As it warms up, don't water if you want them to stay dormant

[Chris_W]

Wow, I just checked the weather and things are really going to start popping out of the ground here now. The next 10 days the lows are only supposed to be around 40!

I know a lot of you have already see hostas coming up, and had the frozen leaves to prove it But for people like me, we haven't really seen much coming up, and we would be happy to keep things dormant a little while longer!

The good news is that it has been very dry so far this spring for us, and as long as we don't get a lot of rain the hostas will stay dormant a little while more. Once we get a good rainstorm to go with the warm temps then you will be able to sit and watch them sprout.

So for those who want to keep things dormant a little longer, don't water the garden. Let them sleep as long as you can, just in case another blast of cold is in store for us come May

[LucyGoose]

Hi Chris!!

Would this go for my potted hosta's too? I have not watered anything, and won't....I remember last year....I have about half and half in the pots with eyes showing, but things in the gardens are going fast!

Thanks!!

[caliloo]

Good advice, Chris, I wish Mother Nature would listen to you .

We got 5 inches of rain last Sun - Tues and it is raining again right now. So much for keeping them dormant! Let's hope balmy zone 7 stays above freezing now that we passed our last frost date a week ago!

Alexa

[thy]

With night temps around or above 40 F they will start, but slowly-..
Here it will be around the frezing point Friday night... Where is Global warming when we need it

Chris is rght, water will speed them up

Have a cold.. can't adjust to the 50 or so and the cold winds we have got in the last days
Told it will be better Monday

The potted ones are my problems too.. I try to do a finger testing of the roots.. if they feel round and good, no problems, if they feels soft and flat.. I have been giving them a little water and then kept them protected or ready to cover... Not much help here ....

[jgh]

Thanks for the excellent tip, Chris... the only ones I want to come out of dormancy right now are the ones I can pot up and put into protective covering!

[newtohosta-no more]

Good advice,Chris. I haven't watered anything yet, but Mother Nature has a time or two.

[Chris_W]

Lucygoose, I think Pia has some great advice. Check on the roots to see if they are still plump. If they are they really don't need water.

I've kept hostas in cold storage bone dry for months. They were a little slow to pick up after I planted them, but by the end of the year they were fine.

Once things start growing, though, there won't be any stopping it. After our first hostas begin unfurling we'll start watering again (if needed).

That rain out East was amazing! And we are like a dust bowl here...

[JoshS]

Good advice, Chris, I wish Mother Nature would listen to you .

Yeah, me too!

I see too many frozen eyes from our cold snap a week or so ago. Amazingly, the tulips are perking up! They looked like slimy spinach a week ago. We've been back in the 60's and 70's this week and are supposed to be near 80 on Saturday Chance of rain most of next week. No freezing temps in the foreseeable future, but we've got about 4 weeks before we're "safe."

The wonderful Spring roller coaster ride!

[barbara]

I'm really torn between loving Spring weather finally, 70 today, better this weekend, no freezing temps at night, and knowing its a tease! No way are hoses coming out YET! saw my first casualty yesterday, not looking anymore! Well, whatever, we will all survive

[Willowy]

We haven't had temperatures over 40 and just got over a four day Nor 'Easter in New England...84 degrees is predicted this weekend...I have nothing but a few tiny Blue Cadet eyes showing...something tells me that will change.

[Wanda]

“just in case another blast of cold is in store for us come May”...(hehehehehe)

wow, Chris, you are the compleat optimist! (hehe)

Great advice, but Mother Nature is not cooperating here. Also expecting lows in the 40s, highs in the 60-70s. We had 7” of wet snow last Thurs., and got a gentle penetrating all day rain of 1.5” yesterday and expect more rain Mon. Two days ago I could see just a few random eyes showing here and there, about 1/4” tall. Today about half the hosta are showing eyes and some are an inch tall!!! I did some weeding today, but am not going the near the beds for a while...I fully expect hosta to be exploding out of the ground and into quick growth. Oh, boy, two weeks early...so I will be covering/uncovering hosta even longer this year (sigh). I plan on setting up my hoops/plastic this weekend.

wanda

[renaldo75]

At the other end of the spectrum - I have nothing that isn't up here. The slow pokes are just coming out of the ground - but they're all out. Fortunately the soil I added helped/saved the ones that weren't up much when the last cold front hit & stayed. But today I was cutting back the ones that were too tall for soil & under pots - they didn't do as well. Temps have been in the 60's since last weekend. I think we have a chance of rain tomorrow & Saturday. The soil is so moist already [some spots more than others] that we don't need more moisture right now.

[oldcoot]

: So there are no dormant hosta as his house. Having 80* this week-end and next week. Sure hope that is not a tease again. The last time that happened we had a terrible freeze. Need to get out in the yard and see if I can get the dead leaves off the frozen ones as I see some new leaves coming out. Right now though, my whole yard is under water from the rain yesterday - a real thurder-boomer. Heard we got 6". So glad all my flowers except in the Rock Garden are in raised beds. It of course slopes down hill and drains really well.....

Good luck every body.......OC feeling a little better

[Homer_Zn5]

We had a week of weather back in March where daytime highs were near or above 80, and nights in the 60's, along with plenty of rain. Follow that with two weeks of highs in the 30's and lows in the teens, and it's going to be an ugly hosta year for me. I was lucky that some of the slow ones did not pop out of the ground when the warm weather hit.

[Papou]

For the last couple of days temperatures have been higher than normal here in the Ottawa-Montreal region. The safety date however is May 4, so anything can happen between now and then. It is nice to be out there cleaning up...and patiently awaiting for those eyes to come out...Right now I can see some tips on many hostas.