Our Next Meeting August 20, 6:30 pm Giacomo & Shelly Baldini s Garden North Brians Way, Dunlap

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1 central illinois hosta society August volume 19, issue 6 Connie s Corner We had a span of hot weather that lasted from our last meeting for about a week and a half. During that time, I hauled water every day. Three loads here, two loads there. I hope I helped the hosta through the stress time. Due to time constraints, I have been watering from the top as opposed to holding the hose (no nozzle) around the base of the plant. I have noticed one thing; top watering with city water has done strange things to my leaves. Some have gotten big brown spots. I am assuming it is from the water. Perhaps I have something else going on. I still have all the plants from the bus trip to get into the ground. I have some ostrich ferns and ditch lilies to rip out in a couple of shady spots to make room for the hosta. So, here s hoping the nice cool weather will last. We still have at least two positions on the board that need to be filled. Our 1st Vice president will schedule our meetings (which includes an indoor venue for March and April; with speakers for those meetings, as well as gardens for the rest of the year including a venue for the auction during those years). She or he will schedule two years worth starting in Our 2nd vice president will schedule the banquet for the club. That involves a location, caterer, speaker and hosta gifts, but that is their only responsibility. Please think of filling one of these positions. They are an integral part of our club s year. Remember the August meeting will be our The Good, The Bad and The Ugly contest. Bring your biggest leaves, your bluest leaves, your yellowest (not a word, or so Microsoft tells me) leaves, your longest flower scapes, your longest leaf stems, and of course your smallest leaves. Prizes will be awarded! Bob and Ella will judge so let s give them lots of hard decisions to make. Thanks again to Carol Stuckey for hosting our July meeting in her lovely garden. I had seen it on the garden walk but it was a great pleasure to see it again. Our August meeting will be at Shelley Baldini s, and I m real excited to see it, because I ve watched her buy plants on the last couple of bus trips and hosta auction!! I know she has many neat plants..a dirty fingernail is a working hand! Your prez, Connie Z Our Next Meeting August 20, 6:30 pm Giacomo & Shelly Baldini s Garden North Brians Way, Dunlap We moved into our newly built home in After battling the lawn and building our deck, we started our garden beds around the perimeter of the house. Of course being my mother s daughter, my mother started us out with some of her hostas. Since then, we ve cleared part of the wooded area and added more hostas, companion plants and a fire pit. We are still working our way to the back-end of our lot. We have over 100 varieties of hosta along with lilac bushes, roses, hydrangea, hibiscus and many other sun loving perennials and shrubs. The wind took down our flowering pear tree in the storm we had this summer. However, we still have our flowering crab tree, bald cypress and maple trees. We look forward to hosting the August meeting and hope you enjoy our garden. Directions: Head north on Knoxville Rd./Route 40. Turn Left onto Hickory Grove Rd. Turn Right onto Allen Road. Take first right onto Molly (Northbrook Subdivision) then first left onto Scott s Trail, which turns into Brian s Way at the curve. The Good, the Bad & the Ugly!!! It s time to have fun with hosta! At this Meeting, we are going to have a leaf show not the formal kind, though. We have 7 categories within which you can participate: biggest leaf, smallest mature leaf, yellowest leaf, bluest leaf, ugliest leaf (please no nematodes, slugs, or disease just an ugly leaf), longest leaf and longest flower scape. Prizes will be awarded and our judges will be our education committee. If there is a tie between leaves, judges will grade the leaves on their condition. Just wrap your leaf in a paper towel and we will check them in and label them. Any questions, contact Sally Pula at

2 Hosta of the Month Douglas is having some difficulty in locating unique, good looking hosta, this time of year. However, he will have some cool gardenrelated prizes, companion plants & maybe some hosta. Be sure to buy tickets at the meeting for a chance to win. Officers President Connie Zuercher alsace@mtco.com Vice President Sally Pula sallypula@hotmail.com Second Vice Presidents Shirley Metz, Donna Cothrell , jametz41@gmail.com dkcothrell@hotmail.com Third Vice President Phyllis Pollard pollard.phyllis@gmail.com Recording Secretary Terri Anderson andertj2@gmail.com CIHS Calendar If you are interested in opening your garden for a meeting in 2015, please contact Sally Pula or any board member. September 17, 5:45, 6:30 Banquet Coyote Creek, Bartonville Speaker: Dave Robson March 18, 2014, 6:30 pm Freedom Hall, 349 W. Birchwood Street, Morton April 15, 6:30 pm, Potluck Freedom Hall, 349 W. Birchwood Street, Morton May 20, 6:30 pm Meeting June 11-14, 2014 American Hosta Society Convention Cedar Rapids, IA June 17, 6:30 pm Meeting Bus Trip TBA Midwest Regional Convention TBA July 15, 6:30 pm Meeting August 19, 6:30 pm Meeting September Banquet TBA Corresponding Secretary Maggie Keesey magskeesey@gmail.com Treasurer Dan McConnell drdtm@mtco.com To join: Central Illinois Hosta Society $10/year, form on back cover Midwest Reg. Hosta Society $20/2 years, Send dues to: Kristine James, Membership 523 E. Calhoun Street Woodstock, IL American Hosta Society $30 individual, $57/2 years $34 family, $62/2 years Send dues to: Sandie Markland AHS Membership Secretary Post Office Box 7539 Kill Devil Hills, NC

3 Annual Hosta Banquet!!! Register at the August Meeting!!! Date: Tuesday, September 17 th Time: Cocktails & check-in 5:45 pm; dinner at 6:30 Place: Coyote Creek Golf Club, near Bartonville The final event on the 2013 calendar is our banquet. The cost is only $35, which includes a wonderful buffet dinner, an outstanding hosta selection from Q & Z (Mark Zilis) and a wonderful program presented by Dave Robson, University of Illinois Extension Specialist. Always entertaining, Dave will be presenting a program on some of our favorite companion plants helleborus and heuchera with tidbits about hosta. Sign up for the Banquet at the upcoming July & August meetings. Make checks payable to CIHS. Please contact Shirley Metz or Donna Cothrell for more information: ; jametz41@gmail.com or ; dkcothrell@hotmail.com Slate of Nominations We will be voting at the last meeting for the slate of nominations; however, nominations will be taken from the floor. President: Deb McCullom Vice President: sets up meetings events and potluck; Second Vice President: works with V. P. to set up meetings and events; sets up auction & banquet; Third Vice President: plans bus trip; Deb Schoedel Recording Secretary: records and presents meeting minutes; Sue Eckhoff Corresponding Secretary: mails thank you notes, cards & correspondence and sets up Solberg order; Maggie Keesey Treasurer: maintains accounts, pays bills; writes checks; Dan McConnell Publicity Chairmen: notifies media of meetings & events; Shelly Baldini Education Chairmen: promotes education at meetings; Ella Maxwell, Bob Streitmatter Ways and Means Chairmen: hosta of the month and fund raising; Connie Zuercher Historian: keeps scrapbook and history of club, Michelene Koch Parliamentarian: advises board on parliamentary procedure; Shirley Metz Librarian: maintains library; Ella Maxwell Membership Chairmen: maintains members list and accepts membership dues; Kathy Allen Hospitality: sets up refreshments and beverages; Mike & Sally Pula Garden Walk Chairman: John Machens Publication Chairmen: writes and assembles newsletter; Bob Streitmatter Let's Enjoy & Celebrate Beautiful Hosta Blooms In the last few years, my hostas have mostly disappeared thanks to their good nutritious properties and the appetite of voles. The voles evidently found their way through the protective nest of sharp rocks ("Permatil") in which they were planted. Since I could not resist purchasing some of the beautiful hostas the vendors were displaying at hosta shows, I have now resorted to growing my hostas in pots an idea encouraged by the beautiful potted hosta garden of Tony Wright and Judy Burns. Our pots were placed on the patio in full view of our dining table. This change has forced us to view the hostas all through the growing season. Guess what, hostas frequently have beautiful blooms! Why do we keep hosta blooms hidden from the public in hosta shows? One explanation is that hostas shows must be held early in the spring as soon as the hosta leaves have matured and since hostas bloom throughout the long growing season it is impossible to display most of them in hosta shows. While the facts are correct, the reasoning seems strange. Most flowing plants are grown for their blooms with beautiful foliage being an added benefit. The fact that hostas bloom at different times, dependent upon the particular cultivar and that some cultivar is apt to be in bloom at any time during the growing season, makes hostas a more valuable garden plant. Not many plant species are blessed with such a prolonged period of bloom. Should not hosta shows demonstrate the value of hosta blooms to the general public? Continued on page 4 3

4 Some people say that the bloom scapes of host as are too tall too tall for what? A bloom on a tall scape means that the bloom can be seen when planted near the back of a bed of perennials. This can be an advantage. Some hosta scapes are too short. To me this means that some of the blooms are hidden by the foliage. This seems to be a rare condition and can surely be corrected by our skillful hybridizers. Some hosta scapes are too weak; this means that the scape bends down with heavy blooms or seed pods. Again, this condition can be solved by skillful selection by hybridizers. Some people say they do not like hosta blooms. Of course beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and it is fortunate that we do not all like the same things. I prefer variety in my garden. Some people say they do not like hosta blooms because they "only last one day." While this may be technically true, the same is true for daylily blooms, which are very popular all over the United States. The daylily bloom obviously collapses after one day such that spent blooms are generally picked before opening the garden for display ("grooming" or "dead heading" this is called). Most hosta blooms are pretty while the bud is forming and slowly opening and are still days after opening such that a single scape seems to possess multiple blooms. Hosta bloom scapes have a unique beauty of their own, different from most other flowers. The colors of hosta blooms range from a rich purple, as in H. 'Betsy King', to lavender, to pure white, as in H. plantaginea. Clear colors in this range are lacking in flowers such as Hemerocallis. What can be done to make hosta blooms better recognized and cherished? The most obvious thing is to quit cutting off hosta bloom scapes before they bloom so people may be able to enjoy seeing them. Second, hosta blooms need to be shown in hosta shows along with the beautiful leaves. The fact that the blooms of hosta occur throughout the growing season, the exact time being dependent on the variety, means that only a small fraction of hosta blooms can be seen at ordinary leaf shows. Additional hosta shows should be held, possibly monthly during growing season, to display the great beautiful variety of hosta blooms. Such shows would educate hosta club members and the public on the garden value of hosta blooms and encourage them to grow the bloom types found most pleasing. Finally, recognition of the value of hosta blooms in the garden would encourage hybridizers to create even more beautiful hosta blooms. At present, hybridizers are working almost entirely to create beautiful hosta leaves. Most of this work has been devoted to variegated hostas, which means leaves having colors white or yellow arranged or splashed on the green leaf in what is considered an attractive pattern. Such a plant is called a "chimera." This word refers to an imaginary Greek monster generally depicted as having a lion's head, a goat's body, and the tail of a dragon or serpent. A more modern meaning of "chimera" is a frightful, vain, or foolish fancy. Chimeras in the world of hostas do represent a beautiful but evanescent fancy that with passage of time will disappear from this earth. Wouldn't it be better for hybridizers to work on something of more permanent value? A plant having white or yellow in place of green chlorophyll is always weaker and more perishable than the corresponding all green variety. By Erling Grovenstein, Jr. (Courtesy of the Georgia Hosta Society's newsletter, Georgia Hosta Notes, Volume 28, Number 1, January 2012.) Hosta Gardening Calendar Late Summer (Growth of buds for next year) late August-September With the full extension of the flowering inflorescence, the growing tip, (meristem), of the hosta shoot is carried high into the air, at the end of the scape. New dormant buds now begin to form at the base of the scape that will go through cold dormancy and produce the new shoots and leaves of the plant in the next spring. Ideally, three buds are formed, but frequently less are formed by large hosta cultivars. In some early flowering hostas, these buds may produce a second growth of new shoots, leaves, flower scapes and more dormant buds the same summer, especially if they are grown in areas where the growing season is long, as in the Southeastern United States. Labeling: Place plant labels, temporary or permanent, with each new hosta. Bury a plastic label with the plant name in pencil in the same position for each hosta. Map garden if you are so inclined. Light: Days begin to shorten & hostas begin to look tired. Continued on page 5 4

5 Nutrients: Fertilize newly planted hostas with or a little slow release fertilizer. If some hostas make a few new leaves then liquid feed once in August. Pests: Check for voles moving into the garden. Check for foliar nematodes, again. Check the oldest leaves. If the deer still want your hostas, then at some point, open the gate and let them clean up the garden for you. Protection: Mulch newly worked areas. Propagation: Continue to divide hostas. Try to get them finished six weeks before the first frost. You can do it later but remember hostas do not grow roots over the winter. Water: Turn off the irrigation and put the hoses away. Lack of water will encourage dormancy. Of course, continue to water your new plantings. I use a watering can. Fun! Look for fall specials from your favorite hosta nurseries. Hostas planted in the fall will look a year older than the ones you buy next spring. Continue to plant new acquisitions. Start collecting seeds from early flowering hostas. By Bob Solberg Growing Hosta from Seed There are as many ways of sowing and growing hosta seeds as there are ways to take a photograph. As with taking pictures most systems work but the end result can be very different. What does nature do? In late fall or early winter, the seedpods ripen on the scape. They usually turn light brown and then dry out and become crisp. Then they split three ways exposing the neat double rows of seeds in each pod. The seeds begin to fall out but not all at once. Some seeds are eaten by birds, some remain attached to the pod for several weeks, if not months. Those that fall drop fairly close to the mother plant. They fall to the ground but sometimes they fall on wet ground, sometimes dry, sometimes frozen. Sometimes they fall on snow. Those that are not eaten eventually drop to the surface of the ground and, as the soil warms up, many of them will germinate. In six to eight weeks you will have lots of tiny hostas. So what can we do to help nature, to germinate many more seeds and to have resulting seedlings located where they can be observed carefully over a period of time? The seeds should be harvested in late fall. It is not impossible to harvest some today [i.e., February] if there are still seedpods on dormant hostas in your garden. Clean the seeds and put them in a paper bag or envelope to dry. Then they can be stored in the refrigerator until sowing time. This is not absolutely necessary but at least you will know where to find them and your spouse is likely to keep reminding you to plant them. The seeds can be planted in the ground or in a seed flat out of doors. If you would like to do it that way, you really need to wait until the soil has warmed up in the spring. If you want to plant them in a seed tray indoors, it can be done anytime from today [February] until April. Whichever way you choose to do the same planting suggestion applies. The potting soil or seed compost needs to be fine and damp. The garden soil should be sieved. It should be 1 to 1.5 deep. Sow the seeds on top of the soil and either cover them with a very thin layer of very fine potting compost or gently push each seed just a little way into the soil. I use a cocktail stick but a sharp pencil point or the tip of a plant label will do. Mark carefully the area in the yard where you have planted the seed so that you don't forget and dig them up or weed them out. Cover the flat with a proper clear plastic seed tray cover or with a clear plastic bag. This is to create a microclimate above the seeds and to prevent the potting compost/soil from drying out. You now have a choice to make. Do you allow nature to take its course or do you speed it up? Obviously the seeds planted in the ground will be at nature's mercy, but there are many ways to raise the seeds planted in flats. If the weather has warmed and the last chance of frost has gone the flat can be put outside where is will get a few hours morning sun. The flats can also be put in a cold frame. Indoors the process of growing hostas from seeds can be accelerated. The flats can be put under lights. White fluorescent tubes are fine. The tube should be about an inch above the top of the cover. Continued on page 6 5

6 The lights can be left on for 24 hours or put on a time switch so that they are on for 14, 16, or 18 hours. Although you have created a microclimate above the seeds by using a cover you will need to make sure that the seeds and the seedlings do not dry out. After ten to fifteen days you should begin to see tiny green shoots. One of these might be the next H. 'Niagara Falls'. Keep the lights on, make sure they do not dry out and watch them grow. In about ten weeks there will be three or four leaves on each seedling and it will be time for the next stage the first cull and potting on the remainder. By Mike Shadrack, (Courtesy of the Western New York Hosta Society, reprinted from the February 2012 edition of their newsletter, Hosta la Vista.) How late is too late to Plant Hostas in the Fall? A ugust is a great time to plant hostas almost anywhere in the country. You can safely plant them all month in the Midwest and North and the latter half of the month in the South. My standard rule is you want to get them in the ground 4-6 weeks before the first frost. This allows them to make some new roots while the soil is still warm and then have some time to prepare for winter. Most of us, though, have planted hostas in the ground later than that with good success. I have planted them as late as the first week of November without any noticeable ill effects. You do run a risk with late planting however. Hostas are completely dormant during the winter, and they will not produce new roots until after they have made new foliage in the spring. They literally sleep through the winter. Late planted hostas may rot over the winter if 1) the ground is frozen and stays frozen shortly after they are planted, 2) they are very dry when the ground freezes, 3) the soil stays too wet because of poor winter drainage or 4) heaving occurs during cycles of the soil freezing and thawing. Snow cover or a covering of mulch will help with all these situations. Remember, blue hostas, as well as many gold hostas, with H. sieboldiana and H. Tokudama parents as well as some H. longipes types are the most susceptible to winter kill. Miniature hostas may also completely heave out of the ground, resulting in cold damage to the crown. So, with late hosta planting, first make sure the plants are full of water when the first hard frost hits. Then try a little mulch to protect the hosta crowns and moderate soil temperatures. (Beware! Deep mulches may entice mice and voles to make their winter homes in your hosta garden.) With a little luck from the winter weather you can probably extend your planting season another month or so, even after the first frost. By Bob Solberg of Green Hill Farm, Reprinted from the newsletter of the Delmarva Hosta Society Fertilizing Your Hosta Tips from Warren Pollock s Presentation at Delaware Valley Hosta Society November Meeting A t our November 2006 meeting, internationally known hosta expert Dr. Warren Pollock, of Wilmington, shared with us some of his experiences growing hostas. Hostas, he emphasized, are heavy feeders and respond well to fertilizers-especially the slow release kinds-applied very early in spring as the tips just appear. They should be watered in well so the water-soluble nitrogen (ammoniacal) content is available to the plants when they need nitrogen most: when they are actively making new leaves. He discussed the properties of the following slow-release granular products: Scotts (Lawn) Starter Fertilizer: It lasts about two months; apply at half amount recommended on the package. Miracle-Gro Shake and Feed: One treatment will lasts up to two-three months. Apply at full strength. Dynamite Plant Food. (sold as Nutricote. To nursery trade): Difficult to find in the North; available at some Home Depot stores and garden centers in the South. (Osmocote, another slow-release granular fertilizer, is a substitute, but note that as much as 65% of its nitrogen can be released in a single heavy watering.) Warren said he likes Roots and M-Roots (which contains Mycorrhiza spores, when planting bareroot and repotting container-growing hostas. These granular products encourage new root formation. Their nitrogen content is only a few percent, so the above slow-release fertilizers need to be applied along with them. He noted that often people make the mistake of putting fertilizer only in the middle of the crown. Continued on page 7 6

7 In general hosta roots grow outward, radially, from the crown and their feeding tips can extend to the clump s perimeter and beyond. Consequently, apply fertilizers to an area somewhat larger than you think the clump s leaves will extent. Hostas also benefit from Epsom salt in early spring. The magnesium helps green-up green leaves and darken blackish leaves (like Lakeside Black Satin and Lakeside Coalminer ). Add a pinch to a gallon of water and apply a couple times in early season to the leaves and soil. Dynamite fertilizer contains magnesium, 1.2%. For bigger leaves, try applying a foliar fertilizer directly to the leaves as they are unfurling and making new growth. Pre-wet the soil well to ensure the hosta has enough inground moisture. Spray a soluble fertilizer, such as Miracle-Gro or Peters, diluted to 1/4-1/2 of recommended strength, every 7-14 days until mid-summer. IPHS Editor: Mike Weber and others in the society have preferred Nutricote for many years. As noted it is difficult to find in this area. The Schroeder s found it in a large quantity and are selling this at a very reasonable price per pound. We can furnish any pound quantity you may need. Reprinted from the Prairie Hosta Herald, newsletter of the Illinois Prairie Hosta Society Summer is the time for outdoor living. The experts at Green View can design and build a landscape that suits your lifestyle. Visit us on facebook or at for a fresh look at our landscapes, seminars, events and sales Knowledgeable Garden Center Staff Beautiful quality plants Award-Winning Landscaping & Maintenance Services W. Cedar Hills Drive, Dunlap 7

8 Central Illinois Hosta Society P.O. Box 3098 Peoria, IL First Class Postage Check us Out!!!! For information regarding dues or membership, contact Kathy Allen at or Newsletter Deadline: 20 th of the preceding month Submit items for publication to: Bob Streitmatter CIHS Membership Form (please print) Name(s) Address City State Zip Phone 8 Dues are $10/year: new renewal Amount. Enclosed Make check payable to CIHS; mail check and form to: Central Illinois Hosta Society, P.O. Box 3098, Peoria, IL