These were all placed in the waters edge bare root. A rock was placed on the roots to hold them in place until the roots took hold on their own I don't think there is a list of hosta that perform in these conditions, none seemed to mind having their feet in water. I've posted several photo's to indicate it is not a fluke.

This is the first one tried, the roots were put in a pantyhose bag with soil and held in place with a rock. It grew there 5 years.

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I love this, Esther - definitely one of the best, if not THE best, and creative, use of hosta I've ever seen. Just curious, does each of them have its own "bag" of soil?

Digs.

Digs, the only one I put in the pantyhose bag was the first. This was part of research to find the outer limit of water on hosta. I never found the outer limit except that if the crown is covered for a period of time and I never found out how long the crown must be covered. The bog is a rubber liner as used to make ponds so it holds water constantly.

Here are a couple of photos of the bog, which IÂve shown several times.

This is progressive, one year then the next. I tried to get a photo today which shows the area twice the size but the camera would not work.

Esther opal-
You've inspired me to try my own experiment this summer! I had some extra undulatas just laying around, so I planted one in a Barley Straw bag and put it on the topmost shelf of my pond. Will let you know what becomes of my experiment.

Jen (One of your cheesehead dinner companions from last week)

Margo, Remember the crown will not survive forever under water (don't know how long). If necessary place Styrofoam pieces in the bag to keep it afloat with the increasing weight of the growing hosta. I will be curious about the barley bag because it is supposed to suppress aquatic plant growth, don't know what effect the chemical released by barley will have on hosta, I think none but please let me know.

I grew hosta floating on my waterfall, which is after the water has passed through the biofilter and should be the cleanest water. They were there for 3 years 24/7 all year, I can say the plants in the stream are getting dirty water or rather organically rich water and seem to grow better. I didn't make any type of measurements because the whole project was studying the effect of constantly wet feet. My first question was how long would they survive only to learn they survived and prospered.

PS; I never fertilized these hosta in any way.

Beautiful pictures Esther

Donnie

I left the crown above water, so just the roots are in the water. I actually placed the barley bag in a pot with rocks on the pond shelf. It was a barley bag I have been using since spring, so it was already weighed down. Will let you know it's progess.

I put a few bareroot hostas in my pond for the first time this summer. Will they make it through a zone 5 winter in the pond?

What happens in the winter? When the pond freezes?
Linda C....thinking and planning....

I threw an undulata in the top of my biofalls in the Spring. The main leaves eventually went byebye. Lo and behold, a whole new flush came up and it is HAPPY up there in that mess!

Good question on the winter. I imagine if they are rooted in gravel, they'll be fine. Mine is just kind of free floating so I'll probably have to do something different.

Admink, let me see if I have this straight, you thru the undulata in the water to kill them? They didn't die now you don't know what to do?

Winter freezing is a big question, mine are in several situations in the water.

The ones in the pot floating in the biofilter 24/7 365 for 5 years froze several times and came thru it without a problem?

One photo just below the upper waterfall are dangling between rocks with water splashing on them, they freeze and thaw several times each year, should die says me, not so much?

The ones in the lower stream just have the roots in the running water, they freeze and thaw, should die, not so much?

This is all new to hosta horticulture, don't understand all the results but there it is. They don't die in water all the time, yet plants in pots die if the water isn't just right? Plants in the ground if the moisture isn't proper, right? I think it is water in the pots and soil yet all the current thinking does not explain my experiments in the water feature?

Hopefully others will try these things and move the knowledge forward or prove further that what I've done is not some fluke.

That is really interesting.

I like the bog idea as well. When my pond goes in I just might have to try this.

~Tasha

I planted some unwanted ugly Undulated along the edge of my pond this summer to contribute to E.O.'s experiment.
I propped them up with rocks, like E.O. said. Will be interesting to see how they like Northern Ohio's icy winters. I was concerned that the Koi would eat them, but so far they've left them alone.

Thanks to all of you who answered my original posting.
I have planted several in my pond this summer. I made "rings" by cutting off the top inch of a 6 inch plastic pot...pulled that up over the roots of the plants and wedged the rings in the pond between rocks. This has served to hold the foliage well above water, the hostas have not drifted, and they have flourished. I have used divisions of Undulata for this year. I will heel them into soil in late September...if they don't survive, it will not be a big loss. If they do, I will try some divisions of my really large foliage hostas next year.
Helen

Helen, they are just undulata, sacrifice them for science. Leave them to see how they do in the winter. It would be nice to not have to worry with moving them. If you learn they won't make it thru the winter and you must do something then work.

Avoid work at all cost.

I thought I would follow up on my posting from last year. The hostas survived the winter here in my Zone 6 PEI Canada garden. They spent the winter frozen and under snow along with the many freeze/thaw cycles we experience here in a normal winter.
Both plants have remained rather small but are putting out lots of new leaves. I will try a few larger leaved Hostas this summer to see how they do.
Helen

Helen, surely we will find some condition that is a problem although I've not found any problem yet and I'm looking.

Here is two new ones just planted. One is H.'Snow Cap' that has never really grown for me,
this two eye plant is 10 yrs or so old and I have many just like it with only one eye.

The a ventricosa seedling bare rooted with the crown placed under water from the get go.

Hi every one,

I have had hosta growing in my bog for about 5 years now.
The bog is filled with gravel,it filters the pond water, i have my hosta planted into the gravel,i have not pulled them out in the 5 years, they come back every year just fine,winter over right where they are. We did pull them out this spring due to a liner problem, but i planted them back again into the gravel.
I am in zone 5.
Would any one like me to do something different as an experiment?

Carol

Would any one like me to do something different as an experiment?

Carol

What do you have in mind?

Well, i really don't know, i am sorta new here,but have been a lurker for a long time,seems there are experiments being done fromtime to time, just thought i would make an offer.Always willing to help in any way .

Carol