Purchasing a soil and adding 50% perlite is a half-measure that doesn't change the fact that perched water in the soil will still be present and the ht of the perched water table will be the same as it would be sans the perlite. To visualize, picture in your mind's eye mixing perlite into pudding at a half & half ratio and see how well-aerated and fast draining the pudding becomes. You'd still be growing in pudding because the perlite didn't change anything. At a 50/50 mix, fine soil particles COMPLETELY fill the air spaces between the perlite particles. This means the PWT will still be present at the same ht in a 50/50 mix of peat and a bagged soil. All the perlite accomplishes is an o/a reduction in water retention at container capacity. It doesn't increase aeration or drainage or the ht of the PWT. It can't until the perlite fraction reaches a threshold point where there in no longer enough small particles in the soil mix to fill the air spaces between the perlite particles. This might not even be achievable with 100% perlite if it the perlite is small and contains a lot of very fine particles. If you want better aeration and fast drainage, you need to base your soils on larger particulates - a lot of larger particulates. Half big stuff and half small stuff leaves you growing in a mix with all the negatives associated with all small stuff. Al

I got some nice different looking green ones from seedlings found in 2004. I also got 3 or 4 yellow which hosta forum friends named for me last winter for a fun thing to do on the forum. SonKen, with his thousands, doesn't have time for 'green'. I did and do! Since they are in your woods give then a year or two and see what developes. They really change a lot the third and fourth years of development.

Remember when you called me and I also told you that the baby heucheras, sold as starter plugs, should be started in small pots? I still think that is what you need to do to have any success with them. The hostas should probably do fine in spin out bags but I don't think putting starter plugs of Heuchera into a 5 gallon spin out bag will help them to get started. If you are putting things in the spin out bags I don't quite understand why you would also be continuing to amend and till the soil. Baby heuchera do not need to be constantly moist. Let them dry slightly between waterings and then only water them lightly. They don't like wet feet and don't like clay soil. You want to encourage them to get new roots without rotting them away. The hostas will like more water than the heuchera. I would still recommend, like we discussed on the phone, that you pot up the heuchera in a well draining potting soil in small pots (about 4" deep and about 3" wide) and tend those that way until they are rooted out. If you were to plant directly in the ground I would recommend adding a lot more soil amendments to the garden and then rototill that all in and plant the hostas that way. If you are worried about root infiltration and are going to try the spin out bags then just dig the holes big enough for those bags, I believe people fill it with good garden soil, then plant the hostas in that. But like I mentioned I don't have any direct experience myself with the spin out bags. Lots of people have given what I think is good advice but I think you are getting confused by all the different things being suggested. And while I hope you do have some success with some things there be prepared for some losses as it can be tough figuring out a new garden situation like this and what will grow there. Chris

tulips really? never been here in spring. bought house in September. that was the first flower bed that was growable. the next one is 3/4 full of beautiful hosta but soil in rear is algae and has some grass type plants that grows over hostas and i want to fix issue early. the next flower bed us history. I tried simple scallions and it was over taken by white type mold and mushrooms and bugs yuck. it doesn't get sun there except by sunset and the wood is always wet. I need the hostas to survive so any advise would be great