How can I best care for potted hosta plants during the winter?
I have 2 small hostas that struggled to grow in my front yard last year. I noticed they were not growing bigger so I moved them to flower pots and gave them extra attention this summer. I don't know how long it takes a hosta to grow but they still are only about 4 inches. Can I leave them in the pots on my deck during winter? Should I re-plant or bring in house? Any tips appreciated.
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I would bring them inside so the pots don't freeze.
Thank you
I have hostas that have been in pots for 3-4 years. They were planted directly from the nursery into 10" pots of good loamy soil and have filled in nicely. I live in zone 5-6 (they keep changing it). I leave mine out all year. In winter, I shovel snow from the patio over them so they get watered. Our snow melts within a day or so. If your snow stays all year, the snow will act as a protective blanket, but it's not needed. Hostas are perennials and are cold hardy. You can leave them out. No worries.
In regards to size, they may be getting too much sun. Also, the soil needs to be loose, friable, loamy soil. Hard packed soil will stunt root growth. Not enough water can stunt them. Too small of a pot can stunt them; small root ball means small top growth.
Yes, my mother leaves hers in pots for many years. She gifted me some last fall and I brought some in while leaving some out, all in pots. Outside did much better than inside. Then I planted some of the survivors and kept 1 in a pot. The pot is much better so I'm going to put in a bigger pot so that it will continue to get larger.