Hmm it is not looking promising but if you had some soil/media handy you could pot it up and see.

Dead. I wouldn’t bother wasting the pot or potting mix.

Yes, it was live last year. I was searching for it today and only found this. I am potting many other things so I think I will pass on trying to save this. There does not seem to be any live part that I can ascertain. ☹️

debra

Ann it didn’t heave, I actually was on my hands and knees and saw part f the crown showing. I dug to see what I could find and what you see is what was there. 🤷🏼‍♀️
debra

Well you've got more tissue than I could find in over half of my containers.

Those roots look plump to me, just covered with dirt. They could still be dormant. I used to get ones like that thru mail orders in early Spring. Why don't you snap/break a couple roots on them to see if they are white and moist inside. If they are, soak them overnight and tuck them in the ground. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. It might be fun to see what comes up.

-Babka

does it have any heft or weight to it.. or is it as dry are tea leaves???

if there is no moisture in it.. no weight.. then there is nothing alive ...

ken

I agree with Ken. What has me convinced that it is best to toss it is that the plump roots are broken right at the crown. When I have seen that in my plants, they have either fungal or bacterial infection. I lost Royal Charmer to that this year. It had come up, then suddenly died back a lot. I chose to isolate it from the others when I huddled plants together under the house during spring frosts. I let it die and dumped the soil in the trash. I am not using its ceramic pot for anything, just leaving the pot in the sun. I ordered a new Royal Charmer and moved on.

utog, that sounds familiar. My two Fire Islands came up early (they're in the ground). I covered them with pots when we had a late hard freeze, but one got all limp and died back to the ground. The second is doing a little of that. I thought it was freeze damage, but you've got me concerned it might be something worse.

Ben, as I have learned from Nicholsworth’s Diamond Lake, diagnosing problems in early spring can be tricky.
Babka, unfortunately after looking again, the roots are dry as tea leaves…..sigh. Oh well.

debra

I planrted 2 dozen hostas in pots. I covered them and protected them from the cold with a thick tarp. This worked last winter which was much colder. This year I lost about a dozen hostas, some of which were quite expensive. I am thinking that I will not use pots anymore since I didn't have as many losses with the hostas planted in the ground. What do you guys think?

Debra - I seldom throw anything out without trying to save it. Some it seems i've raised from the dead. I would soak them in water for a few days and put them in a pot and forget about them until next year. I've done that in the past, some make it and some don't, the ones that do make it take a few years before they amount to anything. I have also broken off solid shoots from June with seemingly no crown, stuck them in water and after a couple weeks they sprouted roots. I figure nothing ventured, nothing gained (or lost).

Miles, I always forget your zone….5 or 6??? Do you tip the pots on their sides? I think you have to do that so when snow or ice accumulates and then melts, it drain out of the pot. Otherwise the hosta sits in water and dies. Mind you,I am no expert in this matter. Utog is better suited to address this as she has lots of pots, though she’s zone 7. I did overwinter one hosta to try it. I tipped it, put it on the north side of my house in shade, covered with dry leaves and a piece of burlap and it was fine in spring. Mind you, I didn’t use an expensive hosta for my test, but one I had multiples of. I was surprised it survived! Maybe your method for overwintering needs changing???

Others who use many pots may have better information. You could start a new post and get more answers than here.

debra

I am in zone 6. The hostas in pots are under a very heavy waterproof tarp. The water and snow don't get into the pots during the winter. I make certrain that the tarp goes completely around all of the pots and then it's held down by bricks. The hostas that died were all from a grower that is in zone 7b, I wonder if that had something to do with it? Even the hostas from that grower that are in the ground didn't do well this winter. Strange since last winter was much colder and they did fine.

I would complain to that grower about them not surviving. They may give you replacements. Depends on the grower. IMO, I would not buy from them again…..

debra

it is good to see you popping in Paula! Pardon Me is a favorite of mine, glad yours survived.