Hostas you just can't seem to grow...

[kaylyred]

Are there any hostas you just can't seem to grow, no matter how hard you try? I'm not talking about the slow growers or the ones that aren't as impressive as advertised; I'm talking about the ones that just don't thrive. At all.

I have a couple of hostas that seem to hate me:

- Vulcan (killed two plants, tried three different sites. I give up)
- Lakeside Paisley Print (Killed two of these, as well. The third is a pale shadow of what it was last year and may not survive the summer.)

I've pretty much given up on those two. What are your stinkers?

[Noreaster]

Rainforest Sunrise and Tropical Storm.

And Blue Ivory lives but can't seem to give me more than one eye.

I was considering Lakeside Paisley print but now think I will pass-

[ViolaAnn]

Well, I killed off my first 'Lakeside Paisley Print' last year. Am going to try again in a couple of weeks. 'Fair Maiden' never, ever looked "fair" in my garden and she's gone. I've had 'Lonesome Dove' for several years and still have just 1 eye. 'Little Jay' came back for its 2nd year then turned up its toes and died. I've had a tiny division of 'Proud Sentry' that is getting smaller each year.

[paul_in_mn]

Tropical Storm appears to have disappeared for me this year as well.

ViolaAnn, try Little Treasure instead of Little Jay - growing well.

[John]

Two come to mind, 'Fire and Ice', and 'Northern Halo.' Love the looks of both, but they remain single eyes after... decades...

[kaylyred]

Ugh! Thanks for reminding me, Noreaster. 'Rainforest Sunrise' and 'Tropical Storm' both disappeared from my garden for no reason I can explain. They left nothing in their wake--just never came back. They were planted next to 'Maui Buttercups,' which is growing just fine. I was going to try them again, but...maybe not.

[ogrefcf]

Dream Queen and Jimmy Cracked Corn are trouble for me. killed Dream Queen and JCC just keeps shrinking .

[Noreaster]

Karen, I don't have a problem with Maui Buttercups either, not counting the ugly desiccation. But Rainforest Sunrise just vanished and Tropical Storm struggles mightily and i bet will not make it tonext year. I bought Rainforest Sunrise at NH hostas and he has a couple large ones in his display bed...I wonder what his secret is.

[Noreaster]

Oh, and of course all the difficult white centered ones- eskimo pie, Pandora's box, fireworks...all goners. Lonesome
Dove didn't make it either.

[Chris_W]

There will be a lot of repeats on here, but I have to tell you, I grow a mean Vulcan and Lakeside Paisley Print just keeps getting prettier and prettier for me. 200 started so far and I don't think any more than a couple losses, mainly due to frost heaving. However, I saw some really young ones of LPP being sold, and if you leave the "elle" paper on them that Walters Gardens uses to grow them in (the only wholesaler for these plants) you are asking for trouble over the winter if you have heavier soil (like we do). So we remove all the paper and they do fine now.

Tropical Storm: Nothing but trouble so far. Again, I think it was an issue with rot and "elle" paper from Walters Gardens. I've now tried growing a tray of 20 larger plants and a tray of 72 liners from Walters and have very little to show from them. Lots were rotting when we got them and soon just up and died. This was before we started removing 100% of the paper pots they grow these in too, so many more rotted over the winter. Now I've dug up some, removed the paper, and some seem to be growing. A few even look half-way decent, but they should have been sold last year and I may never have many to show for it. A big waste of money for us.

Rainforest Sunrise and Maui Buttercups are two of our best sellers here. Never any trouble with either, but again, we make sure all that paper is off the roots or you will have rot in the winter.

Little Jay slowly faded away. Some did fine over the first winter and I thought they would be okay, but over the next couple winters they just disappeared.
Fireworks was the same way.
Lonesome Dove never survived the first winter.
Yang died off pretty quickly.
Hosta 'Jerry Landwehr' faded after a couple years.
Eskimo Pie held on for a while, but then they slowly faded until nothing was left.
Dancing in the Rain has been idle for years, but alive.
Greensleeves never survived a winter.
Tropical Dancer has also been trouble, but again I think it is an issue with rot and the elle paper from Walters Gardens. I've never had but a couple decent plants of that one, and have tried 60 of them so far. Another big waste of money. We actually call it "elle rot" here, where you dig a plant and the rotten crown falls off in an elle pot root ball.
The Queen has fizzled and only a couple little pieces remain of the 12 we started, but The King is doing great.
Island Charm - do I really need to mention this one?
Tattoo - again, I don't think I need to mention this one.
Orange Marmalade hates me. We have several wide margined sports that are doing fine, but regular ones just fade away in our high pH soil and very shady growing area.

I'm certain there are others that I'll remember later, but these come to mind right now.

[kaylyred]

That's a helpful list, Chris! I may just try 'Vulcan' and 'Rainforest Sunrise' again, but I'll order them from you. I still think I'd better leave 'Lakeside Paisley Print' alone--three deaths is a little much for me to take.

'Orange Marmalade' was one that came up stunted its second year in my garden, The little piece that was left looked ratty and misshapen. I was going to throw it on the compost pile, but my mom said she'd take it. It's going on its 4th year now. Mom passed away in February, but I was in her garden this weekend and it looked good. It's not very big, but it's come a long way. I guess it decided it liked her clay soil better than my silty loam.

[Noreaster]

No! don't tell me that about Orange Marmalade....I finally bought that one this year!

When you lose a hosta to heaving, exactly what is it that kills it? I had one hosta that I left in a tipped over hypertufa pot one winter. It got completely washed out of the pot and laid there, bare naked roots until Spring, when I picked it up and stuck it some potting soil. It was fine!

I also learned about the paper around the roots..I think that was the problem with my first year with blue Ivory. However,I peeled it off two years ago and it's still not growing! I do check all new hostas for that paper now, though.

KAren, I am very sorry about the loss of your mom.

[ViolaAnn]

I DID get 'Little Treasure' and it's doing well. I've never had problems with 'Rainforest Sunrise' other than stuff from the trees collecting in the extremely cupped leaves.

'Island Charm' - well mine never did well and I must say it's another that disappeared last winter. However, a friend has one that has always been much more vigorous than mine and is getting a division for me to try.

Likewise, my first 'Revolution' just died back and the last straw was being dug up by squirrels. But a replacement plant from same friend - just one eye - has done well.

My 'Orange Marmalade' does well.

[sweetee]

I love reading this forum because it answers a lot of questions. I've lost two Lakeside Paisley Prints, and just cannot explain it. Seems like some other people have problems with this plant. Maybe I'll try it again soon. Thanks for sharing !

[redcrx]

I need to hunt for my LPP and if it's still there.

[Eleven]

Golden Scepter - barely survived a couple years before I yanked the tiny bits that were left
Emerald Ruff Cut - one tiny eye came back this spring then croaked
Morning Light - shrank and disappeared over a couple years
Orange Marmalade - no growth in three years and pretty sure it's shrinking now
Sea Octopus - downhill over last summer and gone this spring

Funny, my Rainforest Sunrise is thriving in a sunny spot. Here's a pic from last summer:

[party_music50]

Little Sunspot. :p

[redcrx]

Found me Lakeside Paisley Print. Exactly the same as when I got it in 2010.

Lakeside Paisley Print - May 30, 2013

Group photo with Lakeside Spellbinder (left), Paradise Backstage (top) and Lakeside Coal Miner (bottom/right and not very dark):

Lakeside Paisley Print - May 30, 2013

[Noreaster]

One that does not thrive for me is Blue Hawaii. Every year it puts up about five big fat eyes and I think it will look great...but then it opens and the leaves are puny and the whole thing is just underwhelming. I thought it was supposed to be a vigorous grower, but it hasn't been for me.

I think I will move Tropical Storm to a sunny spot and see what that does.

[HostaDesigner]

One that does not thrive for me is Blue Hawaii. Every year it puts up about five big fat eyes and I think it will look great...but then it opens and the leaves are puny and the whole thing is just underwhelming. I thought it was supposed to be a vigorous grower, but it hasn't been for me.

This sounds like it was damaged in the spring at some point. Are the leaves thick and leathery, but small and no vigor? I've seen similar damage for years on different plants. Sometimes they never recover.