I am with you on this one. When I first started planting hosta, I did not know what I think I now know. I dug a hole the same size as the pot and unceremoniously slapped it in the hole. Now I dig a very large area, amend the soil and then plant the plant, after removing all the soil that came with it.

It sounds reasonable to me, plus I like to amend the soil, adding sphagnum and other yummy goody smelly funny things (from my compost pile) that 'should be' nutritious.

But then, I am sure there will be those that differ. Plus chances are that you could set the plant back a bit.

Others weigh in ...

I know I move stuff around when it doesn't seem to be growing in one location ... had to move capt kirk three times and great expectations is just 'expecting' a new locale ...

ÃÂ_ÃÂ --~

dave

In my hosta gardens (some of which have been growing in the same spot for 20 years) I only dig and divide when they try to over-take each other. I don't find any dimishing of plant size or strength --- just the opposite. I have never fertilized at all and the only nourishment they get is from the leaves that fall from the Oak and Walnut trees they are under and their own dead leaves during the winter.

If you look at the forest which doesn't man-made fertilizer, everything is lush and lovely. It self-mulches. The same goes in my perennial gardens. They are self-sustaining.

The only hostas I see that looked different were the ones that did not get enough water during the previous droughts. I am hoping next year will be different due to plentiful ran,

When I plant new hostas I always added a bucket of 1 year old leaf compost into the hole and mixed it in. Perhaps I did not water some of them as much as I should have. I will re-do those places. I also still have 4 spin out bags left which seemed to have helped several which were under attack from tree roots.
Thanks for responding! Bernd

FWIW, with the long winter and the late wet spring, we've (several local hosta gardeners) noticed that some hosta came back smaller this year. Seems to be (anecdotal) the deeper planted ones that are struggling the most. Bernd, how was your winter and spring?

Paul

Paul, How was my winter and spring? Do not remember any extremes, there was rain, but perhaps some week I did not attend to watering when I should have watered. Generally my landscape is well drained, actually have a dry creek bed in the low spots which carried water occasionally.

I noticed that i.e. I have a h.'Guardian Angel' with outer large leaves and small inner leaves which stayed that way. That plant is under a Korean Dogwood on a slope and in shade, which might not have received enough water by a sprinkler.
Thanks! The further I think about it, it seems to be a good idea to replant some hostas. Bernd

It is always better to amend the entire garden and not just individual planting holes. But you can amend simply by topdressing and in time the amendments will percolate down into the soil below.

I think that any shrinking hostas are a results of last year's drought. Drought usually takes a full season to show its effects. Long winters usually help with greater eye size and eye production, so a long winter shouldn't make them smaller.

If I have some hostas that are really struggling I'll lift and amend the entire garden or move them somewhere else. Usually the ones struggling here are from compacted soil and not enough water.

you guys are missing the boat ... talking about winter and this spring .... and wet making hosta small ..

hosta start growing roots in july.. that is when they store energy.. for next spring...

it should follow.. that if the storage process failed them .. then in spring... they would be smaller...

last july/august.. for most of the midwest.. was the worst drought.. and temps spikes in my entire 30 years of gardening...

what.. 10 days in a row above 100 ... falling to 90's for the rest of the period..

and barely a stitch of rain that penetrated the soil ...

and you cant make up for all that with a sprinkler ...

so.. IMHO .. FWIW ... i cant really see how after it went dormant... how winter could have made it any worse ... nor why water in spring would stunt things ...

my theory.. was the insult was late last summer ....

====

bernd .... i smell some denial.. when you say there were absolutely no tree roots.. but will accept that there didnt seem to be many ....

i would NOT dig and put stuff under... eventually it would collapse.. and then your hosta will be too deep..

besides the fact.. that i would not work that hard ... lol

i would just put a 3 to 6 inch layer of compost around each plant .. just under the canopy ... by fall it will be half.. and by the end of next spring gone.. the worms will have done the work for you ...

but if it makes you happy to do extreme hard labor in august.. go for it ....

ken

Chris-here in Wilmington last year the drought was really terrible. But this spring my hostas came back strongly. It is not that I have had much rain, but ample. I still have drought conditions but much cooler weather. My watering results in less soil dessication, So maybe my watering is overcoming drought.

My enjoyment is that my hostess seem to react more strongly after a single season of drought and severe temperature.

I've heard bad comments about Emerald Ruff Cut and mine, and Cherry Berry looked horrible at the end of last season. This year they are both really looking great.

I agree with you and dress the tops with my ample product of my compost bins.

A friend of mine in Arkansas operates a -Pick farm located adjacent to a saw-mill. Contrary to much advice they top dress with raw sawdust and water well. They have the greatest Blueberries and Strawberries. Probably it is a many year breakdown result but it does seem to work.

I'd done similar with raised beds built up with years of topdressing with decomposing straw. and newspapers.

I've only lifted hostas if I suspect I have planted them too deep or to look for crown damage by voles, etc. This sprng I'd planted Cracker Crumbs several times amending the plantig hole with compost only to have squirrels uproot it looking for food. When I'd replanted it in just dirt and top dressed it with compost, they'd left it alone and it is doing just fine.

Theresa

Thanks for all your suggestions! Most of my hostas grow beautifully where I had planted them originally. But those few I am thinking about fall into the category of getting smaller when its neighbors grow bigger. In one spot, h.'Spilt Milk' and 'Lakeside Cha Cha' are smaller than last year (10 in tall), in between 'Elvis Lives' has become fully mature. Next to it 'Barbara Ann' got big.

Another category is : one 'Blue Umbrellas' was beautifully big last year, this year it is smaller, and neighbors are also somewhat reduced. So they all have the same soil and same water. Therefore, something is wrong there, and I will dig them out to take a look and help them.

Around all of them I pushed a sharp spade down, cutting any tree roots, partially lifted them out, also sprayed a fungicide into the surface soil, gave more water, babying them this year. So it is time to dig them out and look at roots and the hole in detail in a few weeks when one of my knees is OK again. It is a challenge, but worth it!

I like to dig things into the soil, because when I would leave several inches of mulch on top, then all the critters of the forest behind the back fence would tunnel under it (mice, voles, moles) or hide in it over day time (slugs, snails). It is a constant fight. But I plan to put down a layer of chopped leaves in late fall.
Bernd

Bernd. often I have been very successful in spading carefully a hosta so as to do as little root damage as possible-maybe only as little as 1/2 inch. Then tamping the soil and top dressing with compost. This increases water absorption and bring nutrients with it to the roots. The result have been amazing, But it is not a 'Golden Rule".

Theresa Ann

I read that lack of water in the summer makes them come up smaller the next year. That said, when I dug up all my hostas and tilled lots of compost and peat moss into the beds and replanted the hostas, the next year they grew like weeds and looked fantastic.

Deanna

Thanks for all your replies. Again those hostas have shrunk this spring. I added a little bone meal under, put one in a wire mesh waste basket, one with gravel around (could have been voles), 'Blue Umbrellas' in a spinout bag. All of them I showered with Bayer Disease Control to fight any fungus. I a few weeks I might pot them for the summer after washing out all soil first. I have several new purchases and also nice streaker seedlings for those spots.
Could there be some virus, fungus or chemicals which cause this shrinking without any other outside symptoms?
I have several h.'Earth Angel' and none is a fast grower, 2 shrunk too.
Thanks! Bernd.

Hi Bernd,

I have been trying to figure out what to do with my Blue Angel and my Guardian Angel because they have come back smaller this year - they are the only ones that have shrunk from what I can tell. It seems to be quite coincidental that it's our Angels that are having problems.

I think that I will pop them both up and make sure that they are not competing with the trees - maybe raise them a little and then add the compost on top as Ken has suggested. I'd prefer not to move them as this just causes a lot of work (domino effect in a small garden).

Connie May

i didnt read the other replies ...

add compost/humas to the surface.. and let the earthworms work it in ...

i would think it a fools errand.. to be digging up mature hosta ... i just done see an upside ... unless they are already regressing ....

ken

ps: from the last reply above.. i may have said this already... lol .. oh well ... repetition is the sincerest form of flattery.. even if i do it myself... lol ...

pps: yikes.. i killed that brain cell... whats that all about ... go with what chris said ... right above my first reply ...