My boyfriend works alot, and before I moved in, my neighbor would care for this large and once well-loved plant.
I'm no gardener, but I also didn't know that she used to care for it!
It's leaves are badly eaten up and turning brown, so she doesn't know how to repair the damage.
Looking up images of elephant ears, colcasia, and alocasia (many species!) hasn't given me a perfect match, so whom do I turn to to find out the species, whether it's hosta or a bulb plant that we can dig up, etc.?
2007-09-12 09:39:10 · 4 answers · asked by starryeyed 6 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Holy - it IS Sum and Substance!
Thanks.
Now how to restore it?
2007-09-12 10:10:08 · update #1
OK, did some more looking- there are many that LOOK like sum and substance?
But this plant has the very golden green color in the sunny area, the burning of leaves from sun (i think) and the tall stalks of purple flowers in July/Aug.
2007-09-12 10:24:10 · update #2
Sum and Substance is a popular hosta sold in many places including Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Lowe's, Meijers...just to name a few.
If it is Sum and Substance though, that particular hosta is slug resistant and thus it should not be getting too much difficulty from those little pests.
Your suggestion that it may be sun damage though could be causing what is called "meltout" in hosta. It makes the leaves look like they've been eaten and turning brown.
Typically though, meltout affects white-centered hosta that have been receiving direct sunlight for several weeks. The center of the leaves lighten, dry out and turn brown and then fall out by mid to late summer.
If this is what is occurring, cut back the affected foliage and move the plant(s) to a shadier, more protected site.
If this is not what is occurring, it may be foliar nematodes. These are microscopic worms that feed on leaf tissue. Sadly the best way to take care of these pests is to destroy any infected plants.
*~ Good luck ~*
2007-09-12 14:05:28 · answer #1 · answered by rmonarch 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Google it. You will find out the exact name when Google gives you a site to go to. It sounds like a Hosta tho.
2007-09-12 09:54:16 · answer #2 · answered by Sharon S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wait until next year to panic, it's just going dormant for winter. In the spring I would give it a little fertilizer, it should be a darker green. One word on Sum and Substance, its my slugs favorite salad green. RScott
2007-09-12 11:07:00 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
could it be Hosta 'Sum and Substance'?.... one of my faves...
http://images.google.com/images?q=hosta+sum+and+substance&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi
2007-09-12 09:59:30 · answer #4 · answered by meanolmaw 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋