How much sun for GE progeny Dream Weaver or Dream Queen?

11 years ago

I have had no luck with Great Expectations. Two years ago I bought a really nice Dream Queen with roots that looked like an octopus thrown on the ice at a Detroit Redwing hockey game.

I've just lifted what is left; which is two seperate eyes with 4" roots each and potted them for rehab. I also have recently bought Dream Weaver, not realizing it is a Great Expectations progeny hosta.

If you have had success with DQ or DW what sun conditions are yours exposed to. I suspect the next question may have been answered for GE, but at what depth should the eyes be for DQ or DW: slightly above the surface, at the surface, or slightly below.

I am thinking that Chris said Liberty seems to grow strongest with the crown a couple of inches below. I realize the dreamers aren't Liberty, but with my lack of success with GE I must be doing SOMETHING drastically wrong. If I can't get it "rightened" I might as well be going to ken's house and throwing $ on his driveway.

Les

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Comments (10)

i-like-to-grow
11 years ago
2010

2012

My DQ is in dappled shade here in KY... not hardly any direct sunlight... its practically planted in generic topsoil... and gets 10-10-10 on a regular basis.... I bought it one strong eye in 2010... was two eyes the next year and this year its growing a 3rd eye... its planted just exactly like I plant all my hosta... with the top of the crown level with the ground... Colleen has a beautiful DW... lets see her chime in....
John
hosta_freak
11 years ago
Here is a pic of my Dream Queen from 2009. It looks much the same now,but with much larger leaves. I think it only has 3 eyes,but it is not a fast grower. The size of the leaves is what makes it worth growing,to me. Mine has leaves this year that are as big as dinner plates. My GE is much older,and is nowhere near that size. Mine grows in just plain red clay that is the only soil we have here. It is in dappled sunlight,with some morning sun earlier on. Phil

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coll_123
11 years ago
John, I don't have DW, just Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt is in dappled light only...late sun, but I don't think that counts. It's in a raised bed on a slope, near a cherry tree. No extra water, just whatever rains or I give that bed. Rocky clay soil underneath that I mixed with some fresh loam and a lot of compost when I planted it. No fertlizer.
i-like-to-grow
11 years ago
Yeah my bad it was thunderbolt... Why was I thinking dw
dougald_gw
11 years ago
I have a both a DQ and a DW which I obtained in 2010 from Budd's Nursery in Ottawa ON ... 3 eyes each. They have doubled in size since but most of that growth was this year.

They were planted crown below soil level in a fairly light soil with good drainage and now get 20 minutes of sprinkler time each day using water from the river. They get a couple of hours at most of direct sun and the rest of the day in shade dappled to full.

I suspected from the slow growth in 2010-11 that they needed more water so increased the watering in my hosta beds ... all the hostas have responded well to it.
Jon 6a SE MA
11 years ago
Dream Queen, bought as a "rescue" last Fall with 2 frail looking leaves. About 3 hours of morning Sun.

Note pencil on leaf for scale.

Jon
hostaLes
Original Author
11 years ago

This is what is left of the Dream Queen I mentioned in my original message. The each had about 4" single roots. I washed the roots, powdered them with rooting hormone and shook the excess off, then planted them in this pot. I plan to check them in a couple of weeks and if root development looks good I will put them in seperate 8" pots and recheck again in the spring.

It certainly doesn't sound like anyone is doing much special and your DQs look great. I have a good spot under dappled shade when they are ready to replant in the ground. It is under my walnut tree, which has deep roots and every hosta I have planted in that bed are doing super (IMO).

Thanks for the responses.

Les
evermore_gw z 4/5 NB
11 years ago
Les,

Your Dream Queen should do fine in dappled shade under your walnut tree.

I have all four of the lookalikes: Great Expectations in full shade, Dream Weaver in mostly shade, and Thunderbolt and Dream Queen in dappled shade with some full sun in late afternoon. Dream Queen does best for me. My feeling is that these hostas require some sun to do best. Dream Queen is crowded against Paradigm and yet holds its own. They get no special care.

Here is Dream Queen 2012

Steve
hostaLes
Original Author
11 years ago
I totally have expected to have heard from ken giving me some disconnected bad advice so I would show up throwing $ on his driveway. (LOL)

If neither DQ or DW work for me I am going to go in a totally different direction and get Cathedral Windows, so ken, don't even think about it!

It really bugs me when other people can grow things and I can't!!!!!!!!!!!

Les
irawon
11 years ago
Les, this picture of Dream Queen was taken on June 12, 2012. It is growing well under spruce trees and has a northern exposure, so it does not get a lot of sun but it is well watered. I planted it at the same soil level as in the nursery pot. I've had to repot my Dream Weaver as it was not doing well in the ground in an eastern exposure, which by all accounts should be a superior location. I believe the difference in growth can be explained by the amount of WATER they received. I think water is the key to a hosta thriving and sunshine is key to the rate of growth. But these are not new concepts to this forum. So to answer your question I would say that water is more important than the amount of sunshine that DQ and DW get as long as the amount of sunshine is adequate.