Why do you grow hostas in pot? Here's why I do
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
10 years ago
Planted Wide Brim in 2011. Decided to move it today. Dug up so many roots entangled in the hosta. It was disappointing to see. I think I will have to keep the majority of my hostas in pots if I want them to do well. Here is a photo of the roots and hosta.
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Gesila
10 years agoUser
10 years agoAnd here's why I grow them in pots.
Landscape fabric beneath that layer of mulch. We have a good bit of rain, and the ground is low and gets mucky and there is little possible natural drainage except for raised beds and containers. Plus, raised beds would require a specific piece of real estate be committed spring summer and fall, which might have really intolerable exposure problems at some point.So I am a "pothead!" :)
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Boxed hostas: why did I do it?!
Comments (2)Thanks, Ken. I was stalling on taking them out of the bags until I KNEW I could plant them. I unpacked the lilies I bought at the same time, and didnâÂÂt get to them; now they are shriveling. I am actually favorably impressed. They are not dried out. They are obviously alive and healthy. The PaulâÂÂs Glory (at left in the photo) in particular are larger than expected. I have no frame of reference, having never bought hosta bare root before. For all I know these may only make 2 leaves all summer. I think potting them up is a wise choice. That way I donâÂÂt waste prime real estate and planting time. I bought some gallon hosta at a local $$$ nursery last fall at 80% off. I got literally a trunkload for $20. I can see which ones of those made it first (itâÂÂs looking good so far, though itâÂÂs hard to tell in between the daffodil foliage in that area, and I know they donâÂÂt all pop up at the same time). Then I can plug in the survivors from the box into the gaps later. I will go soak them for an hour and pot them up....See MoreDo you grow your figs in black pots, if not why?
Comments (6)I would say it has less to do with the pot color and more to do with the soil drying out / heating up too much. If you absolutely have to put pots in full noon sun, mulch heavily. You could try shading the pot base maybe with a "tree skirt" that wraps around made from burlap, shade cloth, or something like that....See MoreWhy are my cacti growing skinny antenna-like limbs and what do I do?
Comments (11)First your pots are too tall. You need shorter pots. You also need to use proper cactus potting soil. Read up on cactus care. You are having a drainage problem. If you are watering your plants more than once a month after October it's too much. If you are in a Northern Climate I would look into a Climate Lamp. Your photo shows you just aren't getting enough light. If you have a southern facing window that would be best. Get them outside as early in the spring as you can....See MoreWhat kind of 'mixes' and 'pots' do you use and why?
Comments (41)Jeff, I should think you'd be able to find countless success stories w/ GM in the gardening forum - houseplants, C&S, container gardening, to start! The hardest (or most daunting) part is that first step of bringing together the components, so I'm not surprised that videos focus on this. Afterwards, it's pretty smooth sailing, if you've read up about it enough to have a general understanding of what follows. I love gritty mix, and not just as soil. I love it as a learning experience. It was just fascinating to try at first, but it ended up really teaching me about gardening and plants in general (in addition to Al's posts themselves, and his feedback, of course). I tried both 5-1-1 and GM, and while both are undoubtedly useful for their own purposes, I gravitated toward changing virtually everything into GM except edibles like tomatoes, lettuce, etc. Peppers were good, actually, but the upkeep required was significant. I think tomatoes in GM would be fascinating, but I shudder at the amount of mix I'd need to create to fill 15 gallon pots. Yikes. No. Of the house plants I have now, almost all have been grown in "real" GM or my variation of it. (Oh, except the Ficus lyrata, which never had the opportunity because I was out of GM when I got the plant.) I don't think I have a single succulent outside that hasn't lived for years in GM. And the best part is - when the gardening bug hits me and I'm fawning over everything in the spring, should I choose to water every single day -- it's fine. Everything from Clivia, Adenium, Hoya, Draceana, lemon and kumquat trees, etc. -- have performed amazingly in GM. While I am not a "GM or bust" person, it becomes pretty clear pretty quickly that when used properly, it's a far superior potting medium. Like I said, it makes you a better gardener overall. While I have switched much of my plants to potting mix in recent weeks, that's only because of the ridiculously low humidity here and the fact that I am not home enough, watering enough, or diligent enough these days to provide the care that they need, and potting mix buys me a little more time than GM the way I made it. (With Turface, the moisture should definitely last longer.) The only dings I can think of when it comes to GM is that (1) it is heavy...oh, so heavy....especially w/ my pea gravel; and (2) YOU need to provide all it needs in terms of nutrition--there is no "set it and forget it" mentality. I think many of us prefer the latter as I tend to fuss over my plants, but with my larger plants, how heavy GM can be is a deal-killer. Oh, and another deterrent for me here in LV is that my house has a pool outside, and sifting out perlite dust (a spectacle in and of itself) means I'll invariably get some in the pool. My back also feels broken enough to not want to lug around lava rocks and pea gravel. If someone would make it the way I want and off my property, and then water when I asked them to, I'd use it for virtually everything, still. :)...See More
Ludicious Acres
10 years ago
leafwatcher
10 years agoleafwatcher
10 years ago
brandys_garden
10 years agoI put them in pots for several reasons...
1. The ground is too hard and rocky here. Soil is not good. Hostas in ground don't do well here.
2. It's easier to keep slugs and other pests controlled and out of hostas.
3. I can move them whenever and wherever I want without a lot of hassle.
andi_mn
10 years agobkay2000
10 years ago
don_in_colorado
10 years agoI grew these in pots because I was SICK and TIRED of cold weather, so I cheated and started some in pots! Ha ha Now I will site them in the garden. (Except for 'Queen of the Seas' in the widest pot. I Think I'll showcase that one by the front door) :)
Actually, because of your inspiring pics, potheads, I'm planning on getting some varieties for potting up by the front door and the deck in back. Don't worry, I won't block the exits.
Don B.
ilovetogrow z9 Jax Florida
10 years ago
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