I bought Majesty this past Spring and potted it up. It had the same 3 leaves all year long. No visible growth whatsoever. Last week I took it out of its pot to put it in the ground and the root system was huge, much larger than when I received it. Sometimes the growth they are doing is not visible. Still, I'm not surprised at the number of white centered varieties you have in your list.

Steve

My Pilgrim multiplies like bunnies, and my June is about three feet across, when I bought it four years ago it was a small single-eyed wonder.

Karen

Sometimes, I think there are just "duds". I have a terrible September Sun. Why I keep it, I don't know. I had a dud radiant edger. I thought it was because the squirrels kept digging it up. Then, it made it two years without squirrel interference, and it was still a dud. Cleo, the darling demon doglet, finished it off. At least she put it out of my misery.

Has Aphrodite always been a dud? Why would anyone breed a hosta that won't bloom for 10 years? Or was it a dud that went into TC and it became the gift that kept on giving?

It's a thought.

bkay

Jan, I'm somewhat surprised to see 'June' on your list. Over the years it has been a steady, reliable performer for me. Now, 'Cherry Berry' is another matter, gone through 2 of 'em thus far and I ain't tryin' again.

Pieter

Pieter - I aso have a June that is quite happy in shade in spite of tree roots. But I was intrigued by June's ability to look so different in various shade conditions, and planted this one in a spot that gets quite brutal sun at mid-day. I think it probably also wasn't on my waterer's radar while I was at the cottage all summer. I'll take better care of it next season!
Jan

Yes, there are 'notorious' problem children amongst Genus Hosta. That said, please don't label one that you've had trouble with as an across-the-board dud. We are gardening in such varied conditions that what works for one may not for another.

Every Hosta mentioned thus far on this thread is doing at least 'O.K.' here - many much better than that.

Yes, we've had our problem children, but don't blame it on the plant, usually, since, with the exception of the universally accepted PC's, someone somewhere is having good luck with one.

As at least one well respected participant here has often said, don't stress, get a replacement that works for you where you are!

With the plethora of available varieties, there's usually one that's 'close enough' to your problem child that will work in it's place.

Perhaps we could start a 'trade' system here? That might be crazy. Imagine post titles like 'Darn 'SoAndSo' won't grow for me, trade for one of your PC?' hahahahah

funnin,

hh

I had problems on 2 spots with hostas because the ground seemed to have a fungus or was too wet, so I moved crowns up higher and treated areas with fungicide.
My H. 'Dancing in the Rain' is finally growing after 3 years, but still small. It sits now on a berm in more sun and gets regular water. 'Eskimo Pie' is also growing too slowly. Both have too much white tissue so it seems.
My 2 'June' are doing well, one has direct sun. I have my 'Aphrodite' now for 2 years, it is growing luxuriously in 2 hrs direct noon sun, gets weekly water, had 3 scapes and opened one flower. Just next to it H. 'Olive Bailey Langdon' got severely burned.
Bernd

Vulcan has been slow to take off, but it was putting out new leaves in August and September, so I'm hoping that's a good sign for 2013. Cherry Berry is slow but steady, and no real problems with the rest of your list. I did move Emerald Tiara into more shade, but that whole bed had to be moved. Must have lost a branch or two somewhere, everything scorched this year.

Sugar Daddy has been a dud for me. Next year, no more babying. If it dies, it dies. Coggleywood keeps trying to mutate into something else, but I like it so much I'll keep trying to get a stable division.

Jan, don'tgive upon June.
Mine has just survived it's 2nd year in my Morning Glory Garden where it receives 3 hours of mid-morning sun. I'd bought it at a local hardware store (not BigBox) for $6 and it was a roll of the dice. This year it more than doubled in size and I am really looking forward to next year.

Some hostas that are probably doing what Steve mentions are Earth Angel, Guardian Angel, and Queen of the Seas. They were planted in a new bed between a pair of plantaginea and a pair of Sweet Innocence and an El Nino. All were new aquisitions last year and planted at the same time. The plantaginea, S I, and E N did great, the QotS eh!, but the two angels not very impressive. EA did send up a single pet about 4" from the main pets so next spring could be a different story, and GA had a good 2nd flush though the leaves remained small. If we hadn't gotten a good rain at the end of August I don't think any of my hostas would have had a 2nd flush, so maybe with the need of water everything went into root development.

I don't know what your rain situation was this year Jan, but that may be what has caused your non-performers to look not so good.

I have already posted about my Cherry Berry. I have had no success with lance shaped leaves with light centers. Fireworks lasted only one season and never came up in year two.

I think my June, in year 3, will be a winner. I have a new "used" camera now so everyone prepair for pics to begin coming as I learn to use it. My old cam died when it wouldn't focus adjust. That is the cause of the many fuzzy pics I'd posted in the past (I hope).

Les

I meant individual "dud" plants, not the whole variety. "Duds" happen in most plant and animal groups, why would it not happen in hosta?

bkay

Well, I do have a Captain Kirk that looks like it's never going to amount to much. It has very flat petioles, and the leaves collapse. If it doesn't look better next year, I think I'm replacing it.

I had one Aphrodite which kept a big fat scape that never opened, tantalized me with the possible beauty. And after Bruce Banyai's exciting series of reports on his success with the Aphrodites in his garden, I opted for more plants of Aphrodite (3 more) and 7 more mama plantaginea.

I was so happy to discover that the only scape that my #1 mama plantaginea sent up, in September, that this week, with the very last bloom on it fading, I discovered she gifted me with ONE FAT SEED POD. I am happy as a bug to have that precious gift. This particular hosta is the one which started my descent into hostamania. We've had her since May 2010. This winter while she sleeps I'm moving her into a larger pot with fresh potting soil. Hopefully I can persuade seed from that lone pod to grow for me this winter.

Moccasin,

It usually takes 8 weeks from the time of fertilization for the seeds inside the pod to fully develop. During that time the pod should remain growing on the plant. If you are going to get frost during that time you could either bring the plant inside or snip the scape and put it in sugar water for the remainder of the seed development time. I'd like to know if you get viable seed from this pod. My understanding is that it is rare.

Steve

I can't believe how silly I feel this morning. I have just replied to Jamies "Hosta Therapy" by referring to "Theresa's Therapy" and here I am thinking about "Theresa's Thrivers".

Isn't that "thomething thilly"?
Theresa

Oh, Steve, do you mean I shall have to remember the DATE I noticed the pod?

The first frost might be close to the 8 week lapse of time.
I harvested 4 scapes of Buckwheat Honey which were dry, thinking that meant they were dry and therefore "ready." Am I wrong there?

Well, I guess I have some basic reading to do about starting seed, like proper collection of the seeds. I have some hummingbird mix which is basically sugar water. And simple syrup preparing to make my Kahlua....ahem....won't miss a bit of it I'm sure.

You can estimate, BJ. If scapes are brown and dry, or pods start to turn yellow, then usually they have ripened enough for the seeds to develop fully. When you clean the seeds look for those that are "plump." In other words they have one end of the seed that has a palpable bump in it. Those are the viable seeds. All the other stuff inside the pod is chaff. Any white seeds are not viable and won't germinate.

Steve

Steve, thank you for the way to judge. I was assuming the brown and dry was okay to harvest, but it does not take 8 weeks here for that to happen....even with wet weather.

So my Buckwheat Honey seeds are going to be fine! Whew. Now I simply wait out the Royal Standards, the Honeybells, Liverpool White, and the single breath-holding pod on mama plantaginea.

Odds are, it is not fertile. If I were a gambling (wo)man, I'd bet that ignorance is bliss, and it will only be sterile if I have no faith in finding fertile seeds. Sometimes things work that way, you know.

:)