How much water should potted hostas get, & should I remove old leaves?

4 years ago

When I water my fabric grow bag hostas, I see it only takes seconds for the water to come pouring out the lower part of the sides and bottom--so I feel I need to water them like every other day or so. If the soil feels dry, shouldn't I water them?

Also, I see that any dead leaves from last summer have partially rotted and are easy to gather up off the soil in the pots. I figured I should remove it now that spring is here and I don't want it to attract pests. Is that the correct practice?

Each succeeding day, I see additional hostas are pop-pop-popping now. Now I see pips from Royal Tiara, Paradise Island, Appletini, Royal Tiara, Coconut Custard, Country Mouse, Paisley Print, Rainbow's End, Rainforest Sunrise, and maybe a couple more (it was getting dark when I got home today).

Thanks.

Stay healthy, everyone.

Featured Answer

bkay2000

4 years ago

Generally speaking, don't water them until they are up and growing. That's one of the big problems in growing in pots - rot in the spring. (We're in a rainy spell right now, so I'm moving my pots to the porch today to keep them drier.) Until they are up and growing, they don't need much water - just enough to keep the roots from drying up. I would guess once every four to six weeks or so.

Stick your finger into the potting soil and see if it is dry or wet. As ken said, you can also tell by how heavy it is whether it's dry or wet.

Basically, I don't think you can over-water them in the summer. You might waste water, but if you have well drained soil, it won't hurt anything. I think you have to be careful in the first few weeks of early spring, particularly with small or young plants or particularly large pots.

bkay

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

Josh Spece
4 years ago
If the plants are dormant, I would not water much.
hc mcdole
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I don't water outdoor plants in winter, even if they are in pots. I water maybe once a week in summer if they need it.

Some hostas early April last year.

3 Golden Tiara in the same pot since 2011

Humpback Whale

some blues in their original garden pots but cached in clay pots to keep them upright during stormy weather.

June in the same pot since 2012
Related Discussions
How long should I wait to water after re-potting? Also, ID needed
Q
Comments (4)
Ooh I'm sorry, I know they're supposed to be red. It was a slightly yellow coloration that I was talking about. My camera is being repaired right now so I was using my phone for the pictures,so it is a bit difficult to see.. sorry about that. But thank you for the ID! Greatly appreciated. :)
...See More
how much should I be watering
Q
Comments (8)
Minderella, Carrots & spinach are usually planted as a fall or winter crop in Fl. They don't do well in the Florida heat & humidity of summer. The variety of tomatoes you planted can have a wide difference as to when blossoms appear on the plant. I have tomatoes that are now turning red, yet on another variety they haven't even blossomed yet. When were they started (in cups or direct seeded). Did you buy flats or start your own in Jan. Cucumbers are usually a difficult crop to grow in Fl. Again when were they started, or did you buy flats? Your input to us is extremely limited to demand an answer. Corn is a heavy feeder and requires side dressings of fertilizer along with copious amounts of water. The depth of your amended soil is very important with corn. Corn usually takes at least 65-70 days if not way more depending the variety. One month of growth time is not sufficient to make any crops as yet, check your seed packets and note the days to maturity listed. I think you'll find it's like 65 days or more under ideal conditions for most crops(which rarely happens here in Florida) As far as watering, if the leaves are not droopy, the water amount is sufficient. The watering amount is extremely variable due to what your soil mix is and over all conditions (depth of soil, full sun or partial shade, PH, exposure to wind, etc. etc.) make it hard for us to guess. We are like the blind men trying to describe your elephant, Lou
...See More
Should I pot up hostas or baby heuchies?
Q
Comments (16)
Remember when you called me and I also told you that the baby heucheras, sold as starter plugs, should be started in small pots? I still think that is what you need to do to have any success with them. The hostas should probably do fine in spin out bags but I don't think putting starter plugs of Heuchera into a 5 gallon spin out bag will help them to get started. If you are putting things in the spin out bags I don't quite understand why you would also be continuing to amend and till the soil. Baby heuchera do not need to be constantly moist. Let them dry slightly between waterings and then only water them lightly. They don't like wet feet and don't like clay soil. You want to encourage them to get new roots without rotting them away. The hostas will like more water than the heuchera. I would still recommend, like we discussed on the phone, that you pot up the heuchera in a well draining potting soil in small pots (about 4" deep and about 3" wide) and tend those that way until they are rooted out. If you were to plant directly in the ground I would recommend adding a lot more soil amendments to the garden and then rototill that all in and plant the hostas that way. If you are worried about root infiltration and are going to try the spin out bags then just dig the holes big enough for those bags, I believe people fill it with good garden soil, then plant the hostas in that. But like I mentioned I don't have any direct experience myself with the spin out bags. Lots of people have given what I think is good advice but I think you are getting confused by all the different things being suggested. And while I hope you do have some success with some things there be prepared for some losses as it can be tough figuring out a new garden situation like this and what will grow there. Chris
...See More
How much should I water my seedlings?
Q
Comments (15)
I definitely need to go out and purchase some growing mix this weekend. Right now, I think my major concern is the flimsy-ness/poor roots of these plants. When I did my seeds last year (second set, lol) they were amazing! The color was great, the stems were hardy, and the roots were well developed, as well. This years batch just don't look that good. I'm thinking about just sucking it up and purchasing established seedlings from a local nursery. I suppose I was lazy with the startup of the plants and should have been more watchful of them from the start. Additionally, I used a poorer quality seed starting mix, which now I know has potentially backfired! Going to mull it over and think about it today and figure out what i'll do within the next few weeks. Thanks all for your advice/help!!
...See More
steve duggins(Z6a) - Central Ohio
4 years ago
It sounds like the water may not be getting into the root zone and if they are starting to pop they will want some water. You may want to pop one out to see the soil condition around the roots. If it is not bone dry, you are probably fine. If it has become resistant to moistening (hydrphobic), you will need to do something more than just pouring water around the root ball. Perhaps creating a way for the water to pool on top so it soaks in instead of running out or putting the whole bag in a tray for an hour so the soil begins to soak up the water. If that is not the case, you need to figure out why the soil is drying out so rapidly. I don't think it should be getting dry that quickly.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
4 years ago
first.. remove dead leaves ... if they were in the ground.. i would suggest that is where early slugs are hiding ...

second ... you should be able to tell from the weight of the bag... how much water is in there ... if you had a grow bag of dry media ... im just making up numbers.. maybe it would weigh one pound ... if you can barely lift a bag .. and it feels like ten pounds.. well ... you have 9 pounds of water in there... just a little more than a gallon.. if that old 7 pound thing is correct ...

what you should do over the summer.. is water a bag ... mark the date.. and not water it again.. until you see the plant wilting a bit ... then see how many days to took to dry ... and then water accordingly ...

i think you ought to cut way back.. until you figure out some facts to work with ... until the high heat of summer hits.. i cant really think they need water every day .. especially when they havent spread out their water losing leaves to the atmosphere ... and keep track of spring rain amounts... to use in your equation ...

my bottom line.. as usual ... try not to kill them with too much love.. and watering every day in march.. might just be that ...

ken
Esther-B, Zone 7a thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
Esther-B, Zone 7a
Original Author
4 years ago
Like I previously posted, these guys are going crazy pipping. Some of the pips are already 1" high or more, and Coconut Custard is already leafing out. I mixed 1/3 coir in with my potting soil when I potted the hostas and heuchies, so I am quite surprised that so much of the water is running out the sides and bottom in a few seconds. I pour enough water in each pot so that there is a temporary (seconds) layer of 1/4" - 1//2" on top, before it soaks in.

Now I'm wondering also--should I MULCH the pots to help the soil not dry out so quickly? Before I moved--KEN--I poured liberal quantities of vinegar or ammonia solution into each pot to kill any slugs or eggs. I haven't seen any evidence yet of any insect pests. So far, all the pips look beautiful.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
4 years ago
so I am quite surprised that so much of the water is running out the sides and bottom in a few seconds.

==>>> that means the soil is sodden .. holding as much water as it can ... so why do you need more??/

my slug example was to point out.. why you would clean out old foliage ... not to suggest you had slugs ..

seems like we all suggested backing off more water ... AND IT SOUNDS ... like you are making excuses to keep watering ... and of course.. that is one of the downsides with the typewritten reply ..

i think you should start thinking about how you are going to maintain moisture consistently thru a fabric bag.. when the high heat of summer starts drying the media thru the sides of the bags .... you might want to start collecting pots you can slip the bag and all into to retard such ...

looking back over the whole project ... i am simply thrilled by how well you have succeeded ... congrats ... you might now be qualified to be out resident 'im moving and want to take my plants with me' expert ...

ken
Esther-B, Zone 7a thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
Esther-B, Zone 7a
Original Author
4 years ago
KEN, I have also considered what's to be done with the summer heat. I think a solution would be to take white shopping bags turned inside out (why should I give free advertising?), puncture them liberally at the bottom, and slip the grow bags into those. The hostas on the bottom shelves will be a bit cramped for headroom, do you think I should swap those with the little hostas on the top shelf? Can't do it in every case, just the two 3-shelf wire shelving units. The big 4 shelf wire shelving unit, there are no little pots to move to the bottom shelf. I am somewhat concerned that such an arrangement might prove physically unstable--what do you think?

How much water should potted hostas get, & should I remove old leaves?

bkay2000

Comments (8)

Josh Spece

hc mcdole

Related Discussions

steve duggins(Z6a) - Central Ohio

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Esther-B, Zone 7a
Original Author

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Esther-B, Zone 7a
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

How much water should potted hostas get, & should I remove old leaves?

bkay2000

Comments (8)

Josh Spece

hc mcdole

Related Discussions

steve duggins(Z6a) - Central Ohio

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Esther-B, Zone 7aOriginal Author

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Esther-B, Zone 7aOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Esther-B, Zone 7a
Original Author

Esther-B, Zone 7a
Original Author