Newbie with Hostas in Wisconsin

deez_2008

16 years ago

Hi! We purchase our first house last year. Naturally our first year was spent getting settled, but now, Spring is going to sneak up on me faster than expected. Our yard is a 'blank slate'. When the previous owners moved they took EVERYTHING and left us with one half dead maple tree in back (very sweet of them).

I started to pay attention to others yards and landscaping ideas, and I've come to realize I LOVE HOSTAS! I just purchased some Francee seeds. Oh, let me back up, did I mention I am new and have absolutely NO gardening experience???? Um.. yeah, this will be an interesting year I am sure.

I read a thread about seeds before and it gave me great info. But I have a question to add to that. Once I have the seeds germinating indoors, can I plant Francee in a house pot and then transplant her in the spring, or is this not a recommended practice? How far down should I plant a seed that has began to germinate (outdoors)?

I would love to ask more questions, as I have so many, but any info is greatly appreciated. Even a gardening vocab lesson is appreciated! LOL. I heard the term 'legging' when referring to seeds, but don't know what that is.

My last question... I'm 1/2 hour south of Green Bay, anyone willing to become my personal tutor?? LOL

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Comments (7)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
16 years ago
thanks god the maple is half dead.. now go finish the job.... the ABSOLUTE WORST TREES TO GARDEN UNDER .....

hosta do NOT come true from seed ... so you will not get francee ... but you will have fun growing them .. you can start them right now... under shop lights ...

get a flat of some kind .... even a clear take out thingee .... sterilize some potting medium .... fill it ... sprinkle seed on top ....then just gently push them in .... no depth needed.. just firm contact with the soil ... they can germinate in the dark .. but a little heat will help ... put it on top of the fridge for 7 to 20 days .... once the sprout.. get them under a shoplight.. no more than 3 inches above .... remove the top .. or crack it open once they are about an inch big... add fert to a milk jug of water... 1/4 tspn per gal .. and fert every time you water .... when you get to 4 leaves.. transplant into a 6 oz solo cup... etc ...

legginess is caused by insufficient light .. hence the shoplight ... IMHO.. they will not do well on a cold window sill ...

there are hosta clubs all over the US .... and there has to be one near you .. visit the hosta library and find the link to clubs... or better... find the American hosta society web page... and find the closet club.. and call the president... and ask who might live near you .... you are in the land of the hosta ... there are folks everywhere.. do NOT be shy ....

check the forum FAQ's ... there should be one or two about seeds ....

welcome to the forum ...

ken
0
newhostaaddict
16 years ago
hi deez,,,

welcome to the madness,,,

send me and email,,,

i am a 1/2 hour "South" of Green Bay also,,,

jill
0
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well ami ... we in MI just had 4 weeks in single digit temps ... so there isnt much action anywhere in the cold areas ... and hosta dont do all that good.. the warmer your zone .. so though you may be ready, willing and able to get a move on spring.. you just arent going to find many hosta peeps that are ABLE .. trust me.. after an intensely cold winter.. i am ready .. but mother earth is not able .. are hosta appropriate for your zone???? anyway ... try the exchange forum.. but dont expect much until the ground thaws in a vast majority of the US ... ken
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esther_opal
16 years ago
Deez you find yourself in a place of great collective knowledge and a group of obsessive-compulsive collectors who will recommend every new hosta they don't have.

Look for the old known good performers such as Sagae that will be cheap or cheaper than some of the newbies. After you've painted your blank slate move on to some of the new ones that may not perform or even be worth having.
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Teresa_MN
16 years ago
Welcome! One of the best places to start for newbies is White Oak Nursery. I did not hear of them until my second year of collecting but wish I had. I try to pass this along to every newbie I run across.

They have healthy hostas at reasonable prices. You can order online now and they will ship when the weather is warm in your area. At the bottom of the home page you brouse by size of hosta or by price if that is an issue for you.

Good Luck!
Teresa

Here is a link that might be useful: White Oak Nursery
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Hosta_Haven
16 years ago
Deez,

Check out the Farmer's Market in Appleton on Saturdays, starting about mid-May, especially the first one. Several nurseries selling hostas will be there.

House of Hosta outside of Green Bay is fantastic; he has several greenhouses devoted to hosta. You really need an appt., though, to go browsing the greenhouses. There are no cultivar markers on the pots, just number codes. He does alot of mail order. He's often not there (has staff to sell plants on display up front); he is often traveling the world/USA in search of new hostas. He has an awesome hosta display garden next door by his house (no lawn in front, just hostas!) He also sells lots of perennials and those are all clearly marked.

While growing from seed may be fun, it is no way to build a collection, in my opinion.

I agree with EO that you should start with the classics; more bang for your buck and less disappointment.

BTW, what do you have for shade besides the half dead maple? If nothing, you should be looking into planting trees first (the bones of your landscaping). We've been having discussions (during the past several months) of what trees are best to plant hosta under. Try doing a search at the bottom of the main hosta forum page.

Welcome!

Char
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hostahaveum
16 years ago
Welcome Deez ! A good thing to do is read over old posts you will get a great hosta education here, I joined last spring & have learned so much. Also hosta library is a good sight& theres a hosta seed growers forum also just google those & read posts here you will catch up to speed for spring plantings.
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davej_07
16 years ago
Welcome to the Addiction!!!!1
South side of Milwaukee here. Let me know if youre coming to the area at all this spring....Id be happy to show you around my gardens and send you home with some stuff to start your collection:)

Dave
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Newbie with Hostas in Wisconsin

Comments (7)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

newhostaaddict

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