Hosta under Black Walnut Tree

9 years ago

Have any of you found a certain type of hosta that did not do well under black walnut trees? Our neighbor has one right on their side of the property line, so unfortunately I can't cut it down.
I've avoided doing anything with that area except for a river birch that's flourished nearby, so it's a shady spot just begging to be turned into a large hosta bed.
In one afternoon I planted in that area:
Gold Standard,
American Halo
Sum and Substance
Guacamole
Twilight
Blue Hawaii
Whirlwind
Earth Angel
All seem to be doing well except the Gold Standard. It's not "dying" but it's just laying flat on the ground looking pitiful. It seemed healthy in the pot, although extremely root bound.
I'm wondering if I should risk further trauma to pull it back up, soak it for a while and maybe take a hand tiller to that spot and make sure there isn't any soil compaction. That's a nice area though in terms of soil. The only issue is the black walnut toxins, which I've read most hosta can tollerate. But I wonder if Gold Standard is one that may not.
I also transplanted a ton of ferns to that same general area and even they aren't protesting the transplant like they sometimes do. It was a very busy day for me with all that transplanting and planting! I can't wait for a couple of years from now when everything is all filled out there.

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Comments (4)

dublinbay z6 (KS)
9 years ago
I won't swear to it, but I'm suspicious of that river birch. I used to grow monster-sized hostas under a big sycamore--which eventually had to be removed. As quickly as possible I planted a clump of river birch there to provide some shade--though it took a couple years of my hosta scorching in the sun before the river birch were tall enough to provide the required amount of shade. The bad news is that since I put in the river birch, I watched my hosta slowly but surely shrink back smaller and smaller. Worst victim was Gold Standard--which for years was one of my big "monsters."

The hosta bed had begun to look so pathetic that last summer I dug a new narrow bed along the west side of the house (only open spot I had left) -- there are maple trees along my neighbor's property giving the hosta some shade but hopefully not too close to the hosta. Then I transplanted most of my hosta over there. A year later, they are still pathetically small and I thought Gold Standard would not make it through the winter. It did, but it is a teeny tiny little plant--who would believe its history as one of the "monsters" in my garden?

We are having rather continuous light rain here for the next week or so. I'm hoping the transplanted hosta will finally take off, this being their second year.

I still can't get over how my earlier hostas started shrinking back, getting smaller and smaller as the river birch got larger and larger. I don't know that there is a cause-and-effect relationship there--but it certainly looks suspicious to me!

Can't help you on the Walnut trees, however. Know nothing about them.

Good luck.

Kate
User
Original Author
9 years ago
Yes, I snaked in some soaker hose to make sure the new plants wouldn't have to fight for water and we've had some good rains lately. But I may just go ahead and pull up that GS and pot it or find an alternate location. It was just odd to me all the others are doing okay in the new area except the GS. I also started to wonder if it was in too much shade and would do well with a little more light. This variety is new to me, so hopefully I'll find the right combo of location/sun/water before it gives up the fight.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
It's not "dying" but it's just laying flat on the ground looking pitiful.

-->>> take some masking tape... and tape right under the leaves.. and the petioles.. the stalks should hold them up.. leave the tape there.. until it falls off by itself in a week or two ....

since its already collapsed.. it might not hurt to dig it up.. and rehydrate it ...

GS will live.. if you throw it on the driveway ... there is no conspiracy as to why it should fail.. other than transplant shock ... absolutely nothing happened in one afternoon.. but shock ...

jo can reinterpret this for you ...

ken
leafwatcher
9 years ago
At my moms out in the orchard area there is a thin leaved Hosta growing right against the trunk of the tree. Its a real old school type and I have no idea how it got there. I am pretty sure my folks never planted it.

Hosta under Black Walnut Tree

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dublinbay z6 (KS)

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Hosta under Black Walnut Tree

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dublinbay z6 (KS)

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