depends on how big your hosta are ...

you might want to ask the simpler question.. how many of us have tried this...

have you consider burying in 2 pots... so you can slip the inner pot out once or twice a year ...

ken

oh.. welcome to the forums...

ken

As Ken said, the size of the pot should correspond with the size of the hosta at the time of planting.

I've only planted a hosta pot in the garden twice. For the first one, I choose a big pot for a very small hosta. It died.

For the second one, I chose a sturdy pot a bit bigger than the root system the hosta already had. I have had it in the same pot for about 4 years. For the first two years, the hosta grew well. The third year the hosta looked good, but would often start to wilt. I attributed that to the fact that it was time to repot it to a larger pot---but now I believe it was because the tree roots had entered the pot and were drinking up the water. The fourth year I pulled the pot out of the soil. Roots had invaded the pot through the drainage holes. Not only that, but the tree roots had encircled all around the pot on the outside. I didn't repot the hosta. I left the pot slightly higher than soil level. Before winter I turned the pot to make sure any new roots had not entered the pot and planted the pot at the proper level for winter.

So if you want to try it, I think it works pretty well. A few points:

(1) Do not use an overly large pot for a small plant.

(2) Turn the pot at least once a season or more (to break invaded roots).

(3) Remove a bit of the soil from the top of the pot yearly and replace with new soil/compost.

I've never tried the double pot method though it sounds like a good idea. It just worries me that the pot with the hosta will not possibly drain well enough using the two pot method---especially with clay type soil.

but now I believe it was because the tree roots had entered the pot and were drinking up the water.

===>>> that is why if you nest one pot in another.. you can lift the inner pot out a couple times a season ...

regardless.. great primer on the subject ... good job hostalady ....

it is also imperative that you have a well draining native soil... so the pots drain as freely as need be ...

also.. dont forget.. soil is mother earth.. media is what is in a pot.. and dirt is what is all over you ... media is a water management system.. and it does wear out.. and break down... so it need to be replaced e very few years ...

and soil in a pot is usually not a water management system.. and you end up having problems with water moving freely and properly thru the pot ... rather than just puddling and running down the edge of the pot ....

ken

ps: you might be able to line the outer pot with landscape fabric to stop the roots from getting into the inner pot ..

Thanks for all the info all of you!

debra