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Frances William Shrinking Fast

16 years ago

Good Evening

Earlier this year we had to have 6 full grown 30'+ cedar trees removed from the north side of our house. This is about half of my hosta shade. While my S&S and Kossa Regal seem to be thriving with the additional sun my (2) 4 year old Frances William seem to be shrinking. I am wondering if I should move them to a more shaded garden.

They use to get about 2-3 hours of indirect sun whereas now they are getting about 4 hours of direct sun. I do have a garden that only gets early morning sun - under a dreaded maple tree BUT my komodo dragon does not seem to mind.

Your thoughts please

Kris

Comments (4)

Hosta_Haven
16 years ago
Yes, I'd move them. Frances Williams is very temperamental and burns EASILY even in shade. Move them, give them LOTS of water and hope for the best. If you need/want to replace them eventually, go with Olive Bailey Langdon. It looks like Frances W, but doesn't burn like FW.

Char
lindac
16 years ago
About 5 years ago I lost the tree that shaded my hostas....well at least some of them. FW was among those now in 3/4 day sun and full southern exposure. I watered like crazy ( also in that bed were August moon, Royal standard, Axiom, Krossa Regal and some other stuff.) and everything got brown edges and some bleached out....but everything grew like crazy! I never saw hosta increase in size as fast....huge!
I lost some important shade in the ice storm in Februrary....and while the newly sunny hosta are looking a little pale they are getting new eyes at a record rate.
Water! Water some more and then again.
Your FW should be getting bigger...but also sunburning as well.
Linda C
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The fastest ones for me are the generic Green One and the Green & White One. Of the other more established hosta that I have, Paul's Glory wins the speed contest, hands down. Pity that it's my least favorite hosta. Another unloved (by me) hosta speed machine is Parky's Birchwood Gold. Krossa Regal isn't a speedster like Paul's Glory but it's been a steady grower. Golden Tiara grows like gangbusters. Lancifolia has been a fast one. Summer Fragrance, So Sweet and Fried Green Tomatoes have steadily increased. Royal Standard has been slow for me but that may be because I have it planted in quite a lot of shade. Big Daddy is supposed to be slow but I haven't noticed that--I have a big beautiful specimen that's 10-12 years old, started from a single plant. and in heavy shade. I know that I've taken divisions off of it a couple of times. But, it has not been moved, so that may be a factor. He's outgrown his space so I'm going to have to tackle moving him in the next year or so.
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I never considered that it might not be getting enough light. There is a big juniper on each side and an 8 foot privacy fence behind it. Actually, I have a Hosta Black hills in between another couple of junipers a little further down the fence line and it isn't grownign much either. I will try moving it and see what happens. Thanks, Dawn
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ademink
16 years ago
I have two FW's in *western* afternoon sun and they are champs and really not looking badly at all. The "burn" that FW is so notorious for is spring dessication, not sunburn.

I'm not saying that their location now is the most ideal but I would highly doubt that sun is the root of the declining issue if it is only Z4 and 4 hours a day.
lotsahosta
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the responses!
Going with the majority I am not going to move FW- I will just increase her water intake and hope for the best.
I am begining to wonder if they just 'look' smaller since the tree is gone. I don't know - maybe I'm just crazy.
Char - I do have a Olive Bailey Langdon (and a cat named Bailey to go with it) When the tree people were here they ran over it- smashed it six inches into the ground. It took me three weeks to find it again - then by accident as I was planting Appalachian Beauty and found a hosta root that I followed to OBL. I have now moved her to a safer location as we will have to have the tree people back again sometime next year.

Thanks again Everybody
Kris

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