I just got an OM that I'm trying to site. Have you checked the level on the pot?

Replant with the crown on the surface. Toss a few bark chips on it to cover it. I have a Striptease that did that, all by itself. Roots all over the surface and I could still see the crown. Hostas do whatever they please. The initial rot was probably from the crown being too wet/cold at the same time, as you guessed. Sometime these weather things happen, and there isn't much you can do. Other people have voles/deer etc. Us warmer winter folks have to deal with different stuff, but stuff just the same.

Once I lamented over losing so many because of early Spring rains. Then I read about peeps who had voles wipe out their whole garden. Isn't gardening fun???????

Just think of how they look in late April/May for us warm people. If you get discouraged, just look at your Spring photos and you will become energized.

-Babka

Thanks, Babka, the mulch makes sense.

bk

And I thank you too, Babka. I was having some of that rising up in the pot, when I KNOW I put it in there with all the roots covered. Maybe that IS the price of not having voles.

BTW, BKay, do you have voles up there near Dallas?
My Orange Marmalade lost its orange but grew, and set seedpods. So next year will be its third spring. I really hope I see something leaping tall buildings around here next spring!

Hang the squirrels....and something which is eating the leaves on a lot of my hosta. However, I have yet to find even ONE worm, which is what I expected to find. Why? Because I have a whole army of Carolina wrens, cardinals, and other wild birds which raised babies close to my garden, that I suspect have feasted off the worms. Yes, I've watched them hop from pot to pot and I'm sure they know what they want. If leaving off the poison allows the wild birds to survive, then I can put up with some chewed-up leaves.

Here is the latest picture of Orange Marmalade on my computer. I think another is still in the camera.

Voles have to have sandy soil. We have a severe case of black gumbo here. When it's wet, it's sticky and mushy. When it's dry, it's like concrete. Voles couldn't move in our soil. It's almost impossible to dig in it if it's completely dry. They have voles in east Texas where they have sandy soil, though. There's a nursery that specializes in heirloom bulbs there. He's complained about voles eating his bulbs.

I once saw a squirrel eat some of a hosta. That was a couple of years ago and I haven't seen any do so since. They like to plant their pecans and acorns in the pots though. They also like to dig up small hosta. They seem to think there's something under the hosta, as they just throw it aside after they dig it up.

I'll see if I can find that hosta. I'll post it if I can find it. (It's on my desktop computer).

bk