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| LONG-LIVED, SHADE-LOVING PERENNIALS OFFER FOLIAGE AND FLOWERS | |
| Published: September 09, 1997 | |
Planting high is secret to growing hostas in the Deep SouthQ:I would like to obtain different types of hostas for a section of my yard. Please write about selecting, growing and purchasing hostas.A:Your question gave me an opportunity to talk to Ken Durio at Louisiana Nursery where some 30 varieties of hostas are listed for sale. Ken explained that at one time no hostas grew successfully in the Deep South. Although the plants would start out fairly well in their black plastic containers, they would deteriorate once they were planted in the ground.That changed when a grower from North Carolina discovered that by planting hostas high in containers or in a raised position in the ground, the roots have greater exposure to winter cold. These techniques made it possible to grow hostas almost as successfully in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 8 and 9 as in cooler areas as long as the plants are protected from direct sun. Plant hostas in containers or raised beds in filtered light, in moist, well-drained soil amended with organic matter. In both containers and beds, plant the crown and some of the roots above the ground, with the remainder of the roots underground. Cover the surface with a layer of mulch during summer and winter. Some varieties that grow especially well in Acadiana, according to Ken, are Gold Standard with gold foliage with green margins; Gold Crown with variegated golden leaves; Thomas Hogg with green leaves edged in white; and Undalata with green foliage with white stripes and splashes. All of these varieties have lavender flowers in mid-summer. Others that have different colored flowers include Ventricosa with green foliage and deep blue-purple flowers; and Ventricosa Aureo-Marginata which mauve flowers and green leaves with white and yellow markings. The plants are especially effective used in a woodland setting in clumps or mass plantings for ground cover. Hostas are available from local nurseries and at Louisiana Nursery (318- 948-3696) at Sunset. Chopping on wisteria doesnt promote bloomQ:I have a wisteria vine that I have to constantly cut back to keep neighbors from killing me.It never blooms much. Is that why? A:Probably. The vine blooms on last years wood, meaning that new buds develop in the summer, remain through winter and bloom the following spring. If you prune unselectively in summer, fall or winter, youve probably lost the buds. Another possibility is that your vine is in too much shade. If thats the case, you have to decide if you want it enough to prune or remove the overhead shade. Another reason may be that youre giving it fertilizer with nitrogen and the vine is making stems and leaves at the expense of flowers. Cut out the fertilizer or stick to superphosphate or bone meal.The best way to keep the vine from bugging the neighbors is to prune it selectively in summer and in late winter. Trace the main shoots or trunks and attach them to your support. Cut their side branches back to about 13 inches. In early February, cut those branches back to about six inches. This way youre retaining the flower buds on those short spurs and youre keeping the plant under control. |