Winter begins here Dec. 21 but we're further north.

Dormancy is dormancy is dormancy and avg temp doesn't matter if they go dormant and stay dormant for 6-8 weeks and they won't die if it isn't a perfect dormancy.

I could be wrong, but I think average temp does matter. I doubt a low of 50* is cold enough to keep the hostas dormant for their necessary nap time. Hostas need 6-8 weeks of temps at 40* or colder. Maybe a little warmer for a longer period of time would work, but I have a feeling 50* is not cold enough.

I agree that they (probably) won't die if the dormancy isn't ideal...at least not immediately. Over time, though, without an adequate dormancy the hostas will decrease in size and finally die.

If you should happen to get a week or more of good, cold weather lay down a thick mulch before it warms up again. It will help hold the cold in.

If your winters are borderline for keeping hostas happy, try some plantaginea-derived hybrids. Hosta plantaginea is native to a warmer climate than other hosta species, so is able to deal with warmer winters. Sieboldiana-types do not do well in the South.

I agree with Josh - 50 is not cold enough. I always find myself buying at year end and over wintering in large planters that get moved to the garage. I place them on the wall that is attached to the house. Although the garage is not heated I have found that when the temp hits 45 or more outside, I have hostas coming up in the pots in the garage. Which is not a bad thing because I will pot them up and put them in my sunroon. One year I had a Blue Mouse Ears in full bloom for Easter!

I guess all you can do is leave them and hope they survive.......unless you have a spare refridgerator you can pack them into for the winter!

Avg of 50 is much different than lowest temp for this period?
Don't worry or record the low temp for every day between now and spring emergence, then worry.

Hosta collectors are obsessive compulsive given to fits of unrealistic periods of euphoria and fear. That's why daylily collectors make fun of us.

Avg of 50 is much different than lowest temp for this period?

True, but in Georgia spring arrives much earlier than it does for us Northerners. They probably start seeing hosta growth in late February/early March. That just barely leaves enough time to get in the needed cold dormancy if it would fall to 40* and stay there from now until February/March. A few days of cold here and there probably won't cut it in the long run.

Don't worry about it is good advice...short of extreme measures, there isn't a whole lot you can do about it!

The point is all that needs to happen is; that they go dormant. Having gone dormant then they will stay dormant, so avg low doesn't matter only whether there was a period of low temp and short day length that caused dormancy to begin. When it begins it continues.

I have tried growing Hostas in south GA (Saint Simons Is.)for 15 years, without success. Growing them in pots will extend their lifespan a few years, but even those will eventually become smaller and finally disappear. If they bloom and set seed, you will have seedlings appear, but they will remain small.
A study conducted and published several years ago in the Hosta Journal(American Hosta Society Periodical) stated that a minimum of 350 chill hours at 35 degrees or below is required for the plants to thrive. Even here in Zone 7, where I have recorded temperatures as low as -12F(-24C), we often have a succession of winters where there aren't enough chill hours for some Hostas to perform well. I once grew more than 800 Hostas, with about 500 different cultivars, but have lost many of those during the warm winters of the past 5 years. Last year was an exception, as we had a record number of days with below freezing temperatures during December, but overall, it was the mildest winter experienced in my 40 years here, with the lowest recorded temperature of 23F(-5C).
I have often had some Hostas blooming, with unblemished foliage, on Christmas Day and expected to see that this year, but we had an Alberta Clipper blow through here last weekend, with temperatures in the teens and zapped the holdouts, which had survived several cold nights of below freezing temperatures.
I wish you good luck in your effort.
Rb

Thanks for the numbers, Rb...I wasn't sure the exact numbers, but knew it was something like that. A consistent low temp does matter. It is not enough for the plant to simply go dormant. I think your experiences show that, Rb.

Well, we've had three below freezing nights so far this winter in GA with highs about 15 degees above normal (60's). This stinks. If I lose my hosta's I'll be so sad.