The hosta this year with largest eye count compared to last year

newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada

10 years ago

I have a few hostas yet to emerge, but they are not going to beat this hosta in eye count number compared to last year:

Birchwood Parky's Gold (2012 - 2 eyes) (2012 - 14 eyes!)

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Comments (23)

Gesila
10 years ago
Now that's what I call a leap year!
Ludicious Acres
10 years ago
Mine was Praying Hands - it jumped from 1 eye last year to 7 this year.

The power of prayer. :)

Gratz on your Birchwood Parky's Gold Newhostalady !!!

ItÃ¢ÂÂs always rewarding to see more eyes the following year. Makes you feel like all the back aches and endless days spent watering were worth it in the end.

Ludi
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Chris W says; How deep should you plant a hosta? What are the consequences of too shallow? Too deep? What is the "right" depth for a hosta? Plants that are too shallow get heat stress faster, drought stress faster, and can get cold damage over the winter if that crown gets exposed. Deeper plants tend to stay dormant longer which can be important with frost sensitive plants like the fragrant ones. If you have hostas coming back smaller with smaller leaves, check if you can see the crown. If so it is too shallow. Plants that are too deep will need to grow up closer to the surface. Eyes may emerge further out from where the main clump was located so that you no longer have a tight clump. Stems may rot a little easier if they get buried in summer by mulch. I always try to get the "right" depth, but I would much rather err on the side of planting a little too deep. Plants will establish the "correct" depth the very next season if they were too deep. For example if you plant a crown at 3" and it wanted to be 2" you will probably never even notice that it had to grow up that extra inch below the surface before producing a new eye. However, plants can take several seasons to grow deeper if they come back at all when planted too shallow. In our rows we will often find that the largest hostas are the ones that were planted a little deeper than the rest. TOO deeply and we will see that the eyes are spaced a little further apart but are still usually the largest plantlets. When we have a plant that is struggling we find that the crown is often right at or slightly below the surface. We also find that moles often tunnel underneath plants causing them to rise up closer to the surface, plus creating an air pocket under the plant. Those plants dry out in the summer and struggle over the winter. The only time that depth may pose a problem is if they were buried or sank during the season. If a hosta was growing at a depth of 1" from the top of the eyes/dormant buds to the surface and was then planted at a depth of 3" you might get some stem rot. By early to mid summer most stems are hardened off to the soil and can tolerate a little covering but you might get rot problems during the heat of the summer. Because of this we prefer to topdress shallow hostas in the fall after they are starting to go dormant. In most cases it is just better to get the depth close when planting and the hosta will find its way the next spring if you were off a little. Two examples of plants finding the right depth after being planted too deep: 1) A Hosta 'Riptide', one eye, was planted last summer with the crown at a depth of 3 1/2". This particular eye emerged last, but by mid summer the eye was slightly larger than other plants around it. I dug it up and it had grown an elongated stem out of the main eye and then established a new crown at a depth of 2", measured from the top of the dormant buds to the soil level. Roots were at about 2 1/4". Our remaining plants were only at a depth of about 1" but should have been planted up to 2" deep without causing any harm. 2) A Hosta 'Pineapple Juice' was noticed in the growing area with 6 eyes spaced very far apart. It was planted last fall. Upon digging it I noticed that it had been planted too deeply, and possibly at an angle. The deepest eye from last fall was at a depth of 4 1/2". The shallowest was at a depth of 1 1/2". All of the eyes produced elongated stems and every single one produced a new eye at a depth of 1 1/4" with roots around 1 1/2". So in this case the proper depth would have been about 1 1/4". Butch adds; Nothing I'm about to say disagrees with Chris but there is a method to make it easier. Choose the depth you feel is proper then mulch when you've finished planting, the plant can find its own depth with out much suffering. Mulch will not overcome way to deep but help and mulch will absolutely overcome to shallow. Mulch is creating new soil, building it up slowly and the plant will find its own proper level. Two things mulch offers is insulation, summer and winter and air. Air is a little discussed subject and just as important as water, sun and food. Ive found that hosta roots do not need as much air as most believe but the crown area does need sufficient air. The air around the crown is consistent with hosta growing in the wild in Japan.
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leafwatcher
10 years ago
well from the ones that are up, Believe it or not I am going to have to say Great Ex, one plant went from 4 to 12 eyes... I really baby them over the year , they get LOTs of aquarium water...More than any of the others...

I need to quit thinking about what ifs, and just remain calm, it is snowing for heavens sake !
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
Original Author
10 years ago
Ludi, your hosta's eye count and mine were the same---times 7---from the previous year. Wonder if anyone can top that?

"ItÃ¢ÂÂs always rewarding to see more eyes the following year."

Well I have to say that seeing more eyes the following year, makes me feel like an expert---even though I am far from that! It's a good feeling!

Leafwatcher that's a wonderful increase especially for Great Ex. Aquarium water you say? Well I won't be seeing the benefits from aquarium water here as I have just emptied my aquarium (and will be selling it) after having one for over 30 years. Now if I had known my Great Ex. would do an increase like that . . .
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
Original Author
10 years ago
Anyone else have an outstanding increase in eyes?
don_in_colorado
10 years ago
'Blue Hawaii' 15 eyes last season; 46 this season.

Don B.
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
Original Author
10 years ago
That deserves a "Wow!"
don_in_colorado
10 years ago
Yup, that's what I said!

Don B.
MadPlanter1 zone 5
10 years ago
I don't keep track, but with the horrible conditions we had last year didn't expect things to leap. I was just happy so many hostas I thought might not make it are coming up. One of the GEs has 7 pips this year. I think it had two last year. Dress Blues got eaten to the ground twice, and it had 7 pips, too. Spilt Milk has really big eyes (more than thumb size) and more keep coming up.

Wow, Don. That's some jump. How can you keep track? Once it gets past 18 or so I start wondering if I've already counted this eye or not.

No idea how many Golden Edger has. I usually don't divide a hosta unless it sports/reverts, but maybe it's time for this one.
leafwatcher
10 years ago
Some of you didn't have leap years, you had CATAPULT years !
don_in_colorado
10 years ago
Aquarium/Pond water. That's the secret, eh Leafwatcher? shhhhhh......Stuff is gold...I've said too much...shhhh...

Don B.
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
Original Author
9 years ago
It's hard to believe, but someone stole by Birchwood Parky's Gold hosta! My husband built two wall shelves along the side of our house for my hostas. It is there that I keep approximately 25 hosta pots. I had a couple on the ground and Birchwood Parky's Gold was one on the ground. Why and who would do such a thing? That area is not that visible from the sidewalk. The adjacent neighbors have a lawn service and at present they have hired help to do some house renovations. Could it be one of them? Will another disappear? The only thing I remember last was that BPG was about to bloom. Had it looked that good that it was worth stealing? I am hoping that this does not continue!

Goodbye Birchwood Parky's Gold.
jadie88
9 years ago
How terrible! I can't even imagine who goes out and steals hosta. I mean, I joked about filling my trunk with some of Ludi's stunners, but now it doesn't seem so amusing...
paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
9 years ago
So sorry for you, how invasive! That is so upsetting and I cannot imagine a hosta lover being a hosta thief as we all know how we nurture our babies. What a puzzle.
coll_123
9 years ago
Awful, awful! Its just disgusts me that someone would do that. I'm very sorry and hope that you have no further losses.
irawon
9 years ago
Your BPG was a beauty, so I researched it at the Fransen Hosta website. Apparantly, it's a fast grower if it's any consolation. I would hide any of your slow growers if you can until the renovation people are gone though. I really feel for you, it's always hard to lose something that you've nurtured no matter how long.
User
9 years ago
Our neighborhood plant thief retired....or is staying on her medication at least. Oh, she was so blatant about it, so extensive with her thieving, she was taken to court. It is hard to identify a plant in a lineup, believe me. So I began spray painting the stems of my vulnerable plants with fuschia florescent paint. They even took my Japanese maple (in the ground) and sand dollar stepping stones. Never found them.

Perhaps it was the pot that attracted them? Or "picking up" a birthday present they forgot to buy?

Esther in NYC uses chains through the bottom holes of her decorative containers.

Of course, you could with nursery pots put a big headed nail in the bottom of the pot, then add the hosta. It would not be coming off the shelf without a struggle!

Let's hope they are done with thieving, and the job next door is soon over.
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you every one of you for your kind support. I knew that fellow hostaholics would be the ones who would fully understand how I feel. I just had to share with you.

That was a terrible situation you had to endure moccasinlanding. I hope your neighborhood plant thief stays on her medication too.

I felt that I could start a new thread ("My hosta was stolen!"), but then I thought against it---we want to stay on the positive in life not the negative, right? So towards the positive, this is what my dear husband built for me last year for my spring birthday. Needed more room for hostas and that side of the house had more sun. It was also here that my Birchwood Parky's Gold was---near the ground, on top of the window well cover.

Irawon, I will still take away any hostas that are special to me. I did take away Goodness Gracious. I need to take away High Society too and maybe more.
irawon
9 years ago
Newhostalady, that's a great set-up and beautiful plants. Looks like the area is fenced in too. My guess would be, it was one of those reno guys who had a view from the house. Hope you reported the theft to the police, just for the record.

Moc, must be tough having that lady still in your neighbourhood.
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks irawon. Unfortunately though, it is not fenced in. The photo shows the view upon entering my backyard (which is fenced). This is not our main walkway. We generally use the other side of the house. This side is used for storage, but since it faces south, it is brighter, but not too bright due to mature trees. But I wish it were a locked in area! I hate to make it "easy" for those who wish to take advantage of others.
paula_b_gardener 5b_ON
9 years ago
Your situation really bothers me. Your own private space invaded like that. I just don't understand why a thief would steal a hosta? To appreciate a hosta, you have to like plants and people who like plants just aren't the type to steal hostas! Obviously, there are a few out there :(

Well, like you said, chin up and forward. You have a great attitude.

Paula
don_in_colorado
9 years ago
I'm sorry to hear about your loss due to theft, NHL. I swear, the more people I meet, the more I like animals. I hope this a-hole does not continue this stealing of your property.

(On a happier note)...That setup for the pots you have is really, really cool! Your DH is a very good enabler, it seems : )

Best Regards,
Don B.
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
Original Author
9 years ago
Paula, I agree that people who like plants just aren't the type to steal hostas. The worst thing about thieves is that you don't know why they took what they took and you don't know if they will come back or when. I suspect that this thief doesn't really know about hostas. I think they could have made a better choice considering all the possibilities! But my larger pots are kept in my backyard. I hope to post pictures when I have them in order.

Don you made me laugh when you said "I swear, the more people I meet, the more I like animals." And I am not laughing at you. I am laughing with you! And I understand what you mean!

This post was edited by newhostalady on Tue, Jul 2, 13 at 23:56

The hosta this year with largest eye count compared to last year

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Gesila

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The hosta this year with largest eye count compared to last year

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