Hostas are one of the slower plants to wake up in my yard. I expect in your colder zone they'll take longer than in mine. Some of mine still haven't popped their "pips" yet. Also, this spring is colder longer than last year, so everything is a few weeks behind normal.

Julie

Mine have been poking up since the Apr. 15 and about half are up now (only about 3/4" up). Every day another one surfaces. I bet you'll see a lot more in a week to ten days! The plants I bought last year are slower also. I think it is a combination of their age and their genetics. Some varieties usually come up later than others. For example, my green & white undulatas were the very FIRST to come up. And, exciting though it is for many of my hostas to be coming up, if we get a late frost after May 10, yours will catch up and pass mine in a hurry! So, don't worry that they aren't up as much as others, Mother Nature knows best!

Char

Plants on the East side showing for the first time today.
No sign of the hosta on the North side of the house.
This time of year, things change every day.

This time of year, things change every day.

Isn't that the truth! Every year around this time I go walk the yard and think "Why won't you grow?!", "Why aren't you up yet?!", "How long until your buds open?!"

Like you say, things change daily.

Hi,
I had the same question earlier this week because all of the new nice ones that I got last year are no where to be seen. My pal "heartsease" who is in the know on hostas assures me that it is okay "don't worry about not seeing eyes on some of the hostas especially anything that's a tokadama". I feel better now, but I'm anxious to start digging but can't until I can see where they are.
Oh well, I'll just have to fight quack in the vege garden instead.
Catrina

I don't know what to think this year.
Some are coming up, some aren't. Some other things are coming up, most others aren't. I'm confused this year, nature seems to have dealt me vertigo, is it spring, summer, winter? Today on the way to work after the rains I've felt that it is spring, maybe the plants will too!

Keep the faith...

Rich

All my well established hostas are coming up, all the ones I planted last year (except Iron Gate Supreme which is up already) are still hiding. Not worrying yet, since last weekend most areas in my yard were still covered in snow from our April snow storm.

I was in the yard all day yesterday. Then tonight when I walked around I couldn't believe how fast some of my things grew just from yesterday. They must have loved the rain!

shouldn't be long now...

i'd say about 90% of mine are peeking (after poking around a bit),,,lol

this little rain we had should wake them up some more...

jill

It seems its not just the warmth that causes the growth spurts, but rain as well. My hostas come up, wait for rain, grow some more, wait for more rain, etc., etc. And each hostas has its own time to awaken.

tj

I am happy to report that since the rain, all my hostas have broken ground. I've been marking each one as I found it with a little white marker made from 1 1/2 inch wide slats of window blinds. Yesterday I found the last two. The area looks like a graveyard with the pieces of slats as the tombstones. This weekend I will be rearranging the area. Fingers cross that there will be no more freezing temps and snow.

Now is a great time to feed feed feed!!!! Something with high nitrogen (20-10-10) would do them wonders over the next few weeks.

Dave

Thanks, Dave.

Although I always add compost and rooting hormone to the planting hole, I haven't considered fertilizing hosta.

My hostas have also all decided to take a peek above ground following the rain. It is good to see them.

I've never fertized them either, don't really know why... just never thought of it. Good idea.

About half of mine are starting to unfurl, and the others have pushed through last year's mulch. Don't think I lost any this year. Cleaning up the beds this weekend, and getting ready to spray them with ammonia to blast any slugs that snuggled in for the winter.

I also need to replant a few. The soil settled for some and they were down pretty deep. Last year, my Liberty hosta was so deep it didn't break ground until Father's Day.

How do you use ammonia to kill the slugs?

Shirley

Killing slugs with ammonia solution

Mix 10% ammonia to 90% water & spray the underside and petioles in the evening or early morning while slugs are out. I believe you need to make contact in order to kill the slugs. Repeat every 10 days for one month and then every 30 days after that.

Char

Thank you Char, I will give that a try.

Shirley

Hosta-haven: So it works with 10% amonia? I've been mixing 50-50- guess I can try cutting back some. And yes, it is a contact killer so it needs to be sprayed directly on the slugs. It quite literally disolves 'em and since amonia has nitrogen it ferilizes at the same time.

tj

Gross. I can't wait to try that. lol

Ammonia for slugs:

TJ, I just posted what I've learned from over on the GW Hosta Forum. Most of the posts state 10% ammonia / 90% water. If you use 50-50 with good results and it doesn't hurt the plants (i.e. too strong a fertilizer?), feel free to stick with that. I have also just read that going BELOW 10% will not be effective. If you'd like, try cutting down a little at a time and let us know the results. I think I may try a little over 10% and work my way up to maybe 25%.

Char

Hosta-haven: Its a deal, I'll ease down and meet ya at 25% ;-)

tj

I'm a little less scientific -- when the sprayer fluid has a distinct ammonia odor to it, it's clobbering time. LOL

My hostas are really coming up nice. My 'June' is looking so good. That's my first one to open up. As for slug problems, I don't have any with the hosta I have. I did have problems with my dahlias though. I used a hot pepper spray. I only had to spray the bottom leaves and stems so they wouldn't crawl up. Granted it didn't kil the slugs, but it kept them off my plants.

Kat

My hosta aren't hiding anymore, but I do have a mini, Vera Verde who's tiny leaves are only about 1/2 out of the ground.
Cute.

This is my first year with hostas other then the ones that were on the property when I bought the house, so I'm a little puzzled by a few of them. Paul's Glory and St. Paul are just opening up now, but the leaves are all green. There are a couple more that aren't showing their true colors. I hope that is normal.

Janet,

I'm seeing alot of green on my variegated hostas. I'm sure they'll color up (intensify) soon. I think it is entirely normal.

Char

That is good to hear, Char. I also have a Blue Angel that isn't as blue as my other Blue Angel. I think the bluer was a little larger than the one that doesn't look so blue.

And I have a Sum & Substance that looks suspiciously like Krossa Regal...I think tags got mixed up. Those silly squirrels!

Char