BittyBatts Although the peat based potting soils degrade into very low Ph mediums, stunting plants, repotting should fix that. African Violets, potted in peat based potting soils, are fine with any water Ph 8 or under. My water is 9+ I add phosphoric acid to bring the water I use on plants to Ph 7. It was easy after I figured it out but required some math to find the parts per million of phosphorus. It also required knowledge of how to mix water and acid. how to store acid and how to dilute water with acid to the proper Ph. Trust me, water Ph, unless your water is so thick with dissolved solids you can plant in it and the Ph is above 8, you don't want to mess with it. It requires addition of acids, the best being food grade phosphoric which despite the label is extremely corrosive in its undiluted state. Also, it is necessary to know how much phosphorus (ppm) are being added when you bring the Ph down. Phosphorus is a fertilizer. It is possible to use citric acid (expensive) sulphuric (dangerous) or nitric (dangerous) so it is best to leave the water alone if you don't have an extreme problem. Or repot every 6 months to counteract the buildup of minerals and Ph in the soil Very high Ph water can, over time, seriously affect plants. Yellowing of leaves, poor growth and lack of flowers are the usual symptoms. This post was edited by lucky123 on Fri, Aug 8, 14 at 17:24

I grow mine in pots as a temporary means until I am both satisfied with where I want them to live in the garden and also the soil where they will be planted is decent enough to not stall any progress they might be making. It sort of gives me a flexible buffer so I donâÂÂt feel pressured or rushed to get them in the ground. I also pot them up to allow me the opportunity to âÂÂbabyâ them, if need be. There is a down side to that though. Sometimes I fuss too much and I know if I just left them alone they would be fine. But, I am still so new to hostas that I feel like I would be a bad parent, throwing them straight out into the wild unknown that I call my front yard. I want to tame the jungle before I let the kids out to play. That sounds corny, but you get the point. :p I think the biggest perk though is when they are in pots I can take the whole plant and plunk it in the garden where I think I might like to place it permanently. Once I have a plant anchored I will then plan around it, and slowly the garden grows. I have tried to sit down and map out an entire bed, but I always end up more frustrated than satisfied. I need to SEE them and the other plants around it to know if itâÂÂs a good fit. Plus, I can leave them in the spot in the garden while still in the pot to test out sunlight and wind. If they end up blanching or breaking I know it might not be the best place for permanency. Ludi

Garden soil is meant for the just that, a garden or anything outside. Use potting mix intended for indoor use. Making a 5:1:1 mix would be a good choice. 5 parts pine bark fines, 1 part peat, 1 part perlite and some dolomite lime. again, regarding garden soil, top soil, compost, etc, use that outdoors only. Do not use pine straw either. Pine bark mulch / fines would be the right thing to use. Just because one has done something for "30 years and never had a problem" doesn't mean it's good advice or others won't have issues. Indoor potting mix is similarly priced and comes sterile so you don't have to worry. Not trying to call anyone out, but when advice like that is posted on a public forum, especially where there are a lot of new comers and beginners, it's just not helpful.

I made some calls Friday to find the best rate for shipping my hostas and heuchies to Baltimore. Busfreighters wanted $625. Fedex wanted $412. I know the replacement cost for my hostababies would be over $700, so just figured Fedex would just be part of the cost of moving. Then, quite unexpectedly, I got a call Friday afternoon from my friends Mimi & Joe. They have been absolutely wonderful to me over the years, helping me with some household repairs I couldn't do myself. Are you sitting down, Hostapeople? Mimi said that they'd be happy to load up all my potted hostas in their large SUV and drive them to my place in Baltimore after I am moved in! And if it took 2 trips to get them all down there, they'd do it. Can you believe such kindness? I was literally reeling after I got off the phone! I had to share this with you. BTW, I intend to place the fabric potted hostas on the wire shelving units I purchased for them, on the balcony. Do I need to protect them from the winter, as they will not be sunk into the ground, and if so, what should I do? Thanks.