Moving Hostas and Ferns in Late May
Yesterday, the arborists came and removed a 50 foot black walnut and a 20-30 foot kwanzan cherry from the front of my house. (I liked the shade, but the walnut made a dangerous mess in the street each fall, and the branches hung so low when in fruit that you couldn't walk up the path. The cherry I adored, but it was almost 40 years old, splitting down the middle of the trunk, and lying on my garage roof.) I thought I had planned ahead by removing all of the shade loving plants directly under the walnut. Except, I didn't take into account that the bed directly in front of my bay window which is full of hostas and ferns and one recently acquired Nikko Blue hydrangea, would now get a full blast from the afternoon sun. My previous shade study showed that only the far end of the bed got light sun after 3, and one small corner of that small end got a bit of morning sun for about an hour. Yesterday, I got home at three after the trees were gone and realized that the trees, not the angle of the house, were creating all that shade. The bed is now in glaring sun from the time the sun passes over the ridge of the house at 1 until sunset.
It's already going be in the 80's for the rest of the week in my area, and while it may dip back to the 70's, we are definitely headed into summer. Should I move the hostas and ferns now, or would it be better for their long term health to leave them alone (despite the fact they will probably get some ugly browning on the leaves) and move them in fall or spring?
Thanks! The picture of the house without trees was taken in the morning, but you can see how the bed under the bay window is now exposed:
And the hostas in the afternoon:
Comments (15)
littlebug zone 5 Missouri
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoJenn thanked littlebug zone 5 MissouriRelated Discussions
Need help moving ferns
Comments (6)I am guessing they are Ostrich ferns. Of the several variety I grow they are the travelers. Look for small crowns that have a leaf or two coming up only an inch or two. Dig with a shovel or trowel the depth of the shovel next to the crown and scoop them out root and all. If they are in grass you will want to brush the grass from the roots. Then bury them at the same depth they were. Water daily for a week. You should be good to go. You MAY get a larger crown, leaf combo to survive but it is not as easy. WATER WATER WATER is the key. In some areas if they die off this year a new fern may come up from the root next year. That will depend on soil type and drainage. Again the younger and earlier in the season you try the more success you will have. Let us know. If they are not brown in a week or two after transplanting you did it!...See MoreBest time to move newly planted Autumn Fern?
Comments (5)Thanks, kathyannd, that's pretty much the way I've been thinking. I went ahead and moved it this morning - egged on by the fact that I bought another Autumn Fern a few days ago and wanted to get it planted and out of its pot. So I now have four ferns in a grouping still under the pine, but with a little space for the turkeys to hang out (and land). Now I just have to worry about the five little wintergreens I planted under the pine in June. No turkey damage so far. I've also been watching a miniature hosta (Change of Heart) that was doing reasonable well until a few weeks ago. Something, probably a turkey although it could be a skunk, has been scratching at its roots. I potted the poor hosta up and it's now on the deck with the houseplants for now. If it recovers I'll plant it in an area where nothing bigger than a Song Sparrow visits. Claire...See MoreOstrich ferns and Corydalis crowding out hosta views
Comments (8)Lately there's been a lot of interest in corydalis root as a potential treatment for the Western disease known as fibromyalgia. In Chinese traditional medicine.. Not sure if this is true or another one of the miracle drugs but you may have a market for these. I always wory about planting ground cover because of this choking out my hosta and other plants. The ferns, shoots I do keep them cut out and either move and plant in another area or give away too but these do look good waving in the breeze. My uncle from the coast hated them in his blueberry farm. Still a lovely setting...See MoreMoving hostas in late October
Comments (2)your ground freezes??? if so .. plants with small root masses can pop out of the ground during winter ...and that is not good ... if you can take a big gob of soil that weighs enough to not pop out.. go for it ... but the question might be more along the lines if the potted ones.. can grab hold fast enough.. after you bare root them ... i would wait until next spring... ken...See MoreJenn
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoJenn
5 years agoThe hostas are happily thriving in the wooded area I've been trying (with mixed success) to clear in my backyard for two years.
I tried the tape method, but you must have some SERIOUSLY strong masking tape or your hostas are not laboring under the misapprehension that they are small shrubs, like mine. I wish I had taken a pic of one of them filling the wheelbarrow, but my hands were too covered in dirt. When I tried to tie them up I kept catching leaves, and then the tape just kept ripping. So I just watered the heck out of them and crossed my fingers. They haven't seemed to notice I moved them yet.
In the front, I started pillaging from around the yard to fill in the bed. Fortunately, I had two nice second year spirea that needed a sunnier home. I also got a great deal on this used fountain for $35, so I added that until the sunny perennials start to grow. I also bought a flat of annual dianthus to add some color for now.(Please ignore that the lawn right there is more weeds than lawn. I suppose someday I will get to that, but I'm guessing I expand this bed again before I fix the turf!)
Thanks again all for the advice and courage! Steve, I will most likely plant some trees, but by the time they grow big enough to shade this bed, the hostas would have struggled in sun for years. Plus, this way I get a good start on my shady woods garden, too!
DiggingInTheDirt
5 years ago
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5