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I just came in from cutting hundreds of offshoots off those hated hosta plants that ring our property. I had to sit on a stool and grab them to cut. I am so going to rip those out come spring. If anyone (anifani??) wants these with the roots on I will Fed-ex them free of charge! The leaves don't look terribly wonderful up here after July. Maybe they need southern or midwestern soil...
My hosta had flowers ready to bloom and were gone the next day. The day after that, the plant was trimmed down a few inches to the ground. You just need some deer.
DH was in FL for meetings this past week and stayed at our house there. He reported that my huge pineapple has disappeared from the plant! A raccoon probably enjoyed it. I'll have to rig up something to protect it next year.
I have a couple of hostas here and there. I think they are great in very shady corners where little else will grow. The key is if you use them as a ground cover or too many of them they look boring ... one here and there with different colored or variegated leaves create an accent. A plus is they do send up a flower spike in summer.
I have a couple of hostas here and there. I think they are great in very shady corners where little else will grow. The key is if you use them as a ground cover or too many of them they look boring ... one here and there with different colored or variegated leaves create an accent. A plus is they do send up a flower spike in summer.
And that briefly beautiful flower spike does not last long, at least up here. Then you have dozens or hundreds of spikes that turn yellow and then brown and then dead, looking hideous. You can't pull them out by hand so they have to be cut. If they're in a prominent place instead of off somewhere else on the property, they have to be dealt with. Their leaves are nothing to write home about. I hate hostas!
And that briefly beautiful flower spike does not last long, at least up here. Then you have dozens or hundreds of spikes that turn yellow and then brown and then dead, looking hideous. You can't pull them out by hand so they have to be cut. If they're in a prominent place instead of off somewhere else on the property, they have to be dealt with. Their leaves are nothing to write home about. I hate hostas!
PS: Otherwise I'm in great mood this morning!
You must just have one of the older less attractive hostas, they can be ugly. There are many newer varieties that are attractive but they also must be cut at the end of the season.
newenglandgirl, I know what you mean. I just took out all of my hostas and threw them away. When I lived in NY & CT, the green leaves lasted a long time and looked nice. Down here in the south, they did horrible. Maybe the shade ones would do good but I have sun where I planted them.
This old(er) age thing sure can make one see things differently.
I laughed yesterday because I felt I had done a very brave and daring thing............put my pants on without sitting or leaning against something.
You must just have one of the older less attractive hostas, they can be ugly. There are many newer varieties that are attractive but they also must be cut at the end of the season.
The end of their season up here is now. So for the next months until the snow they will stay in place withered and then dead, or....maybe that's the time to yank them out. Problem: the old man loves them.
The end of their season up here is now. So for the next months until the snow they will stay in place withered and then dead, or....maybe that's the time to yank them out. Problem: the old man loves them.
The end of season doesn't happen here until the 1st frost. Do you have them in the full sun? Hostas don't do well in full sun (hosta abuse-bad) - partial sun at the most, which means just a few hours and not ever in full intense sun.
I have many different varieties including a few of those older pointy leafed ones (that I also dislike) that are thriving. Since we've had so much rain this year many have gotten huge.
The end of season doesn't happen here until the 1st frost. Do you have them in the full sun? Hostas don't do well in full sun (hosta abuse-bad) - partial sun at the most, which means just a few hours and not ever in full intense sun.
I have many different varieties including a few of those older pointy leafed ones (that I also dislike) that are thriving. Since we've had so much rain this year many have gotten huge.
Partial sun. They must be getting too much. I'll stick them in the back yard next spring. Anyway, I still don't like them. I do love ground covers like ivy. I'd like to transform our smallish front yard into all ground cover with a few benches to eliminate the mowing there.
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