Re: Walking Hosta

Bill, seedlings are no different than older hostas - they want to survive their situation, even if it means landing out of the ground. 

I wonder if their survival outdoors as seedlings is due to the fact they start out with shallow roots at the surface and somehow get pulled down to the optimum plant level? I have pulled up thousands of year old seedlings that have firmly pulled themselves back into the ground. You may recall how our grassy areas in the gardens are being overtaken by young hosta seedlings - they are tough by nature. Recently I pulled up about 10 lbs of seedlings - all green, no value and threw them out in a field drainage ditch, to stabilize the ditch. Went back after the summer and they were growing like little ground covers. 

Reminds me of the hosta 'Silver Prince sieboldiana seedling that Beets Lantis ( a hosta pioneer ) gave Maria Plater-Zyberk 25 years ago. He threw all his sieb bloom scapes over the hill into the drainage ditch in downstate Delaware. In full sun, very high summer heat, limited watering. A couple of years later Maria and Beets were looking at the garden in the heat of the summer when she saw a plant that was still holding up as a yellow sieb in the summer heat. She was impressed with it - he wasn't. She took it home and kept it going - it is very heat tolerant, though not real distinct yellow or gold. It was growing next to her front door if you remember. I have a piece and intend to register it for her.

Years ago my mom would sow her seeds on the soil surface, throw a little fine soil over them and watch them grow. In the fall she would put her thumb down on half the small root system, to anchor only half the plant. In the spring she would then tamp down the other side which was airborne by then. Seemed to work well in Michigan, and for sure you knew which seedlings were interested in surviving!
bruce
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