beginner question

10 years ago

I've been growing hostas in the garden for several years but I still think of myself as a beginner. Read on and you'll know why.

When I planted my first hostas, they each had anywhere from four to six stalks coming out of the ground. Each year this number has increased and the plants have gotten larger in diameter. I'm assuming that is because the roots are increasing in size and sending up more stalks. (If this is wrong, please let me know.) This past spring, however, I had some new stalks coming up about 10-12" away from one of the original plants. The leaves were identical in every way to the original plant. So, the beginner questions:

Is this a new plant or is it arising from the original root?

If it's arising from the original root, why is there a 10-12" gap?

(I warned you that I was still a beginner!)

Featured Answer

zkathy z7a NC

10 years ago

Got a picture? Some hostas are rhizomatic. They grow new plants off roots.

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Comments (8)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
need a pic.. to ID the plant.. to understand the use of your word stalk... and to see if kathy might be right ...

ken
ynot thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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SusanB (Iowa Zone 5a)
10 years ago
Probably the same plant. My Francee did the same thing. I dug up the new plant and confirmed it was attached.
ynot thanked SusanB (Iowa Zone 5a)
ynot
Original Author
10 years ago
Here is a pic of one of the plants

Kinda shabby, I know. It's gotten too much sun exposure...plan to relocate it in the spring. The gap between the two sets of "stalks" is 12".
ynot
Original Author
10 years ago
There's a second one I failed to mention. Same situation, similar gap. The leaves of the two have intermingled so it may appear that all the stalks are arising from the same place. They are not. There is a definite gap. (Again, a bit shabby with scorched leaves, some of which I've removed. Requires relocation in the spring. Beginner mistake.)
smorz
10 years ago
Im a terrible guesser... but taking in the sun exposure, the 1st one seems like Fragrant Bouquet to me. And maybe the 2nd is Guacamole. Which if so, you should find they are all the same plant. Now I leave the real deal to the pros... I just wanted to try helping without claiming any liability, lol
ynot thanked smorz
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
fist one.. i am thinking about a fairy ring ....

can you look in the middle.. scratch about a bit.. and see if you see the old wad of potting soil.. from when it was planted ...

more info.. if you confirm ...

ken
ynot thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
ynot
Original Author
10 years ago
ken ... sorry for the delay. Did as you suggested. Since I don't know what specifically you're looking for, let me just mention what I observed.

The soil immediately around the base of the "original" plant was no different... texture, color ... than soil further out from the base. Which was surprising. Not far below the soil surface, and beginning immediately under the middle stalks (center of the plant) I began encountering individual roots... long (some extending beyond the edges of the outer leaves) ... some very thin and some thick... as opposed to what I would call a "mass" or colony. I realize my descriptors are quite subjective ... thin, thick, long, mass... unsure how I can paint a better picture.