Growing Hostas in Texas

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Feb 14, 2008 6:57 pm

I know its going to be tough. We will be in the north central part of Texas. I should plan on frig space for them through the winter? If so, that's not a problem. The lady that lives in the place we are buying said she had bought some and planted them but they had disappeared.

And suggestions for the best ones to take that might survive the heat? If I have to leave soon, is there any way can I dig them now?

Spider · Post by **Spider** » Feb 14, 2008 11:24 pm

If you are in zone 7 (same as Atlanta, GA) you shouldn't have a problem. My plants thrived! I did water most every day (besides winter) They went dorment like yours do, we had frozen ground there through normal times, just not as deep a freeze. 100 gallon black water troths got about 3 inches of ice when broken and removed every day (and yes, that was my favorite chore in the winter).

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Feb 15, 2008 9:46 am

I'll be in Zone 8A.

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Feb 15, 2008 9:52 am

Hi Peggy!

Who would like that this girl would say, how can someone live without hosta's?

.......DH's mom is in the panhandle, and she has hosta's....but I do not know what YOU will do......Wow, hope you get some help....

Hugs to you!

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Feb 15, 2008 10:03 am

LG, depending where she's located in the panhandle, she could be zone 6 or 7.

Ginger · Post by **Ginger** » Feb 15, 2008 11:49 am

Peg, I really do think you can grow them. You may find some do better than others, but if you can find some good shade, and are willing to water every day (almost) you should be fine. Even though zone 8 they do get some decent cold in the winter, just not the feet of snow that you are used to. Shoot it snowed in Austin and San Antonio this year

I don't think you will need to refrigerate them. They WILL NOT get as big as what you are used to though. I would really think about just keeping some in a pot. This way in the winter they get colder than if in the ground, which is what they need. I suspect the lady you talked to lost her hosta to critters, not necessarily to the climate.

Just my two cents,

Ginger

Ginger · Post by **Ginger** » Feb 15, 2008 2:28 pm

Oh, yeah and the ones that do the best for me are the darker greens. Anything with alot of white will melt on you, and some of the ones with green and yellow, will be more green than yellow. Seems like the ones that have thicker leaves also have done better. What lived well this year for me

Francee (always looks good)
Golden Tiara
Grand Tiara
Bridal Veil (new from Chris year before last, grew great this last summer)
Abba Dabba Do
Halcyon
Fragrant Blue (did really well this last summer)
June (stayed more blue green than other folks)
Queen Josephine ( fungus got it last year,but it usually does well)
Lemon Lime
Winfield Gold (grew well, started out a beautiful yellow, but went to more green)
Pauls Glory (might have done better except for the fungus it got early in the spring)

These are the ones I have. have them all potted and have had them potted for the last two years. I really noticed a difference (better!) the first year they came up after being potted over the winter. More and bigger eyes than before.

Ginger

oldcoot · Post by **oldcoot** » Feb 15, 2008 4:17 pm

than the cold temperature, He lives in Z/8 upper S.c. and I never seem to be able to water them enough. They survive the winter just fine, I cover then with mulch. We do have A problem with late freezes which hit them hard, but last year they did come back....

An old Coot waiting for spring

MollyD · Post by **MollyD** » Feb 18, 2008 10:21 pm

Peg there is a woman over on Dave's Garden who lives in Texas (Dallas I believe) and grows hostas. She also sells them so she must be doing well with them! Her name is Sylvia. If you belong to DG you can contact her or you can pm me your email address and I can pass it onto her for you.

MollyD

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Feb 19, 2008 8:52 am

Thanks Molly! PM'ing you!

lonestarhostababe · Post by **lonestarhostababe** » Feb 19, 2008 12:38 pm

Hi Peggy,
I live in Texas zone 8A, so here's my 2 cents worth:
Forget the blue hostas, summer heat will turn them green.
Probably won't see many slugs, only a few in the spring when it's wet.
Keep your best hostas in pots, easier to water and check the root system.
Here are my outstanding hostas: Dick Ward, Fragrant Dream, Fried Green Tomatoes, Garden Treasure, Gay Blade, Glory, Gold Regal, Grand Slam, Guacamole, Iron Gate Delight, June, Komodo Dragon, Lakeside Kaleidoscope, Lakeside Lagoon, Locomotion, Mama Mia, Marilyn Monroe, Ming Jade, Mississippi Delta, Moonlight Sonata, Paradigm, Party Favor, Paul's Glory, Permanent Wave, Pilgrim, plantagenia, Queen Josephine, Red October, Reptillian, Riptide, Satisfaction, Silk Kimono, Spinach Patch, Spring Fling, Squire Rich, St Paul, Sugar and Cream, Sum and Substance, Valentine Lace, Van Wade (my favorite), and War Party.
I have many others, but these are my best performers.
Bring only large specimens. If we have warm winters, the smaller ones will dwindle away to nothing.
Where are you going to live? We may be quite close.
Hope our first summer is good to you and your hostas.
Judy

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Feb 19, 2008 2:23 pm

Hi Judy! Thanks so much for the reply. Because I tried to cover a lot of ground where I live now, I have quite a few big hostas and these are probably the ones that will do better in Texas.

From the Fragrant Bouquet family: FB, Fried Bananas, Fried Green Tomatoes, Guacamole, Stained Glass, Tortilla Chip, Avocado and Fragrant Dream.

From the Sum and Substance family: S & S, Grand Canyon, Lady Isobel Barnett, Parhelion, Sum of All, Titanic and Winter Snow.

From Olga Petryszyn I have Dawn's Early Light, Brother Stefan, Mississippi Delta, Niagara Falls and Golden Gate.

Plantaginea, Ming Treasurer and Aphrodite

I probably would also consider taking Irongate Glamour, Mistress Mabel, Polar Moon, Guardian Angel and Eventide.

Wowee, this list got big in a hurry!

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Feb 19, 2008 4:53 pm

Peggy, I'm really glad you have been getting such good news about growing hostas in Texas! Awesome!

Have you heard anything back yet on your job opportunities?

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Feb 20, 2008 9:20 am

Charla, I haven't heard anything about the job.

When I talked with the gal last Thursday, she said she hadn't had time to sit down and even open the resumes. I don't know what to think.

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Feb 20, 2008 9:44 am

PeggyC wrote:Charla, I haven't heard anything about the job. When I talked with the gal last Thursday, she said she hadn't had time to sit down and even open the resumes. I don't know what to think.

Dang!

It seems the employer is never as eager as the potential employee to get these things resolved!

Oh, well, gives you more time to plan/execute which hostas and other plants you are going to bring with you!

Here's wishing you absolute success in every area of the move!

bobaxe · Post by **bobaxe** » Feb 23, 2008 12:39 pm

I send hostas to two people who live almost across from each other 100 miles apart, in Texas and Louisiana, they live in De Ridder, La and Center, Tx. I think one grows hostas in the ground and the other in pots. They both say they do fine and always want more. This is pretty far south in these states.

thy · Post by **thy** » Feb 23, 2008 7:00 pm

zone 8 here but very differnt from Texas
Orange marmelade need all the sun i can give it
and for the blues... Camelot, Queen of the Seas, Sky Dancer and Kiwi Full Monthy love my full sun..so with some shade they can be worth a test

Have you found the garden...and the house

zil1 · Post by **zil1** » Feb 26, 2008 3:05 pm

I can sort of grow hostas down here in zone 9a, so you should be fine in 8

Spider · Post by **Spider** » Mar 10, 2008 6:59 pm

How are things going on this? Any news?

karen171 · Post by **karen171** » Jul 01, 2008 8:56 pm

I'm in Denton, Tx and as an experiment, started out with just a few hostas last year. They all did just fine....Orange Marmalade was the last to emerge. My blues are still blue....didn't turn green that I noticed. I now have 50+ ...and still wanting more!

These were the first ones:

Halcyon
Silver Bay
Niagara Falls
Zounds
Orange Marmalade
Fire Island

Hallson Gardens

Growing Hostas in Texas

Growing Hostas in Texas

OC honestly thinks that water IS more important

Hostas that grow well for me in Texas 8A