What would you do??

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Mar 29, 2007 10:11 am

Here are a few of mine that are up. Taken yesterday afternoon when it was 72.

thehostagourmet · Post by **thehostagourmet** » Mar 29, 2007 11:11 am

I'd get out the 5 gallon pails to cover them. Last night it was 25 degrees! Tonight the same.

George

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Mar 29, 2007 11:20 am

George, do the pails covering them work even when the temps get that low? We are supposed to have some upper 20's next week...

thehostagourmet · Post by **thehostagourmet** » Mar 29, 2007 11:31 am

Charla, my theory is that it keeps the frost from forming on the leaves, which when the sun hits them (which it won't because they're covered by the pails) damages the leaves. That's why sprinkling them before the sun comes up, or keeping the sprinklers on overnight as in commercial orange groves, etc. minimizes the damage.

All of this buys you a few degrees, I think. I even use large 1-4 gallon black plastic pots held down by rocks in a pinch, if I'm feeling very energetic.

George

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Mar 29, 2007 1:22 pm

Then I guess it's a good thing I never throw a pot away unless it's broken.....

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Mar 29, 2007 1:28 pm

I have lots of pots, too, renaldo, and now I'm glad!!! ...but many of my hostas are too big for most of them this year. I was really excited about that a few days ago...

I wonder if buckets would work better because they have no holes in them. They may help keep the temp up by holding in ground temp. I can always go raid my husband's shop for his paint buckets....he'll love that!

I just saw the weather forecast for next week, and it looks like they are moderating their predicitions upward, but realistically, we are at least several weeks away from the frost free dates. If the temps do cool down, though, it may slow down the hostas' leafing out. Ohhh, so much stress!

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Mar 29, 2007 1:50 pm

As nice as the temps have been, I won't mind spring slowing down here at all. 50's would do me just fine for a few more weeks & then a gradual climb up starting in May. But anymore what we have is a couple days of spring followed 2 days later by temps in the 80's for a few days if not a whole week. Usually it happens when my tulips just start blooming so that after a week the 1st ones are shot.

Our last frost date here is May 15th unless that's changed since they upped our zone.

oldcoot · Post by **oldcoot** » Mar 29, 2007 3:41 pm

Starting to get worried about mine in the yard, b ut we got a NICED rain last night and this morning. First one in a month. Went from swamp to bone ddfry in thee weeks.

OC will post psictures of some of his Hosta's under his group

thy · Post by **thy** » Mar 29, 2007 4:55 pm

Temps in the 80'

59 = 15 C or so here and it more than enought for everything to be a month ahead
Nights say something like 35 = 2 C but it is in 7 or 8 feet hight. I had frost on the grass yesterday

piling them up with grit or garden soil when you see the first noses do help to stop them a bit- compost makess heat and can do it al worse

Wanda we did start it once- but think we never finished it

Good luck to all of you... and to me too

Hallson Gardens

What would you do??

What would I do?

Pails

Looks like everybody has Hostas