plants put their roots where they want them.. and under a good mulch.. the surface of the soil is just fine with them ...

SO WHY DO YOU KEEP INSISTING THAT THEY PUT THE ROOTS ELSEWHERE???

am i correct.. they are happy.. they are fine.. and you keep burying them deeper and deeper ??? you have a greater chance of harming them by loving them to death.. and burying them too deep ... compared to just enjoying them and leaving them be ...

try not to love them to death..

try not fix things that arent really problems ....

ken

The mulch will actually help your hosta over the winter to prevent "heaving." Heaving is caused by freeze and thaw cycles during the winter. If you have good snow cover all winter then you'll be fine. But without that your plants will benefit from being mulched during the winter.

The other thing that might be happening is that the roots of your hosta are growing into the mulch because the soil beneath the mulch was not improved before you planted. What is the soil like beneath the mulch?

As Ken has said enjoy your plants while they are growing and blooming. These are hosta. They will grow in less than optimum conditions (i.e. Ken's driveway). Show us some pictures of your plants.

Steve

Recently I was reading a comment by Chris that new roots come from the top of the crown - hadn't ever thought about it, but makes sense. Sounds like what you're seeing.

Paul

Ditto what Ken said,and let me add that,although I'm in zone6,not 5,a lot of my hostas push up to show roots above ground,but have never been harmed by doing so. In fact,I think it is better to be a little higher up,than to plant them too deep. I always mulch my plants,and they do just fine,year after year. Phil

Thank you all so much. That makes me rest easier.

I am one of those weird people that likes to rescue things. I rescued my Bull Terrier and I rescue plants at the end of every season. I hate to name names,(WM) but there is a local big box store that thinks it has a nursery department. As far as I'm concerned they should not be allowed to have any plants there at all.

The plants come in beautiful and they leave a dying discrace. So, this is where I got several of my hosta last year. I babied them along and now they are doing really well.

Here are some pics:
One of my very favorites:

I got a little ambitious and they are a little too close together:)

The back of the tree (not done with border yet) it is spaced a little better than the front!

I am just learning, but I just love the hosta. It is definitely my favorite plant to have in my yard!!

Thanks again for the help, it is always appreciated!!

Gabby

oh gabby.. that cracks me up ....

you will have to expand that bed 4 to 6 feet out from the tree ... since you have enough plants for two more yards ...

you will be successful beyond your expectations ... lol

first pic .. the plant is too close to the tree .. it may be putting its roots above the soil.. because there is not enough soil under it ....

you should move every other plant out from the tree. .. and put them along the fence ...

what kind of tree????

good luck

ken

Gabby, About roots : One of my 15 year or so big blue ones (Elegans or Blue Umbrellas, see my recent post #2) shows roots all winter. It simply grew out of the soil or was pushed out of it by a maple, now cut down. I put some mulch over it over winter, but do not dare to dig it out.

WM, I would not trust them with hosta naming, just destroyed very carefully a big gold one which I think had a label 'Sum and Substance' when bought as a small one, but developed to something like 'Yellow Swoosh', now with a HVX marking on one leaf.
Have fun with the larger hosta bed!
Bernd

Yes, Ken, I am glad to have amused you. But, I have to explain a little more. I am adding a picture that shows a little more of our Happy 1/2 Acre. When we bought it there was not one plant or flower in sight, just grass and a few neglected trees. There was no fence behind our tree (that is actually our dog run) and there was no shop or garden.

The beautiful tree has two friends out front that are just as big (80 feet or so). This one is a Cottonwood, and is amazing. We are actually looking at getting it trimmed up so it doesn't kill our house in some random wind storm:)

So, I started with my hosta to add around the yard. We are adding another 180 feet of fence this summer, so I will have lots of space. I am growing little hosta in my garden and everywhere I can fit them so I have nice plants to add to those fences.

But, I know I will have to fix this tree's pretty planting first. I don't know why I planted so close to the tree, it seems silly now. But, live and learn, right??

Thanks for the advice, seriously, it really helps!!

Gabby

Gabby,

Love the Cottonwood, but way too much grass. It looks like a blank canvas. Lot's of room for hosta. Time to make some big beds for the hosta.

Table of Relative Hosta Size

Hosta Size Leaves Mature Plant

Dwarf Miniature 2.0 to 6.0 sq.in. 4" to 6" tall

Small 6.0 to 25 sq. in. 6" to 10" tall

Medium 25 to 81 sq. in. 10" to 18" tall

Large 81 to 144 sq. in. 18" to 28" tall

Giant >144 sq. in. >28" tall

Some of those Giants can be from 5-7 feet in diameter. Large sized ones from 3-5 feet. So you can see why you will need to expand that bed.

Steve

See, that is what I need to learn. Which is which and how big they will get. Like I said, I wish I had kept a list of what I got and their names.

Is there a place I can try to find out what I have by name?

I see my yard as a blank canvas as well. It has taken me a couple years to get as far as I am, but I still have a long way to go. I just can't see how the previous owners could enjoy a huge lawn without any, and I mean ANY plants or flowers or anything!!

This is my "blank canvas" two years ago - you can see the cottonwood in my current picture in the back. We'll get there:)

At least I won't get bored:):)

Thanks again, you are all a great help!!

Gabby

Great yard you have to work with there. Go through some of the garden photos on here now and you'll get some great ideas on how to incorporate that tree into a garden.

As for ID's on your Hosta. Take 2 photos of each one, it helps if you get one at the time of flowering so they know what color the flower is and one of a closeup of the leaf. Post them on a new thread, maybe 2 to 4 Hosta on each post and remind people where you got them and that should help people narrow them down for naming. Also you could go to WM and look at what they have now and probably narrow down a lot of them yourself since they tend to get in mostly the same ones each year. Good luck.
Cher

I would expand those planting beds out to three feet, at least, from the fenceline...if you continue to garden you will do that eventually anyway. The hostas should have optimal growing conditions there, and room to expand. In less than optimal conditions, they will grow at a much slower pace. You could do the same around that patio - expand that planting bed!

Something like Pachysandra or Vinca minor would work well at the base of the tree as they are both shallow rooted, AND they are evergreen, an added plus. Hostas, on the other hand, need more room for the rootball to expand. The faster they grow, the sooner you can divide for more hostas.

I LOVE that blank canvas -- the possibilities are endless. I envy your large yard.

man what a yard.. you have room for another 1000 .. lol ...

i am chuckling even more about how you jammed them in around the tree ... we all have to start somewhere ...

keep up God's work ..

ken

Oh my, so beautiful...the cottonwood tree is gorgeous...I'd like to lay in that hammock and look up through the quaking leaves. You have so much to play with!

Might I venture a guess that her first picture is fortunei aureomarginata? I don't know if I'm very good and identification, so I usually keep my mouth shut....but I have a lot of that hosta and that's what came to mind immediately.

Here is a link that might be useful: fortunei aureomarginata pictures

Gabby,

Don't go buying any more hosta from WM. You only encourage them to stock more plants. Big Box stores will also mis-label plants and sell diseased plants with Hosta Virus X. Believe me you can't rescue a Hosta with HVX. Here's a picture of what a mature hosta garden can look like.

You can see more pictures like this one in the Gallery. Link below.

Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: Paul's pics of the 2010 Convention Tour Gardens.

That is incredible Steve. Thanks for the link. I will get to work giving my hosta much more room to grow. I have a strapping young 16 year old son that is my laborer - he's so helpful!! I can only hope I can get even close to as handsome a garden as they show.

HERE IS MY BIG PROBLEM:::::

Do you see that big, RED, train car?????? I know, how could you miss it, right??? The people that live behind us use it as storage apparently. I have tons of stuff planted on the hill just this side of the train car, but they won't cover it soon enough.

On the left of the yard the ever green trees are ours, we are building a fence just behind them this summer. But, I have to deal with the train car. I can't decide if I am going to plant ivy or another climber or if I am going to paint it to look like a brick wall:) Any suggestions?????

Thanks everyone!!! I better get working.

Oh, and kimcoco - I just purchased some Vinca minor yesterday, good call. I love the color contrast it has, beautiful!!!

Gabby

Vinca minor travels quickly everywhere, roots every 2 feet, but Creeping Jenny is worse. I pull it out or spray it with a weed killer when I see it.

I just have mine in pots, same with Jenny - we can't have trouble makers in my yard:)

G

Both myself and my MIL (in northern WI) have it around the base of trees with a border. I love vinca minor, planted properly. I wouldn't use it in the middle of a planting bed with any other plants, just by itself.

It takes a few years to fill in and establish itself, but when it does, it puts on a beautiful show.

I have no problems with this plant, it's no maintenance for me, but I would recommend a border. I've had it for 6? years now under a maple tree. My MIL has elevated planting beds with a rock border similar to OP around the base of her trees and it performs beautifully.

Gosh, Gabbygardener, I'm not sure that train car is such an eyesore...it's a beautiful, rich color. Perhaps you could look at it more as an artistic, structural background for a garden bed, much like we look at our homes as a backdrop for many beds. It looks like your raised veggie beds back there have the same color, more or less. What's the pile that seems to be between the raised beds and the box car? Perhaps if you show us a few more pictures of that area, people could suggest some cool ideas.

These are really beautiful and awesome yards, i love them. The blank canvas are really inspiring, i am glad to see this post. Thank you for sharing your valuable info.

Canvas Art Prints : Photos on canvas

You did the right thing by covering the roots with dirt. If the crowns are showing, you should probably lift them in the spring and plant them a little deeper. Chris @ Hallson's told me being too shallowly planted will hurt a hosta more than being too deeply planted. If planted too deeply, they can move upwards, but if too shallowly, they're unable to go deeper and eventually will get smaller because of damage to the crown.

Deanna

Hmmm, sort of giving a focal point to the eye, in front of that red RR car, you can do wonders. Either another section of white picket across there, with some flowers in front, or, a couple of obelisks for plants like climbing roses to ascend. I also think you have a perfect place to put in something like the RELIANCE peach, bred at the U of New Hampshire for its cold seasons. They have delicious peaches. And the tree would screen the RR car. I also think that the Canadian Explorer series of roses would work well for the section of picket fence in front of the RR car. ... and then of course you might try some HOSTA there as well. Before long, you will see great spots for new hosta beds.

I really like your raised veggie beds. You are quite a gardener. Have fun with it.

I am also in zone 5, and Canadian Explorer series roses are very hardy, except over winter the leaves would disappear. That spot in front of the railroad car looks sunny, so why not apply some conifers, which are not losing their leaves over winter. The Conifer Forum on this website would be able to suggest the proper plants.
Bernd

I wonder how Gabby made out. That row of pines would be a great place to put a nice large Hosta garden. Hopefully, she'll show us some pictures.

Steve