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Hostas in pots to consider

lindalana 5b Chicago

5 years ago

As I am traveling along the path of more Hostas in pots, run out of garden space a while ago, have couple of questions.
What Hostas have you found do best in pots for you and which ones should not be in pots?/providing one can and will overwinter them whichever way works/
Are there Hostas that just not meant for the ground, I.e. much showier up close and elevated as oppose in the ground?

Featured Answer

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

5 years ago

considering i tell peeps to throw them on the driveway.. and leave them there ... i dont buy the premise that there are hosta that can NOT be grown in pots ...

i suppose .. the giant ones ... though they can be grown in pots... eventually you would end up with kid pool sized pots to grown them to full potential ... and sooner or later.. you arent ever going to move that pot ....

many peeps grow some of the more foo foo mini's in pots ... mostly.. as i understand it.. because they can provide a more perfect environment for them .... more tlc ...

wintering over.. is not an issue of the hosta itself.. its a function of location.. media.. ground freeze ... etc ... and simply tipping the pot on its side.. and placing them in shade ... gets you past most winter issues ... you dont want a wet pot to freeze into an ice cube.. roots need air even when dormant ... and you dont want black pots warming enough.. in mid winter.. that the plant comes out of dormancy.. and then gets too cold again ... get them dormant.. and keep them dormant.. none of this in and out of dormancy over winter .. and this is why a garage or structure can be bad .. they retain heat on sunny days ...

ken

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Comments (7)

Patti (z6a ON Canada)
5 years ago
I bought a couple on the clearance rack to try this myself this winter. Does pot size matter?
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lindalana 5b Chicago
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Patti, am not sure on size, but shape yes in my experience. Hostas do not send long root but spread it around. So most beneficial I find will be wider but shallower pots. That said many people use standard trade gal pots and have great hostas in them.

As I am reading from sources, mentioning was made re hostas with Sieboldiana origin as those not so suitable for pots. Anyone can verify?
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
in my experience.. the blue family sieboldiana made it thru winter just fine .. it was spring ... and accumulated water in the pots.. as they thawed and refroze.. over and over ... they rotted ..

the moral to that story was.. do stand them up too early ...

tip your new hosta outta the pot.. are they completely root bound.. if so ... then maybe they should be up potted ... you need the drainage ...

ken
popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
5 years ago
I have not had good fortune overwintering in pots unless the pot had no bottom and was basically stuck in the ground. Otherwise, the potted hostas did not survive tipped over or on north side of house. So I am hesitant to risk it again. However, I did have success by healing them into the raised bed where my tomatoes are. I'm planning to try this again this year. Tomatoes come out. Hostas go in. We shall see.
Dianne(Zone 3b)
5 years ago
I have tried tipping them on the north side of the house but they didn't make it for me. I have tried planting the whole pot in the garden but found ice on top in the spring that would not drain. I am going to try taking one out of the pot and planting in my veggie garden this year...only thing I haven't tried yet.
lindalana 5b Chicago
Original Author
5 years ago
How about really large hostas in pots? I like Olga's hostas a lot but does anyone grows them in pots?

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