Sorry about that! Everyone makes gardening mistakes, and we learn from them. You know what you must do now? Get more hostas! Welcome to the forum. Stick around!

Cheers,

Don B.

I disagree with Linda. I lost about 20 hosta in winter 2014 because I did not water them when they needed it. No, hosta do not need water in the winter when they are in the ground and covered with snow. However, potted hosta dry out. If they get too dry, the roots shrivel up and die.

Been there, done that. Don't buy the idea that hosta do not need water in the winter. They need enough to keep from drying out the roots, but not enough to rot them.

I'm in Texas, so my hosta freeze and thaw regularly. I do not turn them over. I leave them where they sit over the winter. It rains on them. They dry out. I generally have no problem with just ignoring them in the winter. In 2014, we had a dry winter. I looked at them and thought they needed water, However, I have heard the "do not water in the winter" song since I've been growing hosta. I put a few ice cubes on them a couple of times and I still lost 20 percent of my hosta.

Colorado has a dry climate. They cannot hold the moisture in their roots without some help through a long winter.

bk

How much water before they are overwatered and rot? Sounds tricky.

Hostas are generalist plants, they don't require such specialized conditions as dry winter rest. If that were so, very few places could over winter them. Just like every other plant, there must be a balance of drainage and water.

It's not tricky. When potted hosta are dry for a while, they need water. Think about those roots in those pots. If the media (potting soil) is dry for more than a couple of weeks, I will water. I learned my lesson. They cannot go months without water. If it's dry and there is no rain, the media (potting soil) will dry out. Then the roots will dry out. Then the roots will shrink. Then the roots will die. Then the crown will die....dead hosta.

If you're in Minneapolis, you tip your pots, They are frozen - basically in stasis. They don't need water. If you're in Denver and you have your hosta on your patio in a sheltered environment, they will dry out. They are not in stasis. Neither are the ones in Texas or Florida.

You have to use common sense. Don't keep them wet. Just keep them from drying out to the extent that the roots dry up and die. Don't keep them so wet so that the roots rot, either.

bk

I totally agree with bk. I am in a zone that is even warmer than she is, we rarely even get a freeze here, and if we do it is generally just a few degrees below overnight and then back above freezing the following day. I have always watered my pots in the winter when they start to dry out. I give them a enough to wet the media and then let them dry out. Depending on our highly varying Texas weather that can be 10 days and that can be a month. We had enough rain this last winter that I don't think I hand watered more than a couple of times, but the previous two winters I watered regularly.

This is one of those subjects that really confused me when I found this forum last year. I started questioning myself although I had not lost a single hosta through the winter, although I did only have a few. I decided to stay with what had been working and they all came back again this spring.

While you may have overwatered them and rotted them, I certainly would not think that simply watering them killed them off. I guess it's one of those "fine line" things.

I once read that instead of watering during the winter if the pot gets dry, drop a handful of snow (if you have it) on the pot or some ice cubes that will melt slowly and give some moisture but not too much to rot the roots.

what was the media ...

did it freeze solid ...

note that all those who water ... are in water zones.. where the media does not freeze solid ...

did the balcony get any direct sun ... as in.. the pots could have gone in and out of dormancy???

ken

So I just talked to Hornbaker Gardens where I have purchased my Hostas for years and they told me for overwintering to water the pots thoroughly, stick them in a corner of the balcony, cover them with a blanket or something similar and forget about them until spring. Seems they agree with Linda. Thanks to all who responded. Oh, and I ordered replacements already.

is hornbakers in CO ... do they do biz on a balcony??? IL is NOT CO ...
===>>>>

what was the media ...

did it freeze solid ...

note that all those who water ... are in water zones.. where the media does not freeze solid ...

did the balcony get any direct sun ... as in.. the pots could have gone in and out of dormancy???

here in MI.. my pots freeze solid.. if i watered them.. with anything other than snow ... the roots would freeze into an ice cube.. and die from lack of oxygen ...

ken

What was in the pot when you examined the media inside. A shriveled skeleton of a plant or a blob of goo? That may determine what happened.

I am in Florida. I water in the winter. It is not tricky. I have a fast draining mix. One thing I love about my hostas is that I can just walk off for a couple of months. Look for 'pine fines' to add to your potting mix. Good luck with the new ones. May I suggest maybe a Lakeside or 10.

Good question, Paula re skeleton or goo!

Oh, and the Lakesides recommendation? Listen to her! I did and I started on that series in 2013 with the ever-gorgeous Lakeside Shore Master; then came along a wee one, L. Cupcake last year; I am picking up L. Paisley Print and L. Dragonfly this year! The Lakeside list is growing.

Last winter I lost many plants that were in pots because we had a warm Feb and a lot of rain. Most of them rotted. This year, I moved them under the deck and it was a good thing because we had a very warm winter again this year with temps above freezing. They all survived just fine under the deck. My daughter who lives up near the Idaho border puts all her potted hosta in her unheated garage and does not water them at all and they always survive. You just need to experiment and see what works for you.

The media was potting mix, the balcony faces east. Denver is pretty sunny even in winter. We had a real cold snap for several weeks at the end of December but other than that temps were fairly mild. We are zone 5. The plants were goo by the way. Poor things.

My bet is frozen solid...pots aren't really enough protection in your zone without mulch piles, hay or something.

Goo equals rotted. Least we know what happened. Too much water.

Update on "hosta situation". So last winter I just covered up my potted hostas and did not intervene. What I have found this spring is that all the hostas that were in plastic containers survived, those not in plastic did not. Could be the variable is what kind of pot they are in. Same goes for a couple roses in pots. The rose in the plastic pot is still alive, the rose in the clay pot is dead.

Seems like the clay would dry the soil out more, hence the need for a little bit of water. Did you examine the plants to see if the roots and crown had shriveled up?

If by "not plastic" you mean terra cotta, then yes, those probably dried out too much. Better than your previous result, though. Remember that any days where temperatures average 50°, your hostas will need a little water, even in plastic or glazed stoneware, but even moreso in terra cotta.

your best bet .. is to use clay pots as a decoration ... but grow the plant inside it.. in a plastic pot ...

im surprised you dont mention that some of them cracked ...

ken