I found this list online about Hosta that are difficult growers and recommended to avoid.

Great Expectstions was given as the classic example. Now I feel sad. I bought 6 pots of great expectations with about 4 divisions each. The article says I can expect to lose them...

http://www.hostalists.org/host...

Now the crazy thing is....

Here is a place that says Great Expectations is EASY to grow and a good Hosta for beginners. 😕

https://myfolia.com/plants/387...

Proven winners...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=...

Brother Stefan. Is this slug damage?

Betsy,

I think it's safe to say that you will be able to find all sorts of 'hard to grow' and 'easy to grow' lists. When considering something new, pay attention to the recommended conditions. The 'difficult' list you mention above also has 'June' and 'Fire and Ice' on it. But, I have no problems growing either one. Go with what you like and see what happens. Besides, part of gardening is you working together with the plants to keep them happy and healthy.

RickM said:Betsy,

I think it's safe to say that you will be able to find all sorts of 'hard to grow' and 'easy to grow' lists. When considering something new, pay attention to the recommended conditions. The 'difficult' list you mention above also has 'June' and 'Fire and Ice' on it. But, I have no problems growing either one. Go with what you like and see what happens. Besides, part of gardening is you working together with the plants to keep them happy and healthy.

Thank you... saved again by your common sense. I pressure myself to learn to do everything correct. I forget it's ok to just have fun. 🌺🌺

Indeed. A lot of those on that list are a bit fussy about light or where you grow them. There are a number that I've had difficulty with. For instance, 'Brim Cup' is notorious for drawstringing badly and is likely better off not being grown. But of the difficult ones, I have the following that are doing just fine. You will note that many of them have white centres.

'Blue Ice' - in a fairly dark, dry spot in the back yard


'Blue Shadows' - front yard, close to my Linden tree - gets a bit of morning sun


'Cherry Berry', though slugs do like it late in the season. It gets some morning sun, but is shaded by a shrub.


'Dee's Golden Jewel' - gets a LOT of sun since we removed a tree south of it. However, just in the last week, it started looking pretty crispy.


'Fire and Ice' - close to 'Dee's Golden Jewel' - gets quite a bit of sun and LOVES it.


'Kinbotan' - next to 'Fire and Ice'


'Loyalist' - gets some morning sun. Is maybe 12' north of a large oak tree which shades it later.


'Morning Light' - east side of my house. Gets morning sun. This one is fast to melt out if it gets too much sun.


'Remember Me' - morning sun - a few feet south of 'Loyalist'.


'White Christmas' - morning sun. Is immediately south of that oak tree.

I'm glad to see Loyalist is on your list for hanging in there.

Can you tell me about how much sun your difficult Hosta are getting?

I've edited the thread above. And I wouldn't call them difficult. But watching your hostas and moving them if warranted is always a good idea.

@ViolaAnn
@RickM

How long it is usually before we start to know the Hosta are in the wrong place?

I just moved 2 of my Great Expectations one more time to a location where they get 2 hours full morning sun and sprinkled shade until 2pm then full shade. They didn't appear to be doing bad... the new location just sounded more like what others are saying the Hosta GE likes.

I have the other Great Expectations in a location that gets sprinkled sunlight all day until 6:30pm then 1 hour of full evening sun. These ones appear to be doing great at this point so I don't want to change anything.

Betsy, I do hope that you are doing all of this moving around while the plants are still in pots. If you are putting them into the ground and then moving them, you are stressing the plant. At this time of year, as long as the plant is looking healthy, I'd leave it alone. Once you put it into the ground, I would leave it alone and let it get settled it. The amount of time it takes depends on the soil and weather conditions. Heavy soil or extreme heat will affect how quickly it will adapt. If it is planted in good soil and gets adequate water (damp not swampy), and mid temps, it will adapt quicker.

I tend to leave all of my new plants in their pots for a few months to see how they react to placement. After that, if they look happy, they go either into the ground or a more decorative planter, depending on the desired effect.

RickM said:Betsy, I do hope that you are doing all of this moving around while the plants are still in pots. If you are putting them into the ground and then moving them, you are stressing the plant. At this time of year, as long as the plant is looking healthy, I'd leave it alone. Once you put it into the ground, I would leave it alone and let it get settled it. The amount of time it takes depends on the soil and weather conditions. Heavy soil or extreme heat will affect how quickly it will adapt. If it is planted in good soil and gets adequate water (damp not swampy), and mid temps, it will adapt quicker.

I tend to leave all of my new plants in their pots for a few months to see how they react to placement. After that, if they look happy, they go either into the ground or a more decorative planter, depending on the desired effect.

Good point.,. Yes I have been pulling out of the soil and transplanting them back in.

I'm with Ann, I have a few on the "difficult" list...to me that just means waiting longer to see how they are doing, if not doing as well as I think they should I try to asses the situation and use what ever info is available and change their conditions. Everything is the right plant for the correct conditions. As you already know, its a process...and MN the process takes a little longer then other places.

Ok, when you pull them out of the soil, are you seeing any signs of new root development? Or, are you not waiting that long?

No signs.... They are still in the e act shape of the pot I pulled them out of.

Then I think you've probably diagnosed the problem. Put them somewhere, water them well and watch what happens. I move mine either in late summer or in early spring. I spend the rest of the summer watching them and noting what I like and what I don't like and thinking about where they might go next. Remember that hostas will take 4-5 years to reach maturity and even then sometimes the mounds will keep growing. There is no exact science to locating them and we learn from our experiences. But try not to move them around so much and I think you'll see improvement.

Thank you ViolaAnn.

Both of you have given me the confidence to strike out with this new shade gardening because I feel like I am getting professional advise.

I appreciate that so much!

The reason I quickly moved a few Hosta is because I realized... that this particular shady area gets muddy in the spring along with less sunlight.

I figured if I left them in that spot and they got boggy they would be as good as dead so the sooner I put them somewhere else the better.

Wow. A deal I couldn't refuse... The Lowe's manager is getting ready for his clearance sale and jumped the gun for me.

Wow. A deal I couldn't refuse!!!

The Lowe's manager is getting ready for his clearance sale and jumped the gun for me.







He sold me all these 2 gallon size perennials for $1 each. I really don't have enough sunny space for the sweet plants he is practically giving me... But I thought I should take the fabulous offer and hopefully I will find someone around here who would like to share in his generosity for practically free landscaping. He will wait a few more weeks before clearing out the Hosta.

Lucky me just got a check I've been waiting for...
I asked folks on the iris forum if they wanted to sell me $400 worth of plants and no one did so off to Lowe's I went and what a staggering surprise...

I think God kind of helps things work out the best for me because THIS deal is WAY better!!!

Feel like almost everything is going my way this season!!!

❤️❤️❤️