propagation

shaggybirdman · Post by **shaggybirdman** » Apr 04, 2007 4:21 am

i have been looking on evil bay at hosta. i was wondering witch is better. a division of a plant, or a tissue culture of one? i think that's the proper terminology anyhow. the auction says it's a 2nd year tissue culture. is that old enough to be shipped safely? yes i'm new to hosta. does it show? lol

basically how is a tissue culture done? not that i'll be trying it anytime soon, but just curious how it's done. i understand division well enough to do it myself right now. i have 2 hosta in my front garden, and have been thinking of splitting it this spring. actualy in the next 2 days if it stays dry.

i like the dwarfs, and small twisty leafed hosta. i'm not a green lover (except money of course. lol) yet i'm getting into hosta. go figure

. they will be grown in pots, and possibly displayed with my bonsai. i'm not sure if they will get enough shade though. my bonsai in summer get from sun up to about 3 full sun. i know that's more sun than hosta like, but most of my bonsai are maples that create alot of shade. i could stick them between them for shade.

i take it with too much sun they will burn with the possible exception of white feather witch likes more sun if i'm correct. i have one of those coming.

leafmould · Post by **leafmould** » Apr 04, 2007 7:23 am

Hi Shaggy

why take a chance on something that could be with you the rest of your life ?
Bet on a sure thing and order your plants from a reputable nursery like Hallson's.

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Apr 04, 2007 9:06 am

Personally I would buy a division of a plant over a 2 yr. TC, but I'll have to leave it to the "experts" here to explain how TCs work.
I did get a kick out of the "evil bay" comment.

I know there are some very reputable suppliers on Ebay, but I have never bought a hosta off Ebay. I like to stick to suppliers I know I can trust without hesitation. (Like Hallson's!

)
I know there are others on the forum who do buy off Ebay, so I hope they will steer you to the good sellers and away from the losers.

Wanda · Post by **Wanda** » Apr 04, 2007 9:40 am

Before you buy from anyone, you WILL want to go to the Hallson Gardens Forum Index then go to the HVX forum and read about the virus, so you can recognize it when choosing plants. HVX is Hosta Virus X - this is pretty much the AIDS of the hosta world. No cure, and it can spread to plants you already have, so you really want to make sure you aren’t buying plants infected with HVX.

The safest place I know to buy hosta is right here at Hallsons - Chris & Brian keep right on top of the issue. I don’t buy hosta anywhere else. Up on the very top of each page is a menu list...to see their selection and shop, click on “HOSTA FOR 2007!”

If you absolutely want to make sure you get an exact copy of a specific variety, you want a division of the original stock (OS). Problems with TC (tissue culture) can happen during the process...not all TC turn out exactly like the tissue donor...and if the grower doesn’t cull (discard) all those not true to type, you might get something completely different or one with poor growth. Tissue culture is more of a laboratory process rather than something you can easily do at home. They take cells from a tissue donor and grow each to a baby plant in sterile flasks. OS is more expensive than TC because each division is a piece of the original...whereas TC might be one of thousands in a mass-produced batch. Most serious collectors only want OS and are willing to pay for it...most hobbyists will make do with TC and far lower prices. Most TC from reputable growers are fine and are only sold when old enough to do well for the buyer...but you never know for sure until after you have bought it.

If you want great plants and unsurpassed customer service, buy from Hallsons!

Welcome to our forums! Hope to see you around...

wanda

Tigger · Post by **Tigger** » Apr 04, 2007 10:56 am

Hi and Welcome, shaggybirdman (???)

You might want to check out some of the FAQs, particularly the Lingo page and JGH's hilarious explanation of Where do Hostas Come From (both on page 2 of the FAQs).

I would echo the sentiments above with Why EvilBay? If you're just starting, buy from someone with a real reputation. Maybe that's snobbery, I know, but it's also security! Too often with a "bargain" you get what you pay for!

Oh, and while it's theoretically possible, making TCs at home is not something worth thinking about. Who wants to set up a sterile greenhouse?

Edit to add: from a good retailer (including but not limited to Hallson, certainly), I have no problem buying plants that I know came from TC. Trying to establish a hosta garden (no, not even a collection) these days with only OS plants takes deep, deep pockets, if it is at all possible. (and didn't some of those original sports come from TC anyway?) But if you buy directly (with your own eyes) from a local nursery or buy from a good mail-order shop where you can trust the eyes of the merchant, you'll be o.k. What, 95% of the plants on the market have TC backgrounds, and the others are field-grown stock of older plants (like Fortunei/Gold Standard or Undulata) from the Netherlands, perhaps, that may well be infected with HVX from their aggressive manufacturing procedures. I'd say the TC background is especially true of the minis you favor, as they reproduce pretty slowly by traditional vegetative means.

David

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Apr 04, 2007 12:33 pm

Hi, and welcome to the forum! I agree about buying from reputable suppliers. I have also looked on evil bay for hosta, and I find that the prices are not that competitive. If you check places, such as Hallson's, you may find the same. Also, Hallson's ships any size order for just $8.95. Great deals to be had here! Again, welcome!

thehostagourmet · Post by **thehostagourmet** » Apr 04, 2007 1:42 pm

Skip the tc's for now is my advice. I'd also question the choice of 'White Feather' as a starter. With so little chlorophyll it'll be a difficult cultivar to grow.

If you really like the minis, that's the official AHS term now that the dwarf category is gone, pick 'Blue Mouse Ears', 'Cherish', and 'Pandora's Box'. The last, only if you're adventuresome.

George

planwerk · Post by **planwerk** » Apr 04, 2007 3:20 pm

Wanda wrote: If you absolutely want to make sure you get an exact copy of a specific variety, you want a division of the original stock (OS). Problems with TC (tissue culture) can happen during the process...not all TC turn out exactly like the tissue donor...and if the grower doesn’t cull (discard) all those not true to type, you might get something completely different or one with poor growth. Tissue culture is more of a laboratory process rather than something you can easily do at home. They take cells from a tissue donor and grow each to a baby plant in sterile flasks. OS is more expensive than TC because each division is a piece of the original...whereas TC might be one of thousands in a mass-produced batch. Most serious collectors only want OS and are willing to pay for it...most hobbyists will make do with TC and far lower prices. Most TC from reputable growers are fine and are only sold when old enough to do well for the buyer...but you never know for sure until after you have bought it.

nothing more to say

Thanks for this.

LG planwerk

shaggybirdman · Post by **shaggybirdman** » Apr 04, 2007 9:14 pm

Tigger wrote:Hi and Welcome, shaggybirdman (???)

well my name is me. i raise birds, and i look shaggy. i have a gull beard, and longish hair. hence the name. believe it or not your the first person to wonder about my name

lol it fits me very well if i say so myself.

Jerry

shaggybirdman · Post by **shaggybirdman** » Apr 05, 2007 12:12 am

thehostagourmet wrote:Skip the tc's for now is my advice. I'd also question the choice of 'White Feather' as a starter. With so little chlorophyll it'll be a difficult cultivar to grow.

If you really like the minis, that's the official AHS term now that the dwarf category is gone, pick 'Blue Mouse Ears', 'Cherish', and 'Pandora's Box'. The last, only if you're adventuresome.

George

very good info to say the least. ya i know what you mean about white feather, but i just had to have it. does anyone have any links about it's cultivation? if so please post them. i sure would appreciate it.

shaggybirdman · Post by **shaggybirdman** » Apr 05, 2007 12:13 am

whats the deal with Pandora's box?

planwerk · Post by **planwerk** » Apr 05, 2007 1:43 am

It sometimes doesn't come back after winter, or sports back to Baby Bunting, the plant it originated of.
But it is cute and beautiful, worth the adventure.

shaggybirdman · Post by **shaggybirdman** » Apr 05, 2007 1:45 am

me thinks i'll pass on it then.

shaggybirdman · Post by **shaggybirdman** » Apr 05, 2007 2:05 am

here are my first 2 hosta. a dragon tail, and a teeny weeny bikini.

JoshS · Post by **JoshS** » Apr 05, 2007 10:44 am

White Feather does best in early morning sun and bright shade the rest of the day. Hot afternoon sun will fry it. Lots of water. It is one of the easier white ones to grow.

Pandora's Box has been easy for me. Much easier than the rest of the family...Cherish, Hope, and...the other one... It can take quite a bit of sun. It has done better that Teeny Weeny Bikini, too

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Apr 05, 2007 11:48 am

I've never had a problem with Pandora's box either. I have 2 in one of the shadier spots in my garden & they have done just fine.

playinmud · Post by **playinmud** » Apr 05, 2007 2:16 pm

Welcome Shaggybirdman!

Some of my first hostas were 1st year tcs (I didn't know what a tc was at the time). I would probably not go that route again if I were just starting out, knowing what I know today. I'd probably start out by buying more mature plants from a nursery like Hallson's.

'Pandora's Box' is planted on a hill and it gets full sun from 1:30 to 3:30. Comes back every year, all I do is water it well. Its a sweet little thing, not a problem child for me. I love 'Stiletto' too, and 'Lemon Frost'.

Just bought 'Dragon Tails' last week at the local hosta society plant sale. And I have 'White Feather' on order, I was under the impression that the plant greened up once it emerged and had leafed out. Was I mislead, is this a weakling of a plant? Hmmm, I'll have to choose a garden location carefully. Any suggestions??

shaggybirdman · Post by **shaggybirdman** » Apr 05, 2007 5:12 pm

thank you, thank you, thank you playinmud for the welcome

JoshS · Post by **JoshS** » Apr 05, 2007 5:57 pm

playinmud wrote:And I have 'White Feather' on order, I was under the impression that the plant greened up once it emerged and had leafed out. Was I mislead, is this a weakling of a plant?

You were not mislead...it does green up, but the lack of chlorophyll for part of the season still makes for a less vigorous plant than normal. Plus, during the white phase the leaves are especially prone to burning in anything more than a couple hours of early morning sun.

thy · Post by **thy** » Apr 05, 2007 6:09 pm

Hej and welcome

Tc is normal today, thank you or I would still have very few hostas

Hallsons grow them an extra year for security of selling healthy plants and do a lot of tests for HVX, you will get good plants only

I have had White Feather for 5 or 6 years and have had no problems with it. It's in a pot, late spring and early summer it is very shaded, then when it starts to turn grean streaked, I mowe it to a more sunny place for clorophyle. It is not a fast grower, but doing fine.

Bert - Hostako grows bonsai too, try to do a search for him and look up his homepage.

Pia

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