Notes on growing in pots? (Solberg)---Hosta college)

malaprop · Post by **malaprop** » Mar 24, 2007 4:40 am

Love to know what he had to say about growing in pots, since that's 95% of my hostas......

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Mar 24, 2007 10:56 am

Me too, since I am out of shade/room.

thy · Post by **thy** » Mar 24, 2007 6:22 pm

Me too since I am out of garden space.. patio and pots are still a topic

Primroselane · Post by **Primroselane** » Mar 24, 2007 10:01 pm

He showed slides of lots of Hosta in pots, one was a full driveway, gave me lots of ideas looking at the slides. I think it was nine feet wide, wish I had a bigger driveway, I could really fill it up. In the center was a big pot with Sum and Substance sitting up high with a pot under it to make it taller. Then a variety of Hosta's in a variety of different size pots, He suggested to put feet under pots when sitting them under maples or where you get tree roots filling up your pots, or using bricks to get them up off the ground or a patio stone could be used also, just so the pots will not fill up with tree roots in a month or so. Like mine use to, I had already bought new large pots this winter, so I am ready. The potting mix is a mixture of compost/canadian peat/pine bark nuggets. Suggestions were to purchase tree and shrub planting mix that contains the pine bark nuggets. if you did not want to mix your own, this could be found at Lowes. Cover the pots in winter with a board or lay them on their side, I have some that are not protected and they seem to do fine, as long as they don't get water logged and have good drainage. The big pots get froze on the bottom and don't drain, so if you use the feet or bricks to set them on they will drain. The pots with hosta add height to the beds and you can move them around, plus they look good. If I think of anything else I will add to this. There was a lot of students in the class, don't know how that happened as it (registration) was closed when a friend tried to register early, moments after I did. The class was held in the auditorium so I guess that tells you it was a very popular class. I just wish that I could see the slides again.

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Mar 25, 2007 10:36 am

Thank-You Lucille

malaprop · Post by **malaprop** » Mar 25, 2007 1:31 pm

Thanks.......what size did the pine bark seem to be? AS I had some left over peat moss and 1/2 bag of vermiculite, I'm combing them, adding steer manure --seems to make a nice mix.

I have a June with 26 eyes in a 2-gallon pot, I've been putting off breaking it up, and it insists on growing.

Primroselane · Post by **Primroselane** » Mar 25, 2007 7:59 pm

Oh your welcome. The pine bark was the medium size nuggets. and yes the vermiculite is fine to use also. He said if you want more moisture, use more of the Canadian Peat Moss.

Primroselane · Post by **Primroselane** » Mar 27, 2007 8:24 pm

I took a trip to Lowes yesterday and found the Stay Green Tree and Shrub Planting mix to pot up my new Hostas that I ordered. It was on sale too.

Ginger · Post by **Ginger** » Mar 28, 2007 4:48 pm

That is good info

I pulled up all my hosta last fall and over wintered them in pots. I am seriously thinking about leaving them in pots. They look really good right now and I like the ability to move them around as the summer gets hotter. I am a bit worried that the pots may not be big enough though. Did he give any information on pot to hosta size?

Ginger

thehostagourmet · Post by **thehostagourmet** » Mar 28, 2007 5:01 pm

Bob said that Hostas like to be pot bound, but when you transplant, leave 1/3 of the pot free of roots so the Hosta can grow into it.

George

thy · Post by **thy** » Mar 28, 2007 6:10 pm

There is a good one about potted hostas in the last Hosta Journal

But - one thing puzzls me. think it was in the second last volume, but can be from here .... someone said that hostas would get different roots - depending on the medium they were used to grow in... something about more heavy roots in regular garden clay and finer in potting mix, and it could be problematic to transplant a hosta from one sort of soil to an other... ring any bells ???

Pia

Wheasie · Post by **Wheasie** » Mar 28, 2007 10:22 pm

This is very helpful to me. I moved about 2 years ago and ALL of my hostas came with me. Many are back in the ground but in one area, I have hard maples and heavy clay soil. I put some of my hostas in larger pots and then sunk those. Hoped it would work - sounds like it might.

Wheasie

Pieter · Post by **Pieter** » Mar 28, 2007 10:25 pm

You're correct, Pia. There's a paragraph on just that subject in the Hosta Library, under dividing. It reads as follows:

2. Environment adjustment.

Hostas adapt to their environment. We've all seen the way they make different leaves in sun vs. heavy shade. More important to how well they grow is how the roots adapt. The roots are produced in the form that is best adapted to the soil it finds itself in. Light potting soil results in big networks of thin roots while heavy clay soils result in a few thick ropy roots. The wrong roots in the wrong soil will mean poor growth, because a hosta will react to not getting enough water by getting smaller in an effort to survive. If a hosta has the wrong roots - like pot roots in the ground - it will not be able to get enough water no matter how much you water it. The same applies to a divided plant which has lost roots through injury.

http://www.hostalibrary.org/divide.html

thy · Post by **thy** » Mar 28, 2007 10:36 pm

Thanks Pieter

.. still rethinking my: "if I grow it in a pot in full sun (nordic) for a year or 2- I have a great plant to put in my shaded clay soil"

Do not work at all

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Mar 29, 2007 10:00 am

Pia - just leave them in the pots. Use the potted ones to give the rest of your garden more height.

I can attest to the finer roots in finer soil. In 2003 I got a Krossa Regal from Hallson's - excellent roots of course. I planted it in a large pot that had more peat moss in it than I normally use and that fall when I planted it in the ground, I could barely loosen up that thick network of fine roots in the peat.

I did eventually - but it took some doing.

malaprop · Post by **malaprop** » Mar 29, 2007 12:05 pm

My appreciation of pots has spread to pots of Japanese Maples and other things.

This fall/winter I just moved the pots aside to do clean up.

malaprop · Post by **malaprop** » Mar 29, 2007 12:18 pm

Spring---and should I move I have the option of taking it with me.

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Mar 29, 2007 12:25 pm

Wow, guys and gals! I really like this info. Who knew! Well, I guess y'all did...

So if I am going to leave some hostas in pots for awhile, should I repot them in a mix similar to what I will eventually plant them in?

This is so cool!!!! I won't have to stop acquiring hostas just cuz I don't have my new beds done yet! You all have made my day!

(are there any smileys doing cartwheels?)

BTW, mal, I would really like to hear more, and see more photos of what you are doing with pots...

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Mar 29, 2007 1:33 pm

Mal - that spring pic is just gorgeous!!

What hostas are in your grouping?

Charla - what in the world made you think you have to stop acquiring hostas if you don't have a new bed for them yet??

Never heard tell of such a thing!!

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Mar 29, 2007 1:36 pm

boy, I am really glad I found this post!!!!!!! I'm free, I'm free!!!!

P.S. I can't wait to tell my husband.

Hallson Gardens

Notes on growing in pots? (Solberg)---Hosta college)

Notes on growing in pots? (Solberg)---Hosta college)

Hostas in pots