Hosta damage while emerging

[ogrefcf]

A few of my Hosta's have come out of the ground weird. Photo bucket is down so I can't load pictures right now. They look crinkled and don't come up straight like the "normal" ones. Is my ground to hard or planted to deep, any other ideas on what it might be?

[ogrefcf]

Pics working now,

[jerryshenk]

I have two that look like that too. A stained glass and a planteginea (maybe). This is new for me so I don't know if it might be normal for some varieties. All the rest of them have essentially the same form...straight spike that gets taller and finally unfurls.

[Chris_W]

Two things can cause the eyes to unfurl abnormally - frost damage to the tips as they just started to come out which makes the eyes not want to unwrap so they grow up and the pressure from below causes them to crinkle and tear. Whenever I see frost damage like that I'll just pinch the top off to help them later or unwrap the outer leaf by hand. That's what I'd do with the second hosta.

The other thing is that they could have been stepped on when they were just points coming out of the ground. That's actually more of what this looks like to me.

Either way, don't worry about it. Just help that second one unfurl and the future leaves that come out should be a lot better.

Hope that helps.

Chris

[ogrefcf]

Thanks Chris. I thought possibly that might be it, but thought no way, I'm extra careful around them. Then I realize I let my 2 and 8 year old run free in the back yard so it's very possible. My 8 year old stepped on my biggest Sum and substance I have in a pot and broke 3 eyes coming up. Speaking of that, what happens to the eyes that break? Do they just come up broken or replace themselves later? Thanks again.

[Mark Raw]

As far as I know the outer set of leaves will be damaged but the inner ones (laterset) are usually fine but smaller thats natural. To be honest I would just leave it alone as they can still use whats left of the leaf to get their energy, once the other eyes and leaves open fully you can remove the damaged leaves if they look unsightly. Yes sometimes frost etc can cause this too but that would happen in nature and the plant usually still lives.

[Justaysam]

Good answers Chris and Mark! Having 3 dogs and frost, I have a lot of this also. I used to tear off those messed up leaves, and hope that the next leaves would come out of the center, but now leave the deformed ones so the plant can use them to make "food" for itself. Once the damaged leaves seem to be dying off, I then snap them off later if they bother me too much.

[morgansrgr8]

Most all my hostas have started coming up with the warm weather we have been having. Then we have had frost. So most of my hosta look like this. Everything looks pinched and unhappy. And what was unfurled is laying on the ground. I keep my fingers crossed that everything will work out eventually. They may not be at their best right now but in my mind I see what stunners they were last year.