Lesson learned with sad result

16 years ago

Last year we put all my potted up hostas in our utility shed instead of in the garage where I had stored them for quite a few years.

Got them out last week and checked the ones which weren't showing eyes and found that of the 17 pots I had in the shed 8 potted hostas rotted! All the new hostas I got in June and potted up are gone!! (If I cried over posessions a tear would have been sliding down my cheek but I don't do that so I just took a deep breath and carried on and will get replacements when I can.)

The only reason I can think of is that the shed was too air tight and the changes in temp. caused some to rot. Placement could have been a cause too but when we took them out we didn't pay attention to that. Needless to say all the hostas except the ones I use on the deck are coming out of the pots. I'll have to find something else to go in them. And, back to the garage go my survivers this fall.

Connie

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Comments (3)

esther_opal
16 years ago
I had an unusual large loss in pots this year, different conditions than yours. I don't think I can say it was the year because my winter in so Indiana would be much different than yours.

Bothers me because I think I can make anything grow and have had so few losses over the years. Have believed that the reason I do well is I'm watching closely and see problems before it gets out of hand.

I don't think your shed could be air tight enough to be the problem and hosta aren't breathing in the winter so being air tight may not even matter.

You say rot which usually requires moisture so being to wet seems more likely, that is what I think happened to me.

Can rain blow into your shed?

Lack of air movement does lead to fungal problems, did they appear to have fungal growth. Mine did not by the way but they were wet because they were on the porch under an overhand that allowed rain and snow to blow in. I've normally tried to keep hosta very dry over the winter.

I'm kind of rambling and don't have an answer, I usually try to speak to matters I feel sure of?. I hate to post this because it may cause more confusion than clarity.
mctavish6
16 years ago
I just want to tell you I'm sorry Connie. I know how you feel. My sympathy also to anyone else who has had losses this year.

Last year was the first time this had happened to me with potted hostas. I figured it was a combination of too much moisture on some and a warm spell early that got them going too soon. I have always left larger pots outside but I tip on their sides. I figured one group of these, with a few losses, were in a place where the early sun hit the side of the pot and warmed them up too much. Last winter I put everything I could move into the garage. I tried to make sure they were pretty dry and any potting I did last summer I tried to have something in the mix to give good drainage. They all came back fine. I did have the quandry of when to bring them out. If I brought them out too soon I might as well have left them out over the winter. If I brought them out too late they would be "too" up too soon.

My biggest problem was with the new plants I got from early mail order. They were open already. I had 50 plants I was taking in and out of the front porch for over a month. I had just started leaving them outside over night. They are in a protected place with paving stones beneath and solid protective wall around. They were fine for the first few days. I checked the forcast nightly for frost. One morning I got up to several, un-forcasted, inches of snow on everything! I have been babying them ever since. So far there is one loss for sure, two or three in question and many lost and damaged leaves.

I'm with you in thinking I need to get the majority of them in the ground. I started with 75 in the shed, added 50. Even though I'm creating more "in ground" places all the time it doesn't seem to be enough. The only conclusion is to stop buying - HA!

I just want to let you know we are all sharing this challange together. Hang in there. McT
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esther_opal
16 years ago
I just want to let you know we are all sharing this challange together. Hang in there. McT

Very true but the main value of this forum IMHO is to learn real ways to grow hosta successfully. We or some can buy and keep buying but growing successfully is the secret. These types of discussions bring out and create "old wives tales" that will not solve our problems.

BIG BUTT, I don't have or hear a good answer except Ken who says properly "they are just hosta".

Lesson learned with sad result

Comments (3)

esther_opal

mctavish6

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