Hostas you just can't seem to grow...

[kaylyred]

My 'Blue Hawaii' is a beast. Growing really well for me. It's in an area that gets a lot of moisture from one of my downspouts, as well as from whatever the sump pump kicks out. I suppose that helps.

[Noreaster]

One that does not thrive for me is Blue Hawaii. Every year it puts up about five big fat eyes and I think it will look great...but then it opens and the leaves are puny and the whole thing is just underwhelming. I thought it was supposed to be a vigorous grower, but it hasn't been for me.

This sounds like it was damaged in the spring at some point. Are the leaves thick and leathery, but small and no vigor? I've seen similar damage for years on different plants. Sometimes they never recover.

Yeah, the leaves also have a weird asymmetrical twist to them that I'm not sure is normal or not..im guessing not. It's a carbon copy of the plant it was last year so I'm afraid it might never snap out of what's ailing it. I'll take a picture later.

This year El Niño also came up with small, thick, leathery leaves but that one was normal last year. If they are being damaged in the Spring I wish I knew how to protect them to avoid these problems.

[thy]

Fire Island have I killed too many times to try Again
l: Parsley Print disapeared but it was tiny when I got it. May try a new one

Fire and Ice is great in full sun, but the other White centered hostas died the first year.

Orange Marmelade have been great here if grown in full sun.. please check my latitude in low land Denmark. In my old garden I had clay and it seams like it have been slower to get started in sand with a lot of compost, but now it is lovely.

Pia

[redcrx]

I just found an empty pot of White On. I think that's the third one that's died on me. So in the ground doesn't work; in a pot doesn't work; I need to try a trough - or grow it in Iowa.

Love the look of that plant. Maybe I'll try growing it next to On Stage which grows fine.

I need to see if my Mountain Snow is still alive - I couldn't tell the difference between them anyway.

[redcrx]

I do still have a tiny White On but it's not big enough to appreciate how good this can look.

[Kas]

Yeah, the leaves also have a weird asymmetrical twist to them that I'm not sure is normal or not..im guessing not. It's a carbon copy of the plant it was last year so I'm afraid it might never snap out of what's ailing it. I'll take a picture later.This year El Niño also came up with small, thick, leathery leaves but that one was normal last year. If they are being damaged in the Spring I wish I knew how to protect them to avoid these problems.

I've found that the weird twisted and thick leaves are a result of just not enough water. Those that I have watered every other day after they came up with those leaves have come back normal the next year. As for ones that I can't grow, 'Paradise Power'. I'm on my third one and it is just half an inch tall. The slugs helped with this one, I think.

Kathy

[irawon]

Oh no Noreaster, I bought Blue Hawaii because I liked yours. Mine is growing well but I'm a bit disappointed about its blueness so far.

Regarding Rainforest Sunrise, mine grew well in a lot of sun but I didn't like the colour. I moved it this spring to a shadier location. I was impressed
with the thumb sized eyes. Hope it does as well.

It seems to me that the hostas that I have trouble with are ones that have been grown in a potting mix that dries out too fast. The light medium encourages growth but needs
lots of water. I think that this soil should be removed from the plant but more often than not the root system of the plant has not been developped long enough before it has been sold.
I wonder whether it is an acceptable practice for a hosta buyer to pop out the plant from its container to see what the root structure is like?

[Noreaster]

Yeah, I am bummed about Blue Hawaii. I can try watering it more- it is in a spot that I tend to not water so much, though all the other hostas in that bed seem to do well. I am pretty sure it's planted at the correct depth and all that. It's just frustrating....the eyes looked so big, fat, and healthy. Here it is in all it's thick, stunted glory.

[irawon]

Oh no, I just moved my Rainforest Sunrise to a shadier location because I didn't like the brassy yellow it got in the southern sun. The eyes were thick as thumbs. Hope it's not heading for trouble now. Eleven, yours looks like what I would like mine to look like. What kind of sun does it get?

I've had trouble growing

My second Fireworks is hanging on by a thread. It's not even the size of a dime. I'm going to move it to my ICU.
Dream Weaver... may have croaked because of root competition.
I just bought a second Thunderbolt and am trying it in another location. My Dream Queen is doing fine.
Just moved Sea Fire, Loyalist and Orange Marmalade, hoping they will recover. Perhaps they were planted too deep.

Last year's drought and then winter's lack of snow cover under my evergreens sure didn't help, either.

[ShortShadows]

What an interesting thread! Now that my hostas have emerged I can actually talk to the subject. My Rainforest Sunrise and Tropical Storm are doing quite well. OTOH, Zounds, Sunpower,and Paradise Island are NOT doing very well. In between rain I got out and snapped a photo of both Tropical Storm and Rainforest Sunrise.

Tropical Storm a.jpg (38.08 KiB) Viewed 843 times

[Eleven]

Irene, my Rainforest Sunrise is at the front sunny end of a bed. I have huge oak trees, so really my light is filtered shade, but a few spots like this one get spotlight noon and afternoon sun. RS is the front left hosta here; the centers will turn more yellow as summer hits.