Hostas do well in my consistently moist "clay-amended-with-peat-and-compost" soil. However, with all the talk about HVX, I'm a little spooked about putting all my eggs in one basket, so to speak. So I am looking to add some different shade tolerant plants, such as caladium, ferns, astilbe, coleus, etc. With plants that need less moisture, should you keep them in containers? Or should you plant them in the ground with extra perlite to aid drainage? Tamara
Combining dry shade plants with moist shade plants
Zone5, someone may correct me on this but, the plants you listed are water-hungry ones.......ferns and astilbe especially. I've just completed a shady area and have hostas, hellebores, brugs, a foxglove and hydrangea....planted in the ground.....not in containers. It seems that container plants require more water than when in the ground. A soaker hose was added and mulch placed on top. The light is enough for the brugs and hydrangea to bloom. I'll post a pic to show you.
I guess I just get nervous with plants that are new to me. We had some heavy rains about a month ago and it killed over 20 coleus, 3 verbascum, a dahlia, and some seedlings. The other day I planted a caladium in a large container and gave it a good drink (but not too much, or so I thought). The next day some of the leaves had lost their color and were falling off. I've had other things that failed because they didn't receive enough water. I wish every plant had a built in bell that would ding when it got just the right amount of water. :-P Tamara
I sure can echo that wish! LOL Dotti
Hi Z5girl,
You mentioned your caladium not looking good the next day, losing their color etc. I am wondering if you hardend off the plants before you put them out side? Possibly too much sun, or night temps too cool for tender leaves.
My DH had some coleus cuttings that he potted up during the winter and this spring put them outside in too much sun right off and they got burned. The new growth was too tender.The new growth coming now is fine. but the older growth is permanately damaged.
Hey, did you make it to the Bluestone sale?
Shady
Hi Shady! The caladiums have gotten used to their new home and are fine now. ;-) I actually didn't make it to the Bluestone sale. After doing an analysis of our finances and seeing how much money I've already spent this year on the garden...well, let's just say I was a little nauseous. So, I have sworn off any and all garden related purchases until next year. That was REALLY hard since I already had several bulbs picked out that I was planning to buy this fall. *sigh* I really need to win the lottery. ;-) Tamara
Z5girl,
Glad to hear the caladiums made it through. Sorry to hear the budget is so tight, but at least you have some new plants to enjoy and watch grow this season and at least you know and respect that you won't go into debt over the garden, it's just not worth it...and one never knows what luck one might come across...:)
shady
Tamara:
Don't get too freaked out by HVX. If you practice sanitary plant division, you shouldn't have a big HVX problem. From what I understand, HVX isn't spread by plants touching or growing near each other. Rather, the plant "juices" from an infected plant must touch the plant "juices" from another plant to infect it. The way that it is usually spread is when a person divides a hosta that is infected and then uses the fork or knife that she used to divide an infected hosta to divide an uninfected hosta. If you want to avoid HVX, be careful when you buy the hostas, especially from big box stores, and wipe down plant dividing tools with rubbing alcohol after dividing each plant.