Hi Carol, I just finished another book and I have to stay busy so joining the robins seemed like a good thing. Thanks for your thanks! I remember that sad tale of H. `Tortifrons'. The only reason I knew that answer is because I stupidly did the same thing. The hosta croaked too. There is nothing like learning the hard way. Glad to be aboard! WGS ----- Original Message ----- From: CBCTPLANT@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2002 9:46 PM To: hosta-open@mallorn.com Subject: Re: old hostas heaving George,
I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that you have joined the various hosta
lists and that you are sharing your knowledge with us!
I remember years ago being so upset that my plant of Totifrons had died over
the winter after I had followed your prescribed method of keeping it in a
dish of water in the sun all summer. It had flourished in those conditions
and I was devastated when it died in the Spring.
You kindly listened to my sad tale and asked what I had done to keep it over
the winter. When I said I had buried it in its pot in the ground until the
ground had warmed enough to dig it out. Then I placed the pot on my back
cement steps and it started to emerge very early in March as the days were
warm and the nights went down below freezing.
What happened, you explained, is that during the day the top 1 or 2 inches
of the soil in the pot would warm and thaw in the sun, and it even collected
a pool of water that sat atop the soil. Then at night it would freeze and
this cycle would repeat day after day. The moisture in the top inches was
freezing and thawing as well, and it was likely that the roots, filled with
moisture, had burst and then the plant died. To this day I make sure that in
the Spring the plants that I grow in pots do NOT go through that freezing and
thawing cycle. Once frozen they stay frozen!
Your explanation of the ground heaving, reminded me of how generous you have
been with your vast knowledge and how great it is to have you with us!
Welcome to our sometimes crazy forum... and thank you again for sharing!
Carol in CT z6/5
Carol Brashear
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