Re potting hostas

[ogrefcf]

Okay, I tried doing some forum searching, but my ADD brain can't handle being on the computer when it's sunny and 70 outside. I have a couple hostas in pots. One of them is a good sized S&S. This year the soil dropped down several inches in it. My question is how often and when do I need to repot them? Any thing special i need to do or just dump it out and change the soil? Thanks! Picture of the pot with my size 11 sandal. And yes, I garden in sandals lol.

[thy]

Gardening in sandals and sun and 70 F.......... and you allow your self to ask us any questions at all.
We can talk when you get some normal snow outside your windows and have to dress up like a Michelin mann just to go out with the trash


LOL Owen, sure is green with envy but yes, just take it out and add some new soil in the pot before you set it back again, may need an inch or so on top of it

Pia

[ViolaAnn]

Pia - I can relate! Still got lots of snow, though about half of my front garden reappeared in the last 3 days.

[Linda P]

Pia,
I agree, Owen. I'd just turn out the whole thing and put some more soil in the bottom, and add just a bit to the top as well. While you are at it, check the roots and see if it needs a bigger pot. If you've got circling roots, you might want to tease a few of them out and put it in something bigger. On the other hand, I have a huge Lancifolia that I put in a pot as an experiment at least 10 years ago. I have done nothing to it, other than water it now and again since it sits up against a tree trunk and doesn't get much moisture from rain. I haven't fertilized, added soil, anything. Last year it was just a little smaller than it had been. I did water it a little more often since we were in a drought, but I'm wondering how it will look this year. I didn't expect it to last this long. I don't turn the pot on its side or cover it or anything. I just leave it where it sits, year round, ignoring it for the most part. Now, I realize if that was a hosta I didn't want to lose, it would probably not do as well, but it is interesting to see how well it's held up in that pot with almost no attention.

[ogrefcf]

Thanks for the advice got it all done. Had quite the root ball. The root were to the bottom and starting to circle, but I don't have a pot to move up from. I think this one is 7 gallons so it's pretty big. I did break one of the pips trying to get it out . I Also stuck my hands down the sides to the bottom of the pot to pull it out and when I got it out there were centipedes every where. Freaked me out a bit lol. Put about 2-3"s of wood chips on the bottom so it would drain and had some compost bark mix I put in for the rest. Added some fert and some alfalfa pellets. Should be good till next year.

[Linda P]

Looks good! And now you'll have a year to search for a bigger pot.

[Schattenfreude]

How does a potted plant drop 2 inches inside a pot over the winter? Is this merely from the soil compacting?

And what exactly do the alfalfa pellets do?

Just wondering....

Kevin in KC

[kaylyred]

Kevin, here's an article about a controlled test using alfalfa. It stimulates growth.

http://www.inthecountrygardenandgifts.c ... /0015.html

[ogrefcf]

I left it outside on the side of the house. When it rained or the snow melted the run off went into the pot. I'm guessing that's what compacted it. With my sons passing I didn't get a lot of the clean up and things ready for winter done. I'm glad this one survived. Alfalfa is cheap, so I buy a 50# bag and throw it on all my hostas and flower beds.