The soil mixture should just be kept damp. If you have it covered there is no need to keep it constatntly watered. All my bamboo seed I have germinated I sowed just under the surface. I also always use a 50/50 mix of perlite and peat moss.

One mistake I initially made when I first began my hosta aficionado was to pull the plant from the pot and stick it directly into the ground (at or at least around the proper depth). The plant seemed fine the first year or so, then as the original potting mix began to break down; the plant would slowly begin to sink, eventually rotting the plant. Although I had tilled, and appended the surrounding soil, the old potting mix started decomposing immediately, causing a mushy sink hole. I had lost quite a few hostas because of this mistake, and now I carefully remove ALL the medium from around the hosta and roots and then plant it into the pre-prepared soil, then if there is any decomposition or soil settling, then the whole area settles together Initially I wanted to minimize the disturbance to the plant and roots, which ended up being a big boo booÂ.

So if I understand correctly, if I put the white part of the stems below ground, then the place where the roots emerge from the stems will be an inch or so below ground, correct? ===>>> not in my world ... roots in the ground.. leaves above the ground... the middle part.. the crown.. at the surface level .. in the ground ... but not like an iris ... you say.. where the roots come out of the crown should be one inch deep .. maybe on a larger hosta.. your comment is an over generalization to some extent ... but one thing for sure.. the petioles... the celery-like stalks that hold up the leaves.. which come out of the top of the crown ... should NOT be in the soil.. MUCH AT ALL ... i dont understand why you can not tell.. looking at what you got in the mail ... which creamy white parts.. have never seen the sun .... that stuff has to be in the ground.. if the parts are green.. they were and are supposed to be.. above ground .... now.. here is the real issue ... all of the above [including your thoughts] is within the realm of OK .... but the issue is whether .. when the soil settles.. they end up another inch or two deep ... and then.. all of a sudden.. they are 3 inches underground ... and that is where the problems will be .... now .... something like liberty.. a potential large.. will probably not care .... but if baby bunting ends up 3 inches too deep... you will have problems.. make sense??? it usually ends up being a function of what you use to 'fluffify' your soil.. what you amend with.. and how it reacts to ground freeze and the freeze thaw cycle ... but never forget.. they are hosta ... and but for totally ejecting themselves in the freeze thaw cycle in winter.. you are going to be hard pressed to kill them quickly ... if something just doesnt look right next spring... odds are.. they ended up too deep.. and at that point.. you will lift them.. and set them properly .... most of us.. at looking at a pic.. can quickly tell.. what is planted too deep ... [sometimes i think babka.. in tx.. with her pot culture.. forgets what a witch mother earth can be.. lol ...] good luck .. it sounds like you are already having fun... ken ps: is this your first mail order??? did it make you feel like a child at xmas again.. lol ..

Planting hostas is really no different from any other perennial: make sure you don't plant them too deep, make sure there is no competition from tree surface roots -hint, maple trees- and water, water, water, which of course will make the tree roots grow as well.... How much shade the hostas can tolerate depends on the variety as much as anything, how much direct light they can tolerate depends on your latitude, I'm just north of the 49th parallel in Richmond, B.C. and most of my hostas see at least 6 hours of direct sun, some substantially more. Hostas, like any other plant, need light to grow up to their potential, too much shade and they'll languish.... Good luck with new additions! Pieter