Blue Angel

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

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baja220
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Blue Angel

Post by baja220 »

I was just gonna dig up everything around my Blue Angel that he's eating, but when I went out to do it I'm thinkin I might as well move the Blue Angel. I measured from the center to the sidewalk that it's beside and it's 20" away. He's only got 5 eyes and it's already 42" wide! :eek: Got him in Sept 06 with 1 eye. What yal think?
Here's a pic.....clickable

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Pieter
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Post by Pieter »

Digging it up now will set it back some and it will not be as big next year, but I'm sure all its neighbours will love you for it...in particular the Deja Blu......
Pieter

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ZZTOPSOIL
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Post by ZZTOPSOIL »

Debbie...
If You Haven't Seen Your Angel Bloom Yet...
I Would Wait Until After He Blooms and then Divide.
I Hate Distrupting their Bloom Cycle.
Blue Angel's Have Such a Spike on them
-Lelan.
~Growing for Today...Saving for Tomorrows~

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thy
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Post by thy »

I would move it instead of the others... it is going to swallow them and the pach before you know

My Fan Dance is a llittle hosta this year.. lived under BA last year and it is visible.. it did not like it at all

Do it when you are ready to water for the rest of the season and with as big a root ball as possible

Pia
Against stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain.
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baja220
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Post by baja220 »

He's moved now!!! What a job that was. :o I taped him up with duct tape, masking tape wouldn't hold, got him dug out with a 30.00 garden fork I just bought at HD a couple weeks ago and gonna take back. The forks are all bent and I didn't even hit a rock!! Didn't look like I damaged the roots to much. I potted him in a 20W x 15H pot.

All taped and ready to dig!!
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ZZ, here's a big bud!! Didn't wanna wait any longer cause it's fixin to be HOT here! I hope they flower!!
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A look at him outta the ground.
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In his new temp. home. This is the area where a new hosta bed was gonna be this spring and where he was gonna live. What you see of my Pin Oak is just about all that's left after the ice storm so I've gotta get it taken out. Then I guess I'm gonna build some shade to take the place of the tree.
Yal think I should leave him taped up for a while? How long?
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Marlys
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Blue Angel

Post by Marlys »

Debbie,

My Blue Angel is mature and takes up a huge amount of space. It is in a dark corner and tolerates it well. I'm thinking it needs like 30" or more all the way around the center of the plant. I am always amazed at just how big some of these hostas really get and BA is just plain huge. My cats play and rest under it's umbrella leaves. Visitors to my gardens can never believe how big it is and to be truthful neither can I.

It was good you moved yours away from the sidewalk and your smaller sized hostas. That must have been a heck-of-a-job! Makes my back ache just looking at the pictures. All of my soil is heavy clay and NOT a joy to work in.

Good Job!

MM
Last edited by Marlys on May 30, 2008 3:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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LucyGoose
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Post by LucyGoose »

Wow, so that is how you did it....tape ......very cool! I do not have that one, and now I know why... :lol:
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kHT
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Post by kHT »

Oh no tape??? How are you going to get it off? I would of used twine on it. I hate moving the big ones but ya know that is going to look lovely in that pot! Best of luck on removing that tape and I would do it soon if it's going to get hot.
karma 'Happy Toes' (kHT)
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I'm just a simple housewife.
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baja220
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Post by baja220 »

Marlys, the reason for that pot is I can't put it in the ground till I get that tree taken out. Then I'm gonna build some shade, then he can go in the ground. Will probably happen by fall. The was plenty of room for the roots in that pot. I had that cart half full of soil for the pot and used it all plus.

Karma, I tried that 3/4" streachy green stuff that comes on a role like tape to tie plants with and masking tape before I resorted to the duct tape. It's the only thing that would hold the leaves. Twine would've cut the stems.

Somebody did a how to on 'how to move a big plant', of course now I can't find it, but it said to leave the tape for a little bit and told the reason. I need to look again for that thread.
whip1
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Post by whip1 »

The tape is to allow the plant to continue to pump water into the leaves. I'd leave it for a few weeks. If it's taken off too early, you may lose some leaves. If taken off to late, nothing will happen.
Arlene
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Post by Arlene »

Debbie, it was Ken Adrian who posted the directions for moving a large hosta. I've reprinted them for you here . . . hope that helps! It sure helped me when I moved mine!

Moving a large fully leafed out Hosta

You’ll need a rope (like clothes line), masking tape, shovel, pruning shears, a strong back, hose and water. Dig the hole in the new place.

Water the hosta well in advance so it is in prime shape for moving.

Put the clothes line under the hosta; and draw it tight about halfway up the petioles / leaf stems. Draw it as tight as you can without breaking too many leaves.

With the masking tape, tape the petioles above and below the rope . . . do not have fear.

Dig at least half way out from where the edge of the canopy was, remembering that you have to be able to lift the darn thing after it’s out.

Dig/cut a circle around the whole hosta, and then 'pop' it out – hoping there aren’t any tree roots to frustrate the procedure. I never go more than one shovel depth, which means you will be real close on the proper depth of the new hole.

Once loose, lift and drop the plant twice, to remove any excess soil that might fall off. You can use the bound leaves to grab the plant to move it around.

Drag the plant to the new hole and throw it in. Water it well and backfill and water again. Remove the rope, but leave the tape there. It will hold the leaves up until the roots start pumping water. The process causes a loss of turgidity, loss of water pressure to hold up the leaves.

Deep watering well – the tape will fall of in a week or 2 depending on heat and rain, or you can remove it after you are sure the leaves will not flop.

Prune off any broken leaves – water, water, water.

Bottom line: they are hosta! Have no fear ... just teach them who is in charge .. and you will have a wonderful garden ...

good luck

Contributed by ken_adrian
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baja220
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Post by baja220 »

Thanks whip and Arlene!!!! I knew there was a post about the tape somewhere and to leave it, but was beginning to doubt my memory!! :lol:
Well the tape is still on and I'm leaving it for a couple of weeks.
I hope the duct tape doesn't do much damage. The buds look unaffected!
Arlene
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Post by Arlene »

Debbie, my guess is that the duct tape won't disintigrate like masking tape would, but when the plant seems ready to stand on its own, you could snip between petioles and trim so that there will just be small strips or shreds of tape sticking to the petioles. It may look a bit strange but it shouldn't harm the plant.
whip1
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Post by whip1 »

Arlene wrote:Debbie, my guess is that the duct tape won't disintigrate like masking tape would, but when the plant seems ready to stand on its own, you could snip between petioles and trim so that there will just be small strips or shreds of tape sticking to the petioles. It may look a bit strange but it shouldn't harm the plant.
I would think the tape would lose some of it's adhesion being out in the weather, and should come off. If it doesn't, I'd do what Arlene said.
Arlene
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Post by Arlene »

Whip may well be right . . . either way, I'm sure your beautiful Blue Angel will be fine.
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