Best way to cover too early hostas

thy · Post by **thy** » Apr 10, 2007 4:39 pm

I know my zone is high in numbers, but look at a map - I am north of all or most of you.. thanks to the Gulf stream my winthers aren't that cold.

Normal winther here is a ride between frosts, thaw and fezeng temps.

Hosta eyes come some´time between January and April... ...
So what have I done in the early hosta years.. piled them up with soil, it DID slow them down, piled them up with compost... It forced them to grow

.. compost do make heat.

This year, when they started to let me see their noses in start January I piled them up with grit,... THAT helped even we did not get as bad as normal temps they have not been showing their eyes today April the 10.

Think of a grit ppile, even a small one.... it is always cool and slightly humid in there and I think that's the difference..

I let you know if somehing bad show up.. but with May temps in March... I think it at least here is the thing to do

So that is what I know for now, please join/ give your commens...

Pia

Libby · Post by **Libby** » Apr 10, 2007 4:56 pm

Pia, what is grit made of? I've read that people add it to the soil but I don't really know where you buy it.

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Apr 10, 2007 4:57 pm

Pia, thanks for the info, can you describe to me more detail on what is "grit"? I have seen you use that before, but I don't really know what it is. Thanks!

Libby · Post by **Libby** » Apr 10, 2007 5:19 pm

Charla, I think our paths have crossed!

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Apr 10, 2007 5:41 pm

I think you are right! That's funny, isn't it?

Did you notice the times on the posts...?

thy · Post by **thy** » Apr 10, 2007 5:49 pm

Hard one... do not know where to send a sample

Do you know the very fine sand you can use in a inhouse bird cave ???

Sure you know very small stones

Think something in between On US sitez are mentioned chicken grit and turkey grit... do not know those therms at all ...

Here in the underground we have a lot of grit...
So what do we use grit for= When you build a brick house it a part of the cement to glue the bricks....
Chickens love to spread it around
If you do hypotufa things... it is as far as I know a part of it... Better - it worked fine as a part of the cement, peat moss combo

It is under 2 milimeters... find a converter .. in diameter, rather sharp on the edges... sort of crused tiny stones...

Did this help at all

If not... tell me, and I will find a way

Pia..glad you asked

maidofshade · Post by **maidofshade** » Apr 10, 2007 5:53 pm

Does thy mean builders sand??

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Apr 10, 2007 5:58 pm

Sounds like builders sand to me, too...Pia, do you have any pics that has grit around hostas?

thy · Post by **thy** » Apr 10, 2007 6:22 pm

Sure have... but you can't see the size of the sand... so would not help you

Hee it is made in thew last ice age by the ice wall... does it help

Be sure you get the washed out for salt and clay thing... normally for buildings

thy · Post by **thy** » Apr 10, 2007 6:24 pm

If I get a couple of snail addys PM's.. I'll send samples

Jamie · Post by **Jamie** » Apr 10, 2007 7:23 pm

Hi Pia,
In this the Grit your talking about in one of these links? The quarry here calls it pea gravel and has quite a few sizes available..

http://www.ahsdirect.co.uk/product/467/125/

http://www.topsoil-turf-gravel.co.uk/prod.asp?CID=193

thy · Post by **thy** » Apr 10, 2007 7:43 pm

No, seems to be small stones ...

Think ruff sand ...

The one I talk about is a bit hard but not impossible to keep in your hand when dry

We use it when we lay down tiles in the garden.. but think you can use other things too...

Snail mail addy

Jamie · Post by **Jamie** » Apr 10, 2007 7:59 pm

Hi Pia,
It does sound a lot like sand.. Here in the US we put in in tractor tires, etc for the kids to play in and have the neighborhood cats chit in it. No really it's used for tons of things here from concrete to sand bags to help with flooding waters..

thy · Post by **thy** » Apr 10, 2007 8:29 pm

the fine sand would turn my heavy clay to concrete... this one break it up

We use it in play yards too... but it is so big it stop a childs sand mill

.. hard to form a worm or duck out of it even with forms, but good to play at ....

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Apr 10, 2007 11:51 pm

Pia, I think I know better what you are talking about...I think we would call it a coarse builders sand. Thanks for the info...

I'll check around to see what I can find locally.

pauhaus · Post by **pauhaus** » Apr 11, 2007 9:08 am

Hi there, I think Pia is referring to something like chick starter grit which is basically very fine crushed granite. I think one brand name is "granny grit." I hope that helps.