Hi Bkay!

I'm no expert but an adequate gardener..that medium and plant's roots look great to me! The top roots are starting to go 'circular' so yes, I would repot one size up now and let it get comfy for the rest of the season. Safer to overwinter in pot so you don't have to worry, then plant it where its intended to grow in the spring.

I imagine you brought home a 'few' ( giggle, giggle ) new ones at half price?

Another rainfall, thunder, and I had so much to do outside! Sooo glad for rain though!

No, Jo, the potting medium has to be replaced, or it's liable to rot over the winter. It's so dense, it's almost like mud. The hosta will come back smaller next spring, at the very least.

I just can't decide whether to do it now, in the fall, when it goes dormant or early next spring.

Yes, you're right about the sale. I bought just two though, (Queen of the Seas) as I had already bought most all he had that I wanted. My darling demon doglet went on a hosta killing spree last summer and severely set back my QOTS. Then the grasshoppers got it, so I decided to go ahead and get another one while they were on sale. AND, since they were on sale for half price, I might as well get two, which will make a nice full pot sooner.

Perfectly reasonable, don't you think?

bk

What's left of QOTS after Cleo and the grasshoppers:

bk That is sound Vulcan Logic for hosta shopping! You cannot get any better than that. Paula

BKay, I would get the water hose to it, and wash away the soil/potting medium. Maybe not a complete bare root job, but close enough to get rid of the mud.

When I did that to my LS Full Tide, which had a mound of fire ants residing in it, I had to take it to the street curb and the apron of the driveway to get rid of those fire ants. If you think their plants are disease free, you might let the water and old potting mix go into one of your outdoor flower beds.

I'd say do it now, and by dormancy the new potting mix will have stabilized enough to avoid EASY damage by the silly squirrels. But, who was it put hardware cloth covers over their dormant pots? I forget.....but that is what I'm planning this winter. I've had it with squirrels and pecans, and I know you have the same problems with them.

Oh yeah. Get some of the hot pepper flakes. --or ground up cayenne (which tends to mold quickly in high humidity).
.............................................................................
Yes, it's a long long time from May to December.
The days grow short when you reach September.
The autumn weather turns the leaves to flame
And you haven't got time for the waiting game.
.........................................................
So yeah, do it now Remember we have almost a complete growing season left to go, unlike our neighbors to the north just a few degrees of latitude. The new mix will stabilize, and the plant might flush with a new set of leaves. Who knows what tomorrow may bring.....do it now.

LOL...perfectly reasonable, agreed! LOL
I'm all in with doing it now...just listen to Mocc and get it done just how she suggests..wash the old crud out and start afresh. :-)
So glad to hear you picked up more QOTS...I got a nice-sized one earlier...love the blue, ruffle and piecrust too...she's a beauty. Was that the only hosta Cleo picked on?

Those I bought looked pretty crummy, but they originated at Walters, so they should be free of HVX. I think I paid $9.95 for two of them. I love QOTS. I think I may have picked up the ruffle bug from UK. I got QOTS, Niagara Falls and Dancing Queen this year - all from this local nursery, and all Walters plants. Of course, none have much ruffle yet, but it will come.

Thanks, Mocc. I'll go ahead and do that Niagara Falls.

bk

The two new QOTS

As far a Cleo's rampage, I lost Lakeside Paisley Print, Dream Queen, Radiant Edger and X-Rated. Those set back to Juvenile leaves were Dark Star, Patriot and Paul's Glory. Just generally set back were Blue Mouse Ears and Blue Cadet. I also have 2 mystery plants.

Blue Mouse Ears came back with a flourish. I now have 3 pots of it. The problem being, I can't exactly tell the difference between BME and Blue Cadet. Since BME is a sport of Blue Cadet, they look pretty similar. On top of that I think some BME have reverted to Blue Cadet. I decided to wait until next year to see if I can identify which is which.

Thank God Cleo is finally growing up. There were days I was ready to send her back to Animal Services. The only thing that stopped me was I didn't think anyone else would keep her. She was just too wild (as in high energy).

bk

Poor you, that's a lot of damage...good thing she's growing out of it!!

Bkay, I'm confused about your reference to BME being similar to BC. BME is a small with leaves approx 2.5x2", very thick almost rubbery/leathery leaves,a stubby tip (vestigial) where BC is a medium plant and has larger, thinner leaves 5x4" widely oval with a noticeably pointed tip..I have both here as well.

I'm guessing this is all BME, as the flowers are short. But notice that the leaves are not round. The BC was new last summer, so it was still young. It may have had two eyes, but wasn't very big. I'd had the BME for three years or so.

This one is probably BME also, but note that one eye has a really long scape.

This is the real quizzy one. It has all pointy leaves and different height scapes.

Can you tell?

bk

I'm seeing BME in pics 1&2. BC in pic 3.
See how the lobes are more pinched in BC, pic 3, and longer? BME has open lobes in 1&2
Flower scrapes differ in each...BME has balloon-like buds clustered together on diminutive scape that open radially (around the scape as opposed to one side) whereas BC has the 'usual' elongated scape with flowers opening predominantly one-sided.
It's interesting on the bottom right side of pic 3 ... I see 3or 4 leaves that resemble BME . It'll be interesting to see BC next year. I've heard that some hosta regress to juvenile looking leaves after being stressed...they eventually bounce back, nothing permanent.
Nice pics, healthy looking hosta :-)

Here are Photos of my BME and BC :-)

Blue Cadet...yours also appeals to me as its very pretty smaller-sized...I think mine grows bigger in the ground...never grew one potted up. I just divided it yesterday.

It's so deceiving, the size of a plant...I was surprised when I pulled three good pieces out of this plant....

When Cleo finished with the hosta, I had no idea of what was what. She dumped them all out of the pots so she could chew on the pots. Then, she decided to "kill" all the plants. So she ran around the yard with them in her mouth shaking them like they were prey. They were everywhere. All were bare-rooted. Some still had enough leaves to tell what they were, but most didn't. I just stuck them in pots and hoped.

And, actually, it wasn't as bad as it seemed at the time. Either that, or I had new ones that weren't photographed yet. So, I don't know I'm missing them. But, out of sight, out of mind.

bk

Thanks for the photo, by the way. It will help separate them next year.

bk

She sure is cute. Glad she's over her 'Kill Hosta' rampage.

Don B.