know anybody with a car shop?

get a handful of clean floor dry (the stuff they throw on oil spills) and mix it with the soil in your pot. It will absorb the moisture, and as it dries out, will put moisture in the soil.

Also, it will give the plant roots some space to breathe and send their tender tendrils thru out the pot.

Furthermore, you can buy a huge bag of floor dry for about six bucks at the auto parts store. I am on my second bag this summer. Turface also works well.

^_^ --~

dave

Yea, the hosta guy said that he'd just get another pot like the ones I have U.Albomarginata, Mama Mia, and a few of the babies in. They keep it pretty moist but still drain well. He said terra clay pots are also good. They may not be weatherized for winter but they do the same thing as that stuff you mentioned. He said the bad thing about glazed pots is they can't do that so you do have to water them more. But with the other pots they have a good drainage system but not too good. He couldn't believe the holes in the bottom of the Dream Queen and Fragrant Blues pots were that large either! I am just hoping they do better where they are now. I will look into all suggestions and see if it helps too. Thank you!

Interesting...I've never (ever ever) found a pot with holes that are TOO big, or a bagged potting media that is too fast draining! I always have to drill extra holes in the pots, and amend the potting soil to increase drainage.

You said you had just watered it well, and found it "bone dry." That would make me wonder if you have the common problem of water draining down the sides without actually soaking into the middle of the root ball. Happens with mixes high in peat, right?

I don't know? I use Miracle Grow Moisture Control so it's supposed to help with under or overwatering. But within 12 hours after watering, their pots and soil would be bone dry. Just their pots. I don't know why? Same soil used. But the holes are a lot larger than on the other pots. And the other pots have several smaller holes throughout the bottom. These just have one large right in the middle and it pretty much all just drains out automatically. They seem to be doing better in the spot with more shade though. I watered them about 15 hours ago and the soil is still moist. So I am hoping this has taken care of the problem.

If potting soil dries completely out, you may have to soak it multiple times to get the peat component to wet. When I pot a plant with new potting soil, I wet it in a big bowl (or wheelbarrow thoroughly before before using.

Others I hope will chime in about concerns/results about Miracle Grow Moisture Control potting mix and possible issues with too much moisture when hosta are dormant. Else do a search in the forum.

Paul

I've never had a problem with it until now... My hostas always thrive on it. No problems in winter either. Could it be the combo of the pot and the soil being bad together?

Yeah, definitely do search it and you'll find lots of talk about moisture control potting mix being a hosta killer. It can be okay for the hot summer months, but over winter and early spring that mix is a major rot risk. I got a bag of it last fall because it was on sale, and I used it to pot up a few small hosta and other perennials. Sure enough, there were many rotted roots this spring, and a few crowns turned to mush.

Oh, I always soak the soil in the pot for a few days before I get an anticipated hosta. So I knew that much. And these have been watered thoroughly from day one but always seem to dry out the fastest and need water the most. Hopefully being in the new spot will help... It seems to be working so far? The soil is still moist and they look perkier to me now.