About Our Hostas

"Starter Hostas (TC)" vs. "Advanced Starters" vs. "Mature Divisions"

We sell 3 different maturities of hostas. Some varieties are available in only one of the three types, others are available in multiple varieties. Here's a description of each type:

Our Starter Hostas (TC) are between 6 months and 2.5 years old and can be up to 1.5 feet tall depending on the variety and time of year. They are guaranteed to be disease-free because they were tested for viruses and foliar nematodes and grown in sterile plant laboratories. Every plant has to start somewhere. Since hosta seed does not produce identical offspring, "tissue culture" (TC) was developed and has been in practice since approximately 1985. Tissue culture plants are mass-produced from the basal cells of the "mother plant" and growing them in a "clean room" laboratory. When they get to a certain size, they are then grown in a disease-free greenhouse in cell trays (each cell is just slightly less than 2x2x2").

They are the same plants, from the same vendors, that most garden centers purchase. The only difference is that the garden centers pot theirs up and grow them for longer to increase the price - we don’t pot ours up which reduces the price you pay for the hosta and shipping. However, our Starter Hostas (TC) and Advanced Starters have good root systems that allow the plant to transplant well into the soil or larger pot with just a little care. If you unfurl the root systems, they are generally about 4-5 inches long and more than sufficient to grow rapidly.

Hostas are very hardy plants. We have tested different sizes and types tissue culture for years by planting them directly in the ground during different times of year in Minnesota climate, and they do very well. These hostas will over-winter well, but like all perennials, we suggest you cover them the first winter to help prevent possible freeze/thaw damage in the spring, which can harm or kill many types of plants. We have been growing these ourselves and also shipping them and our customers rave about them! The Minnesota Hosta Society and other hosta societies have purchased tissue culture plants for their members for years. Tissue Culture hostas are not very fussy and grow well!

Our Advanced Starter hostas are Starter TC that have been placed in a 3x3x4" pot with growing medium to grow. We grow them 1-2 years before we ship them so the potted hosta is generally 2-4 years old. As the pot is deeper and wider, the roots have more space to grow.

Our Mature Divisions are carefully, (usually just by hand – no knives or shovels) removed from mature hosta clumps. The clump is at least four years old and sometimes up to 13 years old. The soil is washed off the roots before we wrap them in wet newspaper, place a label inside of a rubber band, and carefully package and ship the plant in an appropriate box. The divisions we sell have older root systems, at least one shoot and often additional dormant bud eyes that will form new divisions the following season.

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