Latest reviews about Hosta Sum and Substance Plants

Nurseatty says "Cannot have a garden without them!" about Hosta Sum and Substance Plants

Nurseatty — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:37:48 GMT

If you live in a reasonably cool climate - not the hot sticky south or ovenlike west, you can grow gorgeous Hostas. Ask friends to share a plant or two because Hostas are always very expensive at nursery and garden stores. That seems odd because they are so easy to grow and can be divided over and over. My trick to having many hostas is to cut back the flower stems before they bloom so the plant puts its efforts into growing bigger - thus providing more plants. Dividing them needs to be done either when they first pop out of the ground in the spring (for the larger varieties) or before August when most plants start to become less vibrant. When dividing a mature plant, I usually use a machete to chop them into 2 ot four pieces, including some roots with each piece. Drop the divisions into well dug holes and water well. In New England where I live, most hostas will do fine in semi shade - some even thrive in full sun. In other areas, they prefer mostly shade and really prefer......

litehouselady-pk64 says "a hearty plant that is real easy to care for." about Hosta Sum and Substance Plants

litehouselady-pk64 — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:21:57 GMT

I like to grow Hastas they are easy to manage and they are colorfull too. They can grow in the sun and shade but they need and love water if in the sun most of the time. They need pruning if they get too bushy or they take over your whole garden. The only part i don't care for are the unwanted bugs they attract to my garden. I also use a deer repelant, they seem to be tolerant of that. They also are budget friendly and that is good for the budget concious gardener. They are also compatable with most other plants and are good for adding a little something to a somewhat plain garden too....

chelseygato says "Hardy for the whole family" about Hosta Sum and Substance Plants

chelseygato — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:29:18 GMT

Hosta 'Sum and Substance' Plants are some of the easiest and most enjoyable plants to have in a garden. I am almost embarrassed to say how mine grew. I have grown tomatoes, jalepenos, bell peppers,habaneros, pumpkins, and even corn. The hostas were given to me by a neighbor in her 80's and I expected them to just disappear when I planted them. While my lilies bloom and die within days, the hostas bloom first and are there months later, still quite vivid green and rain is the only water they get except 4-5 times when a kiidie pool gets dumped out. They literally take care of themselves, and have done so for the past four years.

I gave them an outstanding because they keep their color a long time and my neighbor told me they were inexpensive and refused to say how much because they were a gift to me. One drawback is that my daughter's school beans did not grow and were planted within close proximity to the hostas.
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MasterGardenerGirl says "Hosta's are great even for black thumbs" about Hosta Sum and Substance Plants

MasterGardenerGirl — Thu, 29 May 2008 23:57:15 GMT

I love Hosta's. It is the one plant that is absolutely hard to kill. The only way to kill it is to dig it up and leave it out of contact of the soil or put weed killer on it. Otherwise, you have an excellent hardy plant that will fit anywhere in the landscape. Hosta's recover nicely from hard frosts too. They are easy to propagate and move around. Everyone should own at least one of these. They don't require a lot of fuss, no fertilizer or watering required when planted in the landscape. I plant them in small clumps and then every 4 to 5 years, I dig them up, propagate and sell them at my local farmers market. This is the one and only plant my sister can grow!...

AWESOMEMOM88 says "Another "you can't kill it" selection" about Hosta Sum and Substance Plants

AWESOMEMOM88 — Sun, 25 May 2008 05:06:23 GMT

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......

twoshepherdshavewe says "I never had any "good" experience with Hostas in the sun." about Hosta Sum and Substance Plants

twoshepherdshavewe — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:38:57 GMT

Last year we had to have a large tree cut down, which was my mainstay for shade in the front yard. I had four large hostas in that area and was able to dig them up and transplant. My favorite was a "blueboy" that was fantastic. I dug it up (hated to) and divided it into five plants and put in a shaded area. I can hardly believe how beautiful they look this spring. I believe in having other plants around the hosta, because it can be boring by itself. If you read this and are new to planting hostas, beware of slugs. If you see holes in the leaves, particularly large, you know an unwanted visitor is in your garden....

lyrak100 says "great for those "black thumbs"" about Hosta Sum and Substance Plants

lyrak100 — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:13:55 GMT

I give hostas to all my friends that can't grow dirt. They are very hardy even as indoor plants.They come in hundreds of varieties and are good in sun to full shade.They can really liven a dull area. I filled in under my front treeline and bordered my flower beds.You will love at least one or two of these varieties of hostas....

ShaunaMarie says "GIANT Hosta.....I love it!!" about Hosta Sum and Substance Plants

ShaunaMarie — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:45:54 GMT

Sum and Substance is a classified as a GIANT hosta. It can grow up to 3 feet tall and up to 7 feet wide. The plant's foliage is bright chartreuse with a golden glow in higher light locations, making it an excellent option for brightening shady corners.

Hostas, of any kind, love water. They are native to Korea and other such tropical areas. Be sure to keep him hydrated.

Mid summer flowers are light purple and carried on 3 foot stems. The American Hosta Society's Hosta of the Year in 2004.

Any medium to large garden ought to have at leave one of the Giant Hostas. They are beautiful and very easy to manage. Not to metion that once yours gets established....split the root (or rhizome) and have more for your garden, or some to share.

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Hostalover says "A "must have" for the collector." about Hosta Sum and Substance Plants

Hostalover — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:16:11 GMT

When I rented apartments, my landlords always allowed me to garden. I became an expert in high sun plants. When I purchased my home, I found a beautiful property with almost no place to put all of my sun-loving favorites. With some help from a few magazine pictures, I am now fully impassioned to create the landscape of my dreams using as many hosta varieties as possible. Sum and Substance, the 2004 American Hosta Growers Society hosta of the year, maintains it's beautiful chartreuse color (in my garden) for the entire season. It's large and grows fairly quickly. It is giving us ground cover, privacy, and is helping to curb erosion on the hill where it lives. I have had no problems with slugs or deer (so far). If you are a hosta or shade novice, you can try this one for a reasonable price, and find it almost anywhere from spring to fall. It can be planted at any time, but fall is best (when you get the best prices, too). If you can't find one in a store, try eBay. I've gotten...

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Russ says "A big bright hosta that will grab your attention." about Hosta Sum and Substance Plants

Russ — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 01:33:32 GMT

Sum and Substance is a really big hosta. As in 2-3 feet tall, 5-6 feet wide. It is a bright chartreuse color, that may fade to goldish later in the year, but either color will grab your eye from a long way off. Sum and Substance is fairly sun tolerant, in my experience. I have seen them thrive in places I would never have thought to put a hosta. Now I'm the last one to think we have shortage of sun loving plants, such that we need to move shade plants to the sun, but if the unique color/texture/size combination looks like the exact ticket for your plan, give it a shot in the sun.

It's a good plant to bring a bright splash of color to a shady area, or to set off plants with darker foliage.

Hosta caveat- Slugs and deer both love hostas. Slugs can be handled (read my review of Dead Line.) If you have a deer problem, fuggedaboudit! (If you have a solution for deer THAT ACTUALLY WORKS, let me know.)

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