What size pots? Measure the bottom?

Thanks - they're 7" bottom, 8" top - I would've thought bigger - glad I measured.

And now that they've seen me outside at 9:30 with a flashlight and yardstick measuring pots, my neighbors must be sure I'm nuts.

I hoped they would be 6" because they will fit easily in a cut off 1 gal milk jug. Try to find a container that will work as a saucer. Set them in water equal to about 25% of the height and leave the water in the saucer 24/7, doesn't have to be 100% of time but it can be constant. Use water from any waste source like dishwater, the soap will not cause a problem. When they go dormant remove the saucer/water reservoir and put them in an unheated garage and do not water until spring. If they break dormancy in the garage and it is going to freeze in the garage then you will have to bring them in and out for a few days.

Many will come with cautions; I'm so sure this will work that I will replace any you lose. With one caveat, I'm 67 and the actuaries say I'm not going to live forever so if I die you'll have to replace the plants.

BTW, IÂve done just as I describe with 100Âs of hosta.

If you bury the pots then mulch with 6-8 inches of ground up leaves or other fairly course mulch.

If you plant them mulch the same way the 1st winter for sure and I recommend mulching this way forever.

Thanks for the guidance and the replacement offer, though I'm determined these will make it. Burying the pots & mulching seems most appealing, but will keep saucers full of water til I get holes dug for sure. Plenty of leaves for mulch coming soon...

btw - after reading this forum, I think I probably haven't been watering my in-ground hostas as much as they would appreciate.

As for the actuaries - ignore 'em!

IÂm older right now than I ever have been.

Since you are considering putting the pots in the ground the danger is the pots can act like a little pond causing the freeze/thaw problem which I think causes the greatest amount of loss with hosta.

The answer is mulch, which you've indicated you will do. A small caveat with leaves. If you don't chop them up with a mower they tend to form layers that mat and cause rot problems. Back to the chopping the leaves up, this tends to turn the leaf into very small pieces and the stem part into little bitty sticks, all good. Do not start in spring moving the mulch to see how they are doing, this breaks the insulation value causing the hosta to emerge early and we are back to the freeze/thaw danger. Most are afraid to use as much mulch as I do which is up to 12 inches, 4-6 inches will do a wonderful job, this causes painfully slow spring emergence (test of patience) and is best for the plants.

My normal admonition, "Mulch and Get The Hell Out of The Way".

Email me privately if you are interested in a being part of the field trials on watering. esther_opal@yahoo.com

BTW, figure out how to capture your greywater for the hosta or just because it is the right thing to do.

inlimbo, I move pots into my garage every year. I don't move them in until the first killing frost, and I just make sure they are watered up until that time. After they are moved in, I don't water them anymore until spring breaks, and I start moving them in and out of the garage during nice days.

I only have trouble with small, 4 inch pot. Most of the overwintered ones are in gallon nursery pots or larger.

"I only have trouble with small, 4 inch pot. Most of the over wintered ones are in gallon nursery pots or larger."
lynnem

I don't doubt Lynne's experience but can't find any horticultural reason for the problem except the smaller and younger any plant is the more precarious it is.

Esther, it was just my experience.. never seem to lose any in larger pots, but the 4 inch pots are consistent in not overwintering... but you're right.. the 4 inchers are smaller hosta, younger...

Lynnem, I think it is the smaller sized pots drying out that causes the loss. I keep my potted hostas in the shed, but check them once in January and give the TINY pots a TINY bit of water (once only).

inlimbo, in or out of the garage is fine. What you need to remember is hostas in pots are
1) more apt to have water collect and lay on top (especially if the bottom is still frozen) causing the crown to rot
2) Hostas in pots sometimes have problems because they are apt to thaw sooner, begin to grow, and then refreeze...they don't have the ground to insulate them.

If the pots are sitting out, put them in a solid shady spot to avoid freeze/thaw, and either under an overhang or porch or pile with mulch to help keep too much rain out and protect from warming up too soon. Some people pile leaves up around and over them.

If the pots are planted, the thaw/freeze problem is taken care of and it is just too much moisture trapped in the top of the pot by the crown that is a problem...mulch or cover.

If the pots are in a shed, water as normal outside, and when the pots freeze, put them in the garage or shed. Keep them in a cool spot (away from the heated walls) and unless they are tiny spots, leave them alone.

Good luck, and let us know how they do!

but you're right.. the 4 inchers are smaller hosta, younger... "
Lynn

You may remember that I grew thousands in 4in pots from my TC operation. Too many to put in any building, I covered them with mulch, about 3in or more and lost so few as to not count. This doesn't answer the young 4in in the garage question. These did have good well established root systems, looking at a pot doesn't say what is going on inside that pot.

Just more talk, no answer.

Thanks for the advice, everybody.

A bit of good news - we've had drizzle / misting for a day and a half and I'm curious to see how deep it penetrated the ground - will be checking on Saturday. At the very least, it's helping the grass seed /compost I had spread two dry weeks ago!

Will keep you posted about hosta planting / mulch / garage.

yardmom, you are right on the dryness issue too..

Only reason I don't put mine outside and cover them with leaves is the voles.. My cats keep mine under pretty good control, but I've heard too many people on this forum talk about the voles burrowing right up the holes in the pots that were wintered outside. Hasn't happened to me, but I don't keep mine outside during the winter.

Esther, you probably take better care of yours than I do of mine... (Keep this quote and toss it back at me when I whine about various problems next year!) ;)

Esther, you probably take better care of yours than I do of mine..."

Lynne, I spend more time trying to understand what might be best practice than I do practicing best practice.

I'm in the "pots in the ground, lots of mulch, be SLOW to remove the mulch in spring" school of thought.

Checking in to report all four hostas survived the winter behind the shed in a big group with other perennials not planted. Huddled them all together and piled leaves on top.

Checked them over the weekend and found all quite well up and, so, patted myself on back thinking that I needed to get out there and spray deer repellent.

Well, they aren't quite as nice now - and a young deer got a treat. But they have survived.

I spent all last evening browsing the gorgeous pictures on this forum - there are stunning gardens out there! Now to find the perfect spots for these.

Thanks for the advice and the ideas.

"Thanks for the advice and the ideas."
inlimbo

I find many online look for fights, take and give little back. I applaud the fact that you took the time to say thanks. Grand, generous people here that deserve better treatment than they get sometimes.