Mobile Alabama", I would not have this fantasy world of hosta in my back40! I've been on a learning curve too. It's like having all my previous years of gardening experience turned UPSIDE DOWN and INSIDE OUT, instead of trying to keep things WARM, I'm trying to keep things COOL....

I'm not out of the woods yet, there is the matter of hosta maturing in containers, and what to do about that. How about really big tubs of hosta, they cannot be tipped, cannot be moved around too easily. So, ummm, do I only grow juvenile/immature plants and send the mature ones off somewhere? or do I keep rain and critters out by a protective cover?

As my grandma always said, there are more ways of killing a cat besides choking it on butter. We can solve problems by using a creative mind. On the local garden scene, I do not expect someone to tell me what they have done. They are all CLUELESS, but not dumb. No, not dumb.

This post was edited by moccasinlanding on Sat, Jul 19, 14 at 22:33

Can someone start a new post for hostas in Texas or hostas in Mississippi? This thread is so old (and long) and needs a new life for hostas grown in other southern conditions, say for instance...Hostas in TX or hostas in MS. Let FL claim their own space (there are a few of you). ;-)

-Babka

Santamiller, how much direct sun (if any) do you have your Guacamole in? Your plant looks fantastic. Both the margins and the center colors are POPPING. I have quite a few Guacamoles planted here in various degrees of direct sun, and the couple I have with the closest colors to yours get hit with late afternoon sun only. Of course, your mileage may vary. : )

Thanks. Curious minds wanna know.

Don B.

Donâ¦.my plants started showing pips this year around March 1. From that time until around the first of June the Guac was getting no direct sun except for several short bursts of sun through the thick oaks and elms. This picture was taken during that time period. Over the last few weeks the sun has moved (better make that the earth has moved for those scientific minds out there) to where it gets close to 4 hours of direct sun in the mornings, 8am-ish to noon. Then it goes back to dappled sun. Since that change the centers have darkened up considerably. The margins are still easily detectable but not so glaring a difference as they were before. This is one of my third year plants, and it took a massive leap from last year. It looked good last year but nothing like this year. It's in a 10 inch pot and over three feet wide.

These hostas are two years old and they are planted outside. They get a little morning sun & seem to be doing quite well. The name on the label is Sun Hosta.

Very nice! What's the striped plant to the right of the hostas?

Thank you. That striped plant is some type of Calathea. I asked that same question because I didn't know what it was. It has been here for years & dies back if it gets really cold in winter & then it comes back.