AndI, me too, I miss GW.

I do not think fertilizing now will help. Am about to move few of mine too.

dont over think it ... just do it ...

no fert ... until after they leaf out next spring ... if they might even need it then ...

try to avoid winter heave on small pieces .. or small plants ... mulch heavily if you dont usually have constant snow cover ...

water them in well

ken

thanks all. it's nice to 'talk' to you again. happy fall

I always heard that you do not want to fertilize this time of year because it will encourage foliage growth which you do not want as approaching dormancy. When I plant, I use Espoma Bio-tone Starter. It is meant to encourage root growth rather than foliage growth in newly planted plants.

hosta grew roots in july and august.. to store energy for next spring ... that is done ..

there is no need to apply fert now ...

you want them slowing down for winter.. not all hyped up on fert in fall ...

this is probably a more ground freeze up north thing ...

get them dormant.. keep them dormant ... and they dont rot ....

espoma is 4-3-3 .. and basically insert.. in the way of fert.. so if it makes you happy.. good enough .... but i doubt it adds anything requisite ... just tread lightly ....

ken

Quote ken, " hosta grew roots in july and august.. to store energy for next spring ... that is done". I've been wondering for years how you know that. It's widely reported (here in zone 7/8) by professional landscape people that trees and shrubs grow roots in the winter. Why wouldn't hosta?

Fragrants are blooming in July and August, and I would think they are not spending energy on roots. Actually, Krossa Regal's last flower is still hanging there. One of my So Sweets just finished blooming last week.

Inquiring minds want to know.

Bkay

just rote learning and repetition ... i dont recall the sources ...

i also recall ... fwiw .... that by the time you see the flower stalk ... the energy is spent ... and those stalks have been there weeks ago ... to be blooming now ...

and ALWAYS keep in mind... a lot of my hosta lore.. is heavily MI based .. and OP is further north than me ...

by the end of this month.. up north ..... many of the hosta will being going dormant ... and i am SURE.... they wont be in TX .... will the fert even activate .. be useful and be stored ... in cold soil in fall??? .. especially if the plants are shutting down ...

ken

Biotone starter has a lot more in it than just 4-3-3. It's designed to give plants a boost and reduce transplant shock.

Obviously people plant without it all the time and plants do fine. I'm giving advice for what I use when I plant. Conditions are different everywhere. One size does not fit all.

listen pops... lol ... mom???

you changed the subject ... i was solely talking about fall fert ... you threw in the starter stuff ...

i tried to refocus my comments on fert ... by saying 4-3-3 isnt much of a fert ...

i dont buy the snake oil on biostarters and what not.. because basically.. i am a cheap SOB ... i wouldnt waste the money on it .. or many of the other snake oil stuff ...

but i clearly said... IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY... just do it ...

peace out..

ken

ps: i once killed about 25 hybrid T roses ... pre WWW ... because i fert'd too heavy... too late in the MI season .. they were growing so lushly... that they didnt harden off ... and properly go into dormancy ... so many rotted ... i dont know if it was some bizarre early cold snap or something ... MAYBE ITS AN UP NORTH GARDEN THING???

I have to channel my teacher self……ommmm......now, now children, play nice……and Ken please tell me what heck is “ fwiw?” Have never figured that one out……lol

Hey DJ,
I think its ' for what it's worth'

Thank you alley_cat_gw!

I still have about 6 ceramic pots of hostas (and one heuchie) which I have to transplant to fabric grow pots for my end-of-October move to Baltimore. Should I do that now, with brown tips just starting up among my hostas, or wait until the plants are not at all green any more? I have a slew of holidays coming up starting at the end of September, and I can't do any gardening during those holidays, which last until October 23.