RE: another dumb seedling question

Joanne,

I think you've got it. Most growing occurs in the spring when it is
green. I don't know of any that turn entirely white as the season
progresses. There are usually edges or the center that is still green
late in the season. Those that do have a large leaf area that is white
generally do better with as much light at they can stand without burning
out. That is, when they can make the most energy through photosynthesis.
Many medio-variegated hostas languish in too little light. 

An interesting study would be of the amount of energy stored in the
roots throughout the growing season (although I have no idea how you
would do it). I would imagine that it starts out the season at some
level, drops during the first flush of growth as it is expending more
energy growing than the leaves can create. Once the leaves have first
unfurled, the root energy is probably at their lowest for the season. In
the process of photosynthesis throughout the summer the energy stored in
the roots increases until fall and the onset of dormancy. Then it
probably stays level or gradually decreases over the winter until spring
time when the process repeats. 

Does anyone know if any studies of this type have been performed? Does
this simplistic explanation sound plausable? My explanation is based
only on some observations and common sense. 

Thanks!

Norm Lesch
Manchester, MD

>----------
>From: 	Joanne Pyszczek[SMTP:jopyz@earthlink.net]
>Sent: 	Friday, December 04, 1998 10:00 AM
>To: 	hosta-open@mallorn.com
>Subject: 	Re: another dumb seedling question
>
>
>,
>>I'm thinking about hostas in the trade that start out white or mostly
>>white and then turn green and the only ones I can think of are sports of
>>other plants. When the sports first emerged, they had the mother plant
>>to live off of until the point the sport was severed and allowed to live
>>on its own.
>
>Thanks for the lesson.  I hadn't been thinking about the white hostas
>starting as sports but it does make the most sense.
>Would a hosta then that changes from green to white over the summer
>have a more difficult time surviving the winter or just be slow emerging in
>spring?  It would be using up all of it's stored energy before fall and with
>minimal chlorophyll not be able to really replace it.  Of course if it's not
>actively growing it wouldn't be using as much energy as a newly emerging
>plant does  in the spring either.
>Joanne
>jopyz@earthlink.net
>
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