skip to main content
Get Ideas
Photos
Stories
Discussions
Houzz TV
Houzz Research
Shop Products
    Shop Curated Bathroom Vanities
Looking for the perfect gift? Send a Houzz Gift Card!
Outdoor Sale Sale
ON SALE - UP TO 75% OFF
Shop Promo Banner
Sign In
Join as a Pro
Houzz Pro: One simple solution for contractors and design pros
Join as a Pro
Houzz Logo Print
Explore DiscussionsFeatured Home DiscussionsFeatured Garden Discussions
Hostas
coll_123

Drawstringing- preventable?

coll_123
11 years ago

This topic has come up in another thread and I wanted to start a new discussion, to see if anyone has managed to "cure" this problem in their garden, short of eliminating the plants that do it.

I have read that drawstringing is caused by the white edge not growing as fast as the green center of a hosta. To avoid it, I've also read you should not fertilize or water those plants in the Spring so as not to encourage fast growth. My only real drawstringer is Barbara Ann, which is planted in the ground and I don't water or fertilize it in the Spring. But, of course it gets water if it rains a lot.

I'm actually wondering if it would be worth digging it up and sticking it in a pot to control the amount of water it gets....but I sure don't want to go to that trouble if it's gonna drawstring anyway. Just wondering what peoples' experience is on this issue. I'm in Maine, zone 5...another thing I've read is that drawstringing tends to be more of a problem in the northern zones- true or false?

Comments (7)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    11 years ago

    its genetic.. very few 'can' do it ..

    you can prevent such.. BY GETTING RID OF THEM....

    otherwise .. as i recall.. its a spring temperature issue.. and i dont see most of us.. heating the garden .. but i suppose the pot peeps could do something ...

    just get rid of them.. like you cant find a billion better ones...

    ken

  • paul_in_mn
    11 years ago

    I garden to relax and enjoy. IMO, trying to make it what you want it to be - seems both a futile effort with drawstring and the antithesis of why I garden. I removed Lunar Eclipse because of drawstring and have semi-hidden Carnival for the same reason. I hoped both would outgrow with maturity - didn't happen. What did someone say recently, Life is too short to grow ugly hostas....

    Paul

  • mosswitch
    11 years ago

    A drawstring mess. Probably Northern Exposure. Genetic, huh? you are probably right, it does this every spring no matter what the weather is. I never get around to cutting off leaves and letting new ones come on, but I do know the new leaves don't look like this.

    Sandy

  • paul_in_mn
    11 years ago

    Sandy - It may be Northern Halo or just a bad plant. Northern Exposure has been solid for me without issues.

    Paul

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    11 years ago

    the theory is.. that the green grows faster in spring.. as compare to the benign white ... and causes the drawstring ...

    ken

  • mosswitch
    11 years ago

    I have two of them, different locations in the garden. The other one gets more sun. It does the same thing.

    But in last year's crazy spring I had a couple other white-edged plants do the same thing. They grew out of it tho and didn't do it this year. Thse do it every year.

    Btw we are in SW MO. In zone 6b/7a.

    Sandy

  • in ny zone5
    11 years ago

    In the other thread I show my 'Barbara Ann', and I do not consider that light cupping drawstringing. It looks nice. Plus I fertilized and watered it this spring like with all the other plants. Perhaps my spring in the North was not as hot as others had. Now I have summer here in the North, and growing of the green should be over with.
    Have a good one!
    Bernd

0
Sponsored
More Discussions
Using Superthrive foliage-Pro on hosta
5
What are you doing Monday 42224
8
hosta june in sun
11
New Hostas 2024
5
Frost warning tonight
2