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calypso
Citizen
Username: Calypso
Post Number: 6
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 8:24 pm: | 
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In front of my lawn is a slope, which the prior owner planted in hosta. It looks great for about two months, from May-June, then turns ratty and brown until frost, when there's nothing left but dirt. Any ideas on how to dig it up? So far it has resisted all of my efforts.
I also have lots of scilla, AKA hyacinthoides, which also spreads like mad and keeps other plants from growing. It reproduces faster than I can dig it up, and has lots of tiny bulbils that all leap to life at the slightest chance. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 7187
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 8:34 pm: |
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Hosta usually stay quite pretty and leafy. If they get too hot and dry, they will wilt. If they don't get enough sun, they don't bloom. Slugs love them, but a low dish filled with beer takes care of that.
There must be something going on with your soil. Is there a large tree nearby sucking up all the water? Do you water them?
That said, if you really want them gone, they are quite easy to dig up. We've transplanted, split, etc. and never had a problem. If they are well-established, you need to dig deep and wide to get the all roots. |
jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 436
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 8:40 pm: |
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Hostas can be cut and dug up around when they're "in bloom." I've seen people cut the leaves down to a crown, and transplant them. You might be able to get someone in need of hostas (me) to come and take some of them for you.
Advertise "Hostas -- FREE to good home." Your problem may solve itself.
However, I'm curious about what efforts these Hostas have resisted. Also, regarding people taking them, could you describe them. Or, check out this web site and state their name.
http://www.hostafarm.com/plants.html
Good luck,
J.B. |
las
Citizen
Username: Las
Post Number: 1519
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 8:49 pm: |
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The hosta you should be able to dig up one plant at a time. Is yours in sun? Many varieties are for full shade and can't tolerate direct hot summer sun. If you've got a photo you should post it - I'm sure there would be many local gardeners who would be happy to dig some up to take home.
Plants that spread by runners, like the scilla, might take a a few seasons (took me four years to remove some lily turf). Short of using something toxic, there's just no other way. |
mimi
Citizen
Username: Mimi
Post Number: 229
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 8:51 pm: |
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i'm looking for hostas and, like jersey boy, would be happy to come and dig some up to take home.
feel free to pl me.
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jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 439
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 9:01 pm: |
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Sorry, Calypso, I was only thinking of myself in my earlier post. I got some advice from an avid gardener about a problem I was having with English Ivy, which will also grow and develop intricate root systems that are hard to extricate from you're keeper plants. Perhaps this is similar to your problem with scilla?
She suggested letting one grow vigorous and then cut it and stick the cut end into a jar filled with round up. The round up is taken up by the cut plant and distributed to the whole root system of only that plant.
My English ivy has been quiet, so I never tried it, but it makes sense.
J.B. |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 844
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 9:19 pm: |
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Jersey Boy, thanks for the tip! I've got a twinning prickly weed with a wicked deep thin root that ALWAYS breaks before i get it out. Lots of runners and it likes to strangle whatever it can climb. I'll try this trick! |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 2146
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 9:22 pm: |
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Can I have your hostas if you dig them up? What kind are they? They transplant well, and I need some more! Or I'll split with Jersey Boy ... 
But really, give them a chance. I used to hate mine until I figured out how to get rid of the slugs, and after I realized that they're one of the few things that will grow on my largely-shaded property. (I get rid of slugs with cedar mulch - beer works too, but you have to keep replacing it and who wants to waste all that beer?)
After they start turning brown in the fall, you can strip the leaves off. Doesn't hurt them for the next year. I've had a few years when the leaves browned early (when we've had drought conditions - I am fundamentally opposed to garden watering, especially during drought - I want plants that will live in the conditions I have, not the conditions I can artificially create). When this happens I just pluck the really bad leaves and after that the remaining leaves don't look too bad. I do not know if this is accepted gardening practice but they keep growing back year after year.
I admit I like the hostas better before they bloom - I find the blooms a bit odd and stalky-looking, but I'm getting used to them. |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 2147
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 9:25 pm: |
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Jersey Boy, I think I'm going to try that with my utterly uncontrollable English Ivy, also a psychotic wisteria that the neighbor and I have both been cutting back year after year after year and cannot eliminate. (we call it Audrey II)
I'm not a big fan of weed killer, but Audrey's gotta go ... and that damn ivy is going to put me into the mental home ... |
jersey Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 444
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, April 8, 2006 - 9:53 pm: |
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HEY!
I'm partial to wisteria. It can be controlled. Do you really want to kill it. OR just make it behave...
DOES IT BLOOM? Mine doesn't. Yet.
J.B. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11158
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, April 9, 2006 - 6:22 am: |
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Maybe the hosta is getting to much sun? My sense is that the ones we had in partial shade did best.
They are tough. When you transplant them you can divide the plants and double the number of hostas you have. As far as toughness is concerned one got dug up during a project and we forgot about it. It grew the next year without being in the ground. I stuck it in a hole and it has done fine. |
Monster©
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 2777
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, April 9, 2006 - 1:32 pm: |
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Sometime around the beginning of August, or earlier, I have some hostas that start looking a little crappy, I just run over them with the lawn mower and they grow right back, all nice and pretty like. |
Jennifer Pickett
Citizen
Username: Jpickett
Post Number: 193
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, April 9, 2006 - 8:04 pm: |
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I dug up *one* mature hosta (huge bulb mass) last summer, it involved a pick axe, two shovels, and nearly killed me. If you really want them out, you might want to take up the offer of the people needing hosta on the thread! Have you observed the hostas for more than a year? Last year the hostas we are keeping had a tough year- quite puny, I think it didn't rain enough. They also looked crappy after around July.
Once you hack out the scilla, perhaps a weed tarp could help prevent recurrence? We had to demolish a whole bed to get rid of an invasive plant, we are praying the weed tarp will finish the battle for us. |
doulamomma
Citizen
Username: Doulamomma
Post Number: 1341
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, April 9, 2006 - 8:08 pm: |
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Could a neighborhood dog be "watering" you hostas? Last year my dog picked one particular (unlucky) hasta as is go-to place & it also got yellow/brown & wilty |
calypso
Citizen
Username: Calypso
Post Number: 9
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, April 13, 2006 - 8:36 pm: |
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Don't think it's too much sun, as they are pretty well shaded until the afternoon, and the slope is too steep for the local dogs. seems like the best bet is to have all you hosta lovers come by with shovels; then we both win! I'm going away for the summer though, and will want to replant in the spots where the hosta was, so can't do the big give away until fall. I'll keep a list and notify everyone then. Thanks so much for all of the helpful advice! |
Shanabana
Citizen
Username: Shanabana
Post Number: 309
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 4:51 pm: |
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I realize this may be too late. There is a hosta disease, which I think my hostas (that I got from Home Deopt) have, and which some big stores "ignore" when they buy from vendors. The effect is a tattered look. The virus spreads. So, diggers-up beware! (I'm definitely not an expert on this, but I did a little research last year because mine started to look bad. I'm still waiting to see what happens this year...)
Some hostas like part shade, others full sun...depends on kind. |
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