Curious about Hosta genetics

[bkay2000]

I hope that someone might be able to answer my question, or at least speculate on an answer. I visited the Dallas Arboretum’s hosta trial gardens last week. Several major growers provided the plants. They provided 3 specimens of each hosta. On a couple of occasions, two or more growers provided the same variety. It didn’t appear to me that all the plants performed similarly in what seemed to me to be a very similar environment (the next flower bed over, all under Crepe Myrtles, all with sprinklers).

What could account for the wide variety of performances in the plants? One grouping of Guacamole looked decent. Another was fried. One group of Royal Standard was fair. Another was melted. One Royal Standard was upright, the other groups - not nearly as much. Is it just water and light, as the Arboretum guy said? Or, is it probable that some genetic strains of hosta are healthier, hardier and easier to grow than others? Could the Guacamole from XYZ Company be better than the Guacamole from ABC Company? Is it reasonable to think that sometimes you just get a lemon?

bkay

[ogrefcf]

Great question and would like to know as well. Were the plants brought over full grown or larger? Maybe some were raised in more sun and heat compared to the other growers and therefore more used to it. Only a guess.

Owen

[ViolaAnn]

Did they let youknow how long they had been in those gardens? If they hd been moved at all recently, it could certainy have abearing on where they had been before.

[bkay2000]

There were 5 beds. One was planted this spring and was dated. I'm not sure how old the other beds were, but many of the plants were large. If I remember correctly, they started some of the trials last year. I also think some plants are left over from a previous trial. I spoke with an employee briefly. He said they intended to remove the poor performers and replace them with more trial plants, which implies that they intend to keep the good performers. I was really surprised that there was so much difference in the same named plant.

I took photos, but they are too big to post and not very well organized. They were more geared to how good some varieties looked versus how bad others looked rather than the differences in the same variety. I plan to go back on Friday, if I have time. I'll be more prepared. I left my purse in the car, so I didn't have a pen. Also, I forgot to set the camera to take smaller photos.

Boy, I'll never again ignore recommended varieties. It was stunning, to say the least.

bkay

[Tigger]

My guess would be that the different suppliers gave plants at different stages of root growth, or with otherwise differing levels of quality in root structure. (This could be due to differences in culture following the tissue culture process.) Most likely most of those plants have H. plantaginea blood, which, I tend to believe, makes them a little bit fussier about transplanting.

If all of these were planted this spring, I would hope that they give them all another season. I would bet that the differences between specimens will even out fairly quickly. If not, then I would place the blame more on growing conditions at the site: their beds must not be as similar as they thought.

[R. Rock]

Hi,
It would be interesting to see where they are at in a few years for comparison.

[bkay2000]

It was already interesting. It's been a horrible summer here. No rain and well above normal temps. I expected the hosta to look bad. I just wanted to know how bad and wanted to see which ones were less bad. I was surprised by the extremes of bad and good.

I had asked the Arboretum guy why the same variety varied so much. He said light and water. I don't think he wanted to be bothered with me, so I didn't press the question. He left shortly thereafter. (He said that there would be an email coming out this week about the trials.) After I left and I thought about it for a while, my curiousity increased regarding the differences in the performances of the same variety. The plants in the current trials are listed on their website, so I've downloaded the list and will go back with pen and camera in hand. I just compared the list with my memory and some of my photos, and I see that some plants are not in the current trials. They had a really nice Cathedral Windows, but it's not on the trial list. They had a really nice Fragrant Bouquet, but it's not on the list.

The plants I am talking about are not new (this year) plants. They could be a mixture of different aged plants. I will pay closer attention next time. I know the Royal Standards were really different. There were three stands of them. According to the list, Abbot Ipco and Green Lake provided a group each and there was 3rd grouping as well. Each plant is labeled with it's name and nursery, so I should be able to pose a good question after another trip.

The new plants were obvious.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f246/ ... CN0450.jpg

The older plants were obvious as well.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f246/ ... CN0433.jpg

bkay

[scootersbear]

Most of us can answer this question, if you've divided a hosta and put the 2 in different parts of the yard 1 will almost always outperform the other. I have a guac. I divided a few years ago and the smaller division is twice the size now than the larger and they are only about 6 feet away. Reason , just what the guy told you with the assumption they are the same age (otherwise they can't call it a true test garden). Knowing Texas has been in quite a drought I'd bet they are giving groups more water and sun than others. It doesn't matter where they came from since to be honest most hostas anymore come from the same tc lab anyways, what makes the dealers better than others is how long they grow the hostas (better root system) and how they maintain them.

[bkay2000]

Thanks. I guess I just don't have that much experience. I've always grown in pots and usually have only one of something.

bkay

[Angel3K]

Thanks. I guess I just don't have that much experience. I've always grown in pots and usually have only one of something.

bkay

I am like you, mostly grown in pots, and the extras are given to neighbors. Thanks for bringing up the question, sometimes when I visit a nursery with a specific plant in mind, and I saw a totally different looking plant and i thought someone moved the tags, and I will be searching in rows checking to make sure I am in the right isle, then the worker said " oh those were newer shipments".
In case Hosta Christmas Tree, puckered, good leaf substance. I bought one in June, and my neighbor like it, so I dug the front one and gave it to her. In return, I think she got a bit of money last week, so she gave me $20. I went back to Artistic Landscape where I bought the H-CT and to my surprise, the isle were it was looks different. It was still H. Christmas Tree, but taller plant and the leaves were not puckered, looks more like "so sweet". Probably, a younger plant than what I got in June.

Good to be around Hosta master gardeners. I learn something new everyday.

[ViolaAnn]

Or you MAY have bought a plant which was mislabelled. I've seen MANY at good hosta nurseries. Often not their fault. Customers are known to move plant labels around. But if the pots are labelled as well, make sure the markers match.