Welcome. I don't hate newbies...it just means there there are some new hostaphiles to pick up the slack where the older ones stopped posting.

There are at least 3 here(that I can think of) who hail from Texas. I do realize that TX like CA is a very large state with many different growing conditions. They will, no doubt respond soon, but the reality is that you will most likely discover from trial and error the way we all did in these borderline hosta growing spots.

If you are down to 10 from 30 there is probably something going on below the ground, as in competing roots. When they are in the sun the look like crap once the summer heats up, but they do grow lotsa roots if they get watered.

-Babka

It won't belong before CHAD [Compulsive Hosta Acquisition Disorder] sets in … brace yourself. Welcome!

dave

Maggiepuss, everyone on this forum was a newbie once. And everyone, including me, benefited from the advice from those that signed up before them.

I don't mulch, so I can't help you there and my hostas aren't under oaks but they are under spruce and pine trees and compete for nutrients and water with the tree roots. From what I've read here, I believe oaks are easier to grow hostas under.

I'm wondering whether it might have been a mistake in your climate to remove the mulch. Or has your tree canopy become too dense? Hostas are shade tolerant and grow better with some sun, that is here in Canada where I live.

Most of the GW members like Babka in borderline hosta growing climates, grow their hostas in pots... and do it beautifully. I hope they will be able to answer your questions.

Hope you stick around.

Thanks guys
Babka your response about competing for water made me realize we have cut back on running the sprinklers in the yard due to our water prices going up about 3 fold. The shade garden area is too far away from the house to use a hose, so I'm thinking native plants in this area would be a better choice. But, that doesn't mean I can't still go with hostas in front.

irawon I think your right about removing the mulch. Especially with the above less watering thing. My poor little hostas were doomed. I see these beautiful pics with hostas, and that dark soil underneath, and think that is what I should be doing, but I guess not in Texas.

Thanks so much for your help, I think it's a combination of issues, not enough water in that location, no mulch, and less sunlight with the trees getting bigger.

Maggle, I live in Dallas. I'll answer some of this for you this afternoon. I certainly don't have all the answers, though.

bk

Magglepuss, I am in a different zone, but would like to make a few comments.

Some trees have less surface roots than others. Planting under oaks is better than planting under maples or birch trees.

I am not clear about how much shade you are referring to---light shade, partial shade, full shade, or deep shade. I think you are talking about:

Full shade = complete canopy closure, plants may get less than an hour of direct sun a day, but may receive dappled light throughout part of the day OR

Deep shade = direct sunlight seldom, if ever, reaches the ground.

When it comes to trees and roots, I read a interesting book on shade which mentioned that tree roots can easily extend beyond the tree's canopy. Also the roots will not necessarily be equally distributed. If there is an area that is more wet than another (perhaps there is a sunken area nearby which rain water tends to pool), that area will have more roots.) So if you plan to prepare an area for planting and plan to water that area alone, the tree roots will grow back into it, and more so if you merely surface water. Deep watering would be beneficial here.

I cannot comment on mulch as I do not use it.

May I suggest an experiment? Can you remove a few smaller hostas and place them in a pot with good soil? Place the hosta (pot and all) into the ground. (You can make a few small holes on the sides for drainage.) If you plant them in roughly the same location, you will see whether the deterioration is from the soil. (Obviously you will need to keep up with some kind of watering.) Or: you can bury this pot elsewhere with perhaps more sunlight. You may be surprised to see what happens.

For me, I had a hosta for several years that barely grew. In the years I had it, the location became more shaded. I removed it, placed it in a pot in more sun and voila! It flourished and transformed into a beautiful hosta.

As for hating newbies, no, for we were all newbies at one time or another. I received a lot of good information from hosta forums when I was a newbie and am very grateful. That was about three years ago. There is a lot to learn and sometimes I still feel like a newbie!
.

bkay will probably address the issues i think are important .. that havent been addressed ....

first.. H require a cold dormancy ... and you are very borderline on such ... its like 45 to 60 days of cold ... and the variation.. is certain families of hosta ....

one way to help that situation ... is to grow in pots... that get colder for said dormancy ...

with pots... you also have water alternatives ... plus.. without the trees competing ... you can use much less water ... e.g. you are only watering the pots .. not the trees.. that are stealing all the water ...

pots also gives you the opportunity to move your plants around ... who really needs them way out back .. eh???

the key with pots.. is potting media ... and we can get to that.. if you deal yourself into the game ...

we are hosta dealers... not unlike herion dealers.. we always need new addicts ... come join us ...

ken

The answer to the title of your post is obvious. We're always delighted to get someone else hooked on hosta. We always need fresh faces.

You're right about the water thing. The hosta must have water regularly. You cannot spot water in the ground, because it just attracts the tree roots to that area and they compete with your hosta for water and nutrients.

I think whomever gave you the mulch advice was from another part of the country. The only problem I can think of is that it can provide a perfect environment for the slugs, which are a problem for most hosta. Here, it helps cool the soil and preserve moisture. We definitely need help with both of those. It's recommended by almost everyone, including the organic folks.

There is some validity to the "wasting away" of hosta that may not be related to the water issue. Below is a h. Victory in August, 2011. Then there is the same hosta in 2014. This is at the Dallas Arboretum. (notice the mulch)
2011 below
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2014 below
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All of the hosta were not that way, though. Some were really a lot bigger. Besides "wasting away", there could be many other problems. We lost our director of horticulture and trial gardens to The Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australia a couple of years ago. He loved hosta. I'm not sure our current director of trials is all that enamored with hosta. So, the sprinklers could be broken or something like that.

There are hosta that do better than others in our climate. There are hosta that are more sensitive to our alkaline soil (black or white dirt, red or tan is usually acid) and water than others. I have a August Moon that turned to the ugliest shade of green you've ever seen in one season. I have hosta I've had for years that never show any signs of chlorosis. So a big part is choosing the right hosta. I have a list that came from the Arboretum a few years ago. Let me know you're interested and I'll send it to you.

Many of us grow hosta in pots. If that interests you, let us know. They make great patio pots. They come back every year and look great until August, when they start downhill.

I'm not familiar with black oak. You can plant under Red Oaks without any problem. Pin Oaks do not like their roots messed with AT ALL. They will go belly up in a hurry if you mess with raising the soil. A good group to ask is your county extension service. You say Dallas area, so you could be in any county. Dallas Master gardeners are at 214.904.3053 from 8:30 to 4:30 Monday thru Friday.

One of my favorite photos is below. It's not my hosta or my photo, but it's one of my favorites, anyway. It's tepelus' photo and plant.

Let us if we can enable you further.

bk

This post was edited by bkay2000 on Sun, Jan 18, 15 at 20:19

Welcome to WebGarden.... I am a newbie to this forum :)
I think you are right about your issue being a combination of less water and light.
I use several inches of decorative gravel to "mulch" around my Hostas; it conserves moisture and helps control weeds without the pest issues that often comes with traditional mulch.

Thank you all for your great responses.

bkay- my dh says he has delivered supplies to your location off of HWY 175. My SIL has volunteered at the arboretum until she got involved with schnauzer rescue. DH also grew up 8 blocks from the De Golyer estate, they used to play army there in the bamboo forest.

Now, My new plan is ,native plants in the shade garden, with mulch. Hostas under my front tree in pots. It is sloped from the street to the house, so I was thinking of using flagstone to level out the ground under each pot.

Again, thank you guys so much. I will be back to view all your beautiful hosta pictures, and get inspired

I use ceramic tiles. They provide a barrier between the ground roots from invading your pots. Easy to move too.

I agree with Paula, put something under the pot to keep the roots from going into the surrounding soil. I use 12X12 concrete blocks (or bigger for some) and put my pots on pot feet to keep the slugs at bay. It might help drainage,too.

bkay