hi

i would look for a big fat healthy looking bud or two ... perhaps the most possible ... for the money ...

and that would indicate a good root mass for those buds ...

as i like to say.. grow the roots.. and the plant will follow..

so one might say that those two above.. have a root mass sufficient for one big fat bud/pip/eye ...

the one on the right.. looks like it was formally in a cell pack.. and nothing wrong with that .. the left might have a few more roots ...

otherwise.. no black.. gooey.. squishy roots that smell of death ... and you should be all set ...

any plan to throw those on the driveway for a few weeks?? .. lol ...

next time.. throw in a familiar scale.. like the pencil you wrote the name with ...

the only upside to seeing the leaves ... is to insure you got the variety you picked ... otherwise.. i got quite a few hundred over the years.. mail order.. that looked just like these ... though i suspect a bit small ... that would depend on the price paid ...

they definitely look like TC plants.. and nothing wrong with that ...

ken

Thanks Ken!

I feel like I have learned so much and then I realize that I have a long way to go yet. For example: "next time.. throw in a familiar scale.. like the pencil you wrote the name with. . ." and then I think "I should have known to do that." I have seen it many a time on the forum.

"any plan to throw those on the driveway for a few weeks??" Absolutely not. Can't do it---not throw, not drop, not anything! They're my babies!

"the only upside to seeing the leaves ... is to insure you got the variety you picked ... " It didn't even occur to me that I may end up with another variety of hosta. But of course that can be a possibility. I really am hoping for two healthy Golden Meadows. Now you got me thinking. . . hmmm. . . wonder how long it will take before I can tell if I got what I thought I got!?

Now if these bare root hostas came from a hosta grower/farm, then would they have divided the plants in the fall and then kept them in a cool temperature in peat moss until spring? Sorry for all the questions, but I am interested in learning and I l-o-v-e hostas!

NHL, it is my opinion that you won't have long to wait. I believe that Golden Meadows is an early riser. Once you have those two new eye-babies in their growing location, they'll be growing for you.

Take a look in the Hosta Library for pictures, and maybe some with baby pictures (we have no lack of photographers to help with this!) of the young growing hosta, and you'll know if it is likely to be Golden Meadows or not. Not saying a sure ID, but not out of the question (like color wrong somehow).

At this point, your trust in the seller's correctness in saying so, seems to be the easiest way of deciding.

Actually, now that I think about it, that's the way I think when I am ordering online without seeing my purchase......I trust the people who offer it know what they are selling, based on their reputation and my personal experiences, with them or with similar nurseries.

GM comes up white/cream in center right from the start.

Paul

it seems.. that most of the sellers.. who actually cut plants ... are the more northern growers ...

and they can not ship or sell.. until the ground thaws ... so they can dig them up.. that was my first clue ..

there arent many operations.. being mostly small scale mom and pop type sellers.. that have large scale refrigerated warehouses .... though i think back in the day.. white oak had an old fridge.. or they called their sale .. a fridge sale ...

on divided plants .... most likely.. they were divided just prior to late summer root growing time [july/august] ..... and lined out in a row ... for sale the next spring ... if they did it right.. they cut single eyes with a good root mass ... and maybe will get a second eye by spring..

and the lack of cut.. was my second clue as to the sourcing of yours..

and as i said.. it doesnt matter ...

what your seller probably did .. was buy second year TC plugs early last spring.. and lined them out to grow for a season .. paying a wholesale cost ... and then with an extra year of root growth .... are selling them at retail ... [or they ordered in more expensive second year TC.. sent 'just in time' for this sale .. and then will line out or pot the rest this year] ...

IMHO.. they are small .. but that is simply a function of the price you paid ... someone like hallsons.. might grow them a whole extra year .. and charge a bit more.. plus shipping..

so its hard to define a bargain ... as to how small/large it is.. versus how fast you want a larger plant ... if you see what i mean ...

i fell like i am rambling.. time to hit send ....

ken

The two hostas in question look good to me. I always chose the hosta with the most eyes,but these two have good roots,so they wil have no trouble when planted. BTW, Golden Meadows is of Sieboldiana heritage so the are not early risers. Phil

Moccasinlanding: I have planted the two hostas in pots and will be leaving them in the house to grow. That should speed things up. Daily temperatures here are just above freezing and night times are just below freezing. It will be my first time "forcing" a hosta indoors. I actually have one hosta outside that has awakened. I noticed it just yesterday with one eye. Today a second eye is making its way out. The hosta is Wolverine.

I have looked at the hosta library and there are beautiful specimens to view. Unfortunately no very young GM. But like you say, this forum has loads of pictures and I will do some searching so that I can make a comparison.

I agree that we need to put our trust in the sellers. I had "heard" of the growers from which my bare root hostas came from, so I feel optimistic that I will have the correct hosta. (Nothing like last year when I bought a bag of hostas and none of them were what they were supposed to be!) Thanks moccasinlanding for your feedback!

Thanks Paul (paul in mn) for the photo! Your Golden Meadows looks so lovely and fresh! I hope my one eye will look like that---then I will (almost) know for sure.

Ken: "back in the day.. white oak had an old fridge.. or they called their sale .. a fridge sale ..." That's so cute---a fridge sale---never heard of anything like that.

That 's very interesting about the plants coming from division or TC plugs. I think you are right about my bare root hostas probably being from TC plugs as I did not notice any cut area.

"so its hard to define a bargain" That's so true, especially when it comes to plants. I thought I was getting a good deal---two bare root hostas that cost me less than one potted hosta from a hosta nursery. But if this hosta takes off slowly, then I think I may not have gotten a good deal after all. Time will tell.

As for rambling on---you can ramble on with me any time you want!

Thank you Phil (hostafreak) for your comments. I am glad you think the roots are good. Sieboldiana heritage---doesn't that mean slow grower? Oh dear.

fridge storage..

well.. whats the difference between what you bought.. and a carrot.. ???

if done right.. a carrot will last in the crisper for what.. a decade?? ... lol ...

a carrot is green above.. roots below, well.. one ginormous root ..... and some magical interface [we call it the crown] where hormones tell the plant to grow both of the former .... sounds like the definition of a hosta to me.. eh??

ken

This is how my two bare root hosta look so far (grown indoors). I know we need more time before one can tell if they are indeed Golden Meadows, but it is fun to watch them change every day---especially while I wait for better weather.

Not too much more time, though!

Don B.