If they are soggy, then yes, they should be unsogged. Have the pots been sitting for a while?

Miracle Gro potting mix - all types - is known to be excessively moisture retentive. Find a better, less peaty, well draining potting mix.

Beesneeds, The pots have been sitting since fall. I generally don't touch them after they go down. This is Texas, so we generally don't have very cold winters. We have occasional freezing temps from November to February, often enough to give most hosta enough cold hours. .

I've grown hosta in pots for years. It's not common, but enough other hosta lovers do it here to know it works for our climate.

bk

Gardengal, I agree that a coarser medium would be an advantage. However, If the medium was the problem here, the roots would be rotted. The roots are fine. It's the pips that are rotted.

bk

You had standing water. Medium that held water froze enough to keep water on the surface. Does not take much and yes, roots will survive but it is a goner. Very common for me. Maybe either cover pots with tarp or put them on the side next winter? I know your pain.

Can you share a picture? I’m having trouble understanding a rotted pip……you are sure they haven’t been nibbled?
I have overwintered pots for the first time…..it’s too soon for them to be pipping. I have placed ice cubes in the pots over the winter. The last cubes melted pretty quickly last time.

Debra

I agree with GG, I avoid Miracle Grow at all cost, it costs me too much in lost plants! MG simply retains too much moisture over winter, you need a potting mix that is free-draining and MG is anything but. While that may be desirable for annuals it is to be avoided when planting perennials. Maintaining perennials in containers requires a lot of attention to drainage. Out here in sunny Richmond, B.C. I buy a locally produced potting mix and then add a liberal amount of perlite to aerate the mix to insure adequate drainage. Yes, it will require more frequent watering in the hotter months but that's a small price to pay!

Pieter

I guess I'm just hard-headed. It makes more sense to me that the problem was the 15 degree night rather than the Miracle Grow. Those pips were right on the surface and not protected with mulch or anything else.

I've used the MG for years and have not had problems. I'm not saying that the MG is the best product. I'm sure there are better products. It's just that my experience is not the same as everyone else on this forum. Our climates are not the same. Our hosta don't have the exact same requirements in Chicago that they have in Dallas. Nor do they thrive in the same circumstances in Dallas as they do in the PNW.

Our summers are scorchers., and usually dry. The hosta have to have shade and almost daily watering.

I'm sorry we disagree, but my mind says it's the 15 degree night. We've never had one that cold. It would have frozen the pips on the surface of the pots. I've never dealt with that extreme temperature (for us). Next time I will know to protect them.

bk

Bkay- I think you are right about the 15 degree weather freezing the tender pips. Just pretend that a bunny rabbit ate the tops. If the crown and roots are still looking good (not rotted) , just put them in some sunshine to warm the pots dry out the top couple inches, and expect some of the dormant eyes to develop shoots. Patience.

-Babka

Thanks, Babka.