Now what?

[lykaon78]

From my upstairs closet operation I have 4 to 6 hostas in this years batch of seeds that I'd like to keep. My seedlings have never left their initial germination point and I'm ready to move them to a bigger pot. They're about 3 months old and most are now in the 4 or 5 leaf range.

When I move them to a bigger pot what soil mixture should I use; potting soil, germination soil, 50/50 potting/garden dirt, or garden dirt?
They've been under 24 hour lights. Should I change it up?
Anything else I am missing?

[John]

Will you be keeping them in containers?

Hostas need a winter rest period, so I'd think about planting them outside, preferably in the ground to get established before winter.l

[lykaon78]

They'll eventually find their way to the garden once the hottest part of the summer is over. For now I was going to move them to a larger pot.

[Seedseller1]

By no means an expert here, but I'll chime in.

If they were mine, I would pot them in a course, well draining potting mix--something with 50 % pine bark fines seems to work really well, or anything similar. I would then place them in a south or east facing window and allow them to adjust to natural light for about a week or so--preferably where there is some air movement but not a direct blast from the air conditioner,fan, etc.. From there I would expose them to the outside, keeping them out of prolonged direct sun and wind, "hardening" them off. This can be done by leaving them outside for an hour or so the first day and slowly increaseing their exposure to the elements day by day. I would then plant them in a shaded or morning sun only location that is protected from wind, as wind descication may be your biggest enemy at this point, keeping them moist but well drained. Even if a few leaves get burned or even dry up and wither away, the plant should be far enough along if it has a good root system to fend for itself. Ideally, you should hope for new growth before dormacy which will indicate the plant is on its way to being established in it's new location. I would not remove any "ugly" leaves along the way as anything that is still alive should be producing chlorophyll (food) for the plant. You may want to insulate them after dormacy to help avoid frost heave in the spring (a light coating of leaves or straw after the plants have gone dormant). Without rushing the initial process, I would say that the sooner they are in the ground, the better off they will be.

Good luck!

(Anybody else: feel free to correct me or give additional advise if needed)

[eastwood2007]

I agree with what has been suggested already.

The only exception I may take would be to go ahead and repot them then move outside (if the temp difference isn't too extreme right now) to a completely shaded area for a day or two then gradually increase the amount of sun. I think putting them in a window may limit their light exposure too much (even more then putting them in shade for a day or two).

If the temps outside are too warm, can you pot up the ones you plan to keep and let them remain under the lights they are currently under?

[lykaon78]

Thanks everyone for the tips.

The problem with the gradual acclimation to the outdoors is that I work about 10-12 hours/day (including commute). We've had a terribly hot and dry July and August is normally worse so I' was thinking of potting them up and holding them in the lights until September.

I'm just worried that one day of neglect will cost me my seedlings in this heat.

[Chris_W]

Hi,

I agree with the comments above. The sooner you get them into the ground the better, or plan on keeping them potted the rest of the winter outdoors. Your babies will put out a lot of new root growth during the heat of August, but root growth will stop once it cools in September. It is a bit of a catch 22 really. Getting them outdoors and acclimated, even in the shade, will help them a lot for the final transplant. You could take them out on your days off and see how they do just in the shade, then give them a little light late in the day or early in the morning when you are home. But definitely get them in the ground soon.

Personally I try to do all of my planting in July, but I'm behind this year. I really have to scramble now since I like things to have 6 weeks in the ground before frost so they are well rooted.

[eastwood2007]

You can gradually increase the amount of sun they get just by moving them to different locations. Depending on the light available in your yard you shouldn't have to be there during the day to move them in and out of light.

Where I live, I know where/when the shade on the north side of the house hits on the ground.

I start with the hostas (in pots) right next to the house for a few days, then each day or so move them a few more feet from the house. That gradually increases the amount of sun they get before the shade encompasses them again. Easy! Just keep moving them in to the sun until you can mostly replicate the amount of sun they will be permanently planted in. Can be accomplished in 2 weeks or less, I would think.

Also, as the temps start to cool down heading into fall they can take a little more sun.