Pic of the Day--Hoosier Harmony

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--Hoosier Harmony

Post by Hank Zumach »

Hi All--I have come to think of Hoosier Harmony as one of the better varieties we have had in our garden. Very attractive and with a good growth rate, its only drawback is a need to protect against slug damage. After being purchased in 2000 it was put in a spot that gets about 3 hours of sun. For the next 5 years its measurements were 20x12, 27x23, 31x17, 31x15, and 31x17. Lemke's Data Base lists 36x18 for a mature plant.

Registry - http://www.hostaregistrar.org/detail.ph ... %20Harmony
MyHostas - http://myhostas.be/db/hostas/Hoosier+Harmony
Hosta Library - http://www.hostalibrary.org/h/hoosierharmony.html
Hoosier Harmony 7-13-04c.JPG
Hank
Better Gnomes & Gardens
zone 4B-5A
Latitude: 43° 48' 51" N
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Chris_W
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Joined: Oct 05, 2001 8:00 pm
USDA Zone: 9
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Post by Chris_W »

That's really looking good for you Hank. I wish I could say the same about mine.

We probably started this hosta about the same time, in 2000 or 2001 as tissue culture plants. At first they grew fine in pots, which we had them in for a couple years, but then after planting them in the ground they just kind of sat there. A couple years ago we again potted them up and again they seemed to take off and looked really good, probably because of the extra moisture and fertilizer they get from being in a container. At the end of 2004 we moved the remaining plants here and planted them in the display garden. They shrank in 2005, even more in 2006, then this past summer each plant only had about 2 or 3 leaves each.

Considering that this is a sport of H. 'Royal Standard' I would have expected much better growth out of them. Obviously after seeing your picture it isn't impossible to grow this one, but when you grow as many hostas as I do you really hate to spend much time on the picky ones. :)
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loisf
Posts: 100
Joined: Nov 13, 2007 6:54 pm
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Post by loisf »

I have only last summer's experience with Hoosier Harmony, but it was one of my favorites. Being new to this hosta-mania, I wasn't aware that it was mismarked at the grower where I bought it. I bought it simply because I loved it. When I got it home and looked at the Hosta Library site, I realized that it was not Twist of Lime at all. Thus began my investigation. When it bloomed fragrant, the possibilities narrowed. I was quite pleased with myself for identifying it. And even more pleased when I confirmed my identification by finding a group of Twist of Lime at the same grower marked Hoosier Harmony. I hope I have Hank's luck with this variety, because it is quite lovely.
SUEDIA
Posts: 348
Joined: Jun 21, 2002 8:00 pm
Location: Zone 4/5 Central Iowa

Post by SUEDIA »

I have had my HH for about 4 years and it looked allot like Hanks last year. I picked mine up when I was visiting my brother in Indiana and just had to pick up HH to remember him by. I will have to see how big it is this year. It sure does brighten up a dark spot in the hostas. Hank thanks for sharing.
Sue
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jgh
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Joined: Oct 14, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Plymouth, Minnesota zone 4

Post by jgh »

Unfortunately, my experience is similar to Chris. I, too, started some from tc back around 2000. Grew great in pots that spring, so I lined them out in mid summer, then had a Hoosier's nut buy most of them the next year.

Kept 3 around. The one in the display garden looked OK, then shrank each of the last three years. One in a lot of shade and neglected just sits there. And one sported to all green... that one grows like gangbusters but it is ho-hum. With not a lot of substance, it is also vulnerable to falling twigs and acorns. I mentally marked it to remove from the display garden. What a difference in different gardens!
Linda P
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Joined: Oct 15, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: N W Illinois, zone 5

Post by Linda P »

My experience has been similar to that of Chris and jgh. I moved it a few times, trying to find the right location. Finally put it in my former veggie garden, in soil that was heavily amended with lots of cowyard stuff (manure mixed with bedding, leftover hay, etc) and some composted spoiled corn silage, and watered the dickens out of it. It started to grow like a weed and looked good last year.
Linda P
And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten.....
Algernon Charles Swinburne

Latitude: 41° 51' 12.1572"


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FreakyCola
Posts: 1397
Joined: Feb 20, 2002 8:00 pm
USDA Zone: 5
Location: Indiana

Post by FreakyCola »

I've had this one for about 5 years & have had the same experience as Jim & Chris. The first year when I had it in the pot awaiting planting I would walk by it & have to stop & check the tag to wee what that gorgeous hosta was. After planting it seemed to grow larger that first year & was beautiful. The next year it was the same, but every year since it has come up with maybe 8 or 10 leaves and has really shrunk. I think I'll pot it this year & see if that helps or follow Linda's plan & fertilize the heck out of it then drown it. :wink:
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caliloo
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Location: SE PA Zone 6/7

Post by caliloo »

My Hoosier Harmony came as a bonus a fwe years ago - so I had no idea what to expect. I stuck it in a temporary spot until I could figure out what to do with it.

It grew beautifully! It was lush and increasing steadily.

Then I decided on a location where it would be "perfect" in my landscape, so I dug it up and moved it. There has been a steady decline and I'm not even sure if it will be back this year..... :???:
Spring - An experience in immortality.
- Henry D. Thoreau
FreakyCola
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Joined: Feb 20, 2002 8:00 pm
USDA Zone: 5
Location: Indiana

Post by FreakyCola »

Maybe it doesn't like to be moved, coz I realized after reading Calliloo's post that mine started deteriorating after I'd moved it. Or maybe it doesnt' like the sun it gets where it is now. I can't remember now where I had it planted first.
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