Pic of the Day--George Smith

Talk about hostas, hostas, and more hostas! Companion plant topics should be posted in the Shade Garden forum.

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Hank Zumach
Posts: 3262
Joined: Oct 11, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Stoddard, WI

Pic of the Day--George Smith

Post by Hank Zumach »

Hi--This photographic trip around our hostas includes the good, the not so good and, yes, the bad. As hard as it is for a hostaholic to face, there are some varieties and individual plants that just don't have it. It happens, particularly in these days of tissue culture, that an otherwise good variety will have a bad individual plant. Such is the case with today's variety, George Smith. My apologies to Mr. Smith, but the hosta I got with his name on it just does not want to grow. The plant would be attractive enough if only there were enough plant to attract, if you get my drift. I got it in 2003 and planted it in a spot that get something like 3-4 hours of sun. It was 18x7 that year and then it actually regressed for two years when it measured 7x4 and 10x5. It did offer some hope last summer when it almost got back to its original size at 17x7 and actually produced a second eye. Considering that Lemke lists this plant at 40x24, it seems likely that I got a lemon instead of a hosta.

Registry - http://www.hostaregistrar.org/detail.ph ... ge%20Smith
MyHostas - http://www.myhostas.be/db/hostas/George+Smith
Hosta Library - http://www.hostalibrary.org/g/georgesmith.html

The photos are from 2003, 2005, and 2006.
George Smith 6-26-06c.jpg
George Smith 5-27-05c.jpg
George Smith 6-25-03c 014.jpg
Hank
Better Gnomes & Gardens
zone 4B-5A
Latitude: 43° 48' 51" N
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viktoria
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Joined: Oct 17, 2001 8:00 pm
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Post by viktoria »

You must have got a lemon! Mine is growing just fine.
Many a great tune has been played on an older fiddle.
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MikeWI
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Joined: Oct 24, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: the Land o'Milorganite

Post by MikeWI »

I've not had too much trouble with mine. I almost lost it back when... but it stuck around... still in recovery.
Mike
Milwaukee
Hank Zumach
Posts: 3262
Joined: Oct 11, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Stoddard, WI

Post by Hank Zumach »

HI--If you folks have some photos, how about posting them? I just saw a large, gorgeous George Smith posted on the pixlist.
Hank
Better Gnomes & Gardens
zone 4B-5A
Latitude: 43° 48' 51" N
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jgh
Posts: 5135
Joined: Oct 14, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Plymouth, Minnesota zone 4

Post by jgh »

I think I know where you got that George Smith... one of an order we shared. I think you got some for your gardening buddies... it would be interesting how thiers are doing.

We got these from a reliable source in 2003 - but mine has behaved just like yours, not doing much for those first 3 seasons. I found pics from 2003 and 2005, and it sure hadn't grown much.

This is a yellow-centered sport of Elegans, so we shouldn't be surprised at slower growth... but I definitely expected a little more. Also, it has shown some burn each year.

I just looked at a shot of my coffee deck from 2006 and enlarged the detail of George Smith. Looks like it had a growth spurt. Maybe this year it will come into its own?!
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Hank Zumach
Posts: 3262
Joined: Oct 11, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Stoddard, WI

Post by Hank Zumach »

Jim--You are right about us having plants from the same batch. I forgot that I had purchased it from you. Since you are having the same type of growth with yours, that just seems to confirm my suspicion about my plant having come from a problem TC batch. I don't recall who, if anyone, from my garden club also bought George Smith back then.
Hank
Better Gnomes & Gardens
zone 4B-5A
Latitude: 43° 48' 51" N
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