I have my hostas in 22” pots.

Bkay, I am digging them up and potting them in the fabric grow bags which I filled with the Kellogg's organic container soil. Those bags allow excess water to drain, but will probably have to be watered more often if I have to live in an apartment with a terrace until I can find a place I want to buy. For now, I am digging a hole where I took out each hosta and sinking the grow bag with its hosta into that hole. That should help, for now, with keeping them hydrated. And the non-stop rain we've been having!

I contacted the Opulent Systems company to see what size of grow bags I should be using for the various sizes of hostas and heuchies that I have. The lady on the phone said they would get back to me on that tomorrow, and will give me a free pack of grow bags for the good idea I had for their website.

When in doubt about pot size, I believe going smaller is a safer bet especially if you don't know how long the hosta will be in the pot.

I have not used a grow bag such as the one you mention. I looked it up to see what information I could find on them. I see that the fabric is supposed to be "breathable." I looked to see what Amazon.com and Amazon.ca said about them. What I also noticed was that the product on Amazon.ca states:

"Water retaining felt material of these garden planter bags creates perfect soil condition"

The water retaining felt material would be a concern. The bags may breathe and drain above soil level, but what happens when the material is buried?

"Water retaining felt material of these garden planter bags creates perfect soil condition."

I would consider that something that needs to be researched. My experience with "water retaining" soil (aka Miracle Grow moisture control potting soil) was not good. I would double check with the maker if they are appropriate for hosta in an in-ground application and they will drain properly.

bk

Bkay, I DID call the manufacturer yesterday and was told they would ask their resident expert and get back to me today. So far, that hasn't happened. These particular bags got excellent reviews on Amazon, so I'm hoping they will be good. It's been raining all week, and will continue to have rain at times the rest of the week. So far, I have not seen any pooling water in the 5 grow pots I already have in the ground.

I finally received the email from Opulent today with the table they generated as to how large a grow pot is needed for a given variety of hosta or heuchie. I think recommending 20 and 30 gallon bags is WAY too large for Marilyn Monroe, Paradise Island, Blue Jay, etc. Here is the table. What do you folks think?

Esther, it's a decision you'll have to make. Few people have ever used that product in the way you are using them, so you will have to gather your differing advice and make the call.

What's confusing for me is the difference between a one gallon nursery pot and a gallon. They are not the same. A "one gallon" nursery pot looks like about 2 quarts to me. In the real world, I have a blue angel in what is about an 8 gallon pot and I can't lift it when it's wet. (I'm guessing it to be that size by comparing it it to a 5 gallon bucket.) You will need a fork lift to move a 25 gallon pot, whether it's a real 25 gallon pot or what nurseries call a 25 gallon pot. (Think about a 33 gallon trash can.)

It's my opinion that the sizes recommended are at least 3 times the size needed. I just went out and measured my Irish Luck. It's 26" across and 13 inches high. The pot it's in is between 1.5 and 2 gallons (not nursery size). It's a happy camper in that size pot.

Definitely, an 8 inch wide hosta does not need a 3 gallon pot.

bk

Bkay, as usual, you are the ONE. I also think that the sizes these people recommended are far in excess. The largest pot I bought was their 7 gallon size, and that was for the really larger hostas and heuchies I have, whose roots didn't even begin to fit in the 2 gallon. They are offering me a free package of pots. I only ordered one 5-pack of the 5 gallon pots. Should I ask them for another 5 gallon pack or more 7 gallon? Most of my remaining hostas & heuchies will not fit in the 2 gallon pots.