Hosta 'Sum and Substance' Plants Review

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AWESOMEMOM88
Montgomery, IL

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Another "you can't kill it" selection

practical, picking up after pets, value conscious, cost-conscious

Pros

can root new from cuttings, shade tolerant, good for ground cover, economical, Very hardy

Cons

slugs love 'em, can take over and block other plants

MAY

2008

Everyone wants their garden beds to be lush with plants rather than overrun with unsightly weeds....a tough order for somebody who doesn't have the natural green thumb (the midas touch of gardening) and an unlimited budget....well, not too tough if you have discovered Hosta in all its many splendors. Sum and Substance gives us less than expert gardeners a way to show off more variety with the same low maintainance of other members of the Hosta family-and with the same hardiness and results....Hosta grows quickly, establishes usually in one season, and if extremely forgiving of your neglect. This variety is no exception and is exceptionally nice for a well shaded yard (yet another dilema for the not so expert gardener) The best thing about this plant, as well as other Hosta varieties, is that over time, one or two plants will stretch to fill an entire bed-so they are really economical. In fact, it is probably good policy to split up the existing plants at the root base with a sharp knife early each season and take the smaller cuttings of root and plant and get them started in their own hole. The most critical thing to do with them after splitting is keep them well watered (and it is so easy to tell if you haven't, because they literally get limp, fall over, and get all yellowed and brown at the edges of leaves). I usually just buy fish emulsion at the garden center, and put that in the hose end sprayer about once per month instead of using chemical garden fertilizers. Regardless of how severe winter is, or how awful last summer's drought, and no matter how badly the hosta looks towards end of season due to being slug picnic fare, they always come back strongly in the spring. The one thing you can do to minimize the slug damage is to put out small pie tins (dig them in so the top edge is level with the soil) and fill with cheap and miserable beer (or the stuff down in the basement that is past the expiration date)-the slugs will not suffer, nor will your plants. This variety doesn't have as much color variation as some of its cousins, so I like it as a punch of something different to break up a big expanse. And it can get very large compared to some other varieties as well, so bear that in mind when you select where to plant. It is a fine addition to the low maintenance, economical garden.

Hosta 'Sum and Substance' Plants is recommended by AWESOMEMOM88

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VolFanGrl wrote on May 26, 2008 at 12:20AM

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We have some of these at our house and I totally agree. You CANNOT kill these things! They are beautiful tho. Great fillers if you have a big flower garden.

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Hosta 'Sum and Substance' Plants Review

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