RE: getting ready for winter

All true but I suggest that one learns what
specifically should be done about the problems that
hosta DO suffer from. Southern Blight is a soil borne
fungus, it must be treated at appropriate times in its
life cycle and fall "cleanup" is not one of those
times.
Our gardens are not "natural habitats" but they do
resemble natural habitats in that more natural rules
do apply than don't.
I offer that this is a place to teach and learn so the
hobby gardener can learn the things that will help and
those that will hurt. Ray for example is a well known
good grower, so if he researches my position and comes
back and teaches me what I don't know and reaffirms
what I do know.
I knew that hosta don't do so well under walnut and
water maples but did not know that they suffer under
magnolia grandiflora. As others add what are good
canopy and bad canopy tress we all move forward.
To not use this type of forum to teach and learn dumbs
down the whole. I know that was not your intention,
I'm asking you to rethink your approach.

--- "W. George Schmid" <hostahill@Bellsouth.net>
wrote:

> Gentlepersons,
> You are right, yet you may be a bit wrong, too!
> 
> Yes, I agree, Mother Nature does it best. I spend
> many days in the Blue
> Ridge mountains during all seasons and I marvel at
> the way everything works.
> The woods soil is something to die for and it is the
> accumulation of eons of
> falling leaves and needles, not to speak of branches
> and even trees. To see
> rows of native orchids growing on a rotting tree
> trunk in Slickrock
> Wilderness is a wonder.
> 
> In Japan hostas grow the same way. Their native
> habitat provides all they
> need, just as our native plants feed on nature's own
> detritus;
> 
> BUT
> 
> Hostas are strangers in our world. What I am getting
> at is that our native
> conditions may present challenges hostas do not face
> in their native
> habitat. I have never seen heat-dormant hostas in
> Japan as one would see
> here in the baking, hot South. My point is that
> hostas are not endemic to
> North America and there is a possibility that here
> they may encounter
> adverse conditions and/or virulent pests unknown in
> Japan. Another point is
> that gardens are not a native habitat. There is no
> balance of nature in
> gardens. Grow hostas under a Magnolia grandiflora
> and leave all the leaf
> detritus in place during late fall and winter and
> you will find out very
> quickly that the hostas will quickly disappear.
> 
> It may be better for inexperienced gardeners to
> clean up before winter. The
> old hats at gardening know where to look for warning
> signs under all that
> trash. A newcomer may not know and find out too late
> that Southern blight
> has attacked and decimated his precious hostas while
> they were covered up.
> Let's see now: I have never seen reports of Southern
> blight attacking native
> hostas in Japan. QED!
> 
> My nickel's worth with apologies to those who have
> been able to make their
> garden a "natural" habitat. George 
> 
> W. George Schmid
> Hosta Hill
> USDA Zone 7a - 1188 feet (561m) AMSL
> 84-12'-30" W 33-51' N
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-hosta-open@hort.net
> [o*@hort.net] On Behalf
> Of butch ragland
> Sent: Monday, 24 October, 2005 1:38
> To: hosta-open@hort.net
> Subject: Re: getting ready for winter
> 
>
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Butch 
Conflict is as addictive as 
cocaine, alcohol, cigarettes,etc
I'm sorry to report that
cooperation is not

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