Growing hostas in The Woodlands Texas and zone question

I am confused lol........ two maps say The Woodlands TX is in zone 8 and most maps say zone 9..... I am just starting to grow hostas (at age 76 lol) and I have stuck with the zone 9's but I am wondering if I should try zone 8... I would appreciate your help....bj

Wellll, < smiling> you are kinda on the cusp.

Do you have any decent shade ?

The shade could make all the difference,
causing a micro climate.

Welcome to Daves !

(you will probably get some better answers)

I have three or four hostas that have grown fine in Z8 on the SE side of Dallas. No heroic care at all other than mulching well during summer months and throwing some leaves on top of them during the winter months. All get the same care as any other plant in my beds and they probably get no more than an hour of filtered morning sun per day.

bj you would be safer going with the zone 9a I believe for the Woodlands. With the right amount of shade and water I believe they would most of them would do well for you.

Yup Woodlands is its own microclimate, z9 or even z10 plants for Hosta- problem will be pillbugs (roly polies) and slugs. When they built Woodlands they hauled out the old dirt and put in different stuff, so do your soil tests. By the way, those zones are for summer- w/ hi humidity, closer to a summer z8a for winter temps. chuckl. Ummm, and you will prob have moles, and mole crickets along with the standard bugs.

Yep Smockette lives above the woodlands and the moles are horrible.

For snails and pill bugs For natural control, let beds dry out between watering. For an organic control, dust hot red pepper powder around affected plants. Dilute with diatomaceous earth for economy and dust it in the problem area. Coffee grounds on top of mulch also will help. Use anywhere from 2 to 5 pounds of grounds per 1,000 square feet.

Thank you so much for your kind response..... Thank you for the welcome baja blue.. I do have shade tx skeeter, and the tip on the mulch......I did not know about the exchange of soil, Kittriana, I thought it wall all acid pine tree stuff....I will have the tests done..... and Ilovejesus99. the moles are evidently here we find the holes, also the slugs, thanks for the tips....
I have been getting hosta books from the library (2) can you guys tell me what books are helpful..
Thanks again, bj

Kittriana I have been trying to figure out your explanation of the zone thing and I don't think I get it...
I thought it was what would freeze.... would you tell me more....lol thanks bj

Because our weather in The Woodlands fluctuates. The heat gets to a zone 10 in summer, but sometimes winter blows in and you would swear for 3 or 4 days you are in zone 7. It never lasts, it cant be trusted to have a pattern and be measurable. Doubt the cold really gets more than an inch deep in ground. Humidity is best in wintertime, but many times the humidity is higher than the temps in summer. It just Is, but there are hot weather hostas that do well, just not at my house...

Big smile here- this isn't mine- but have toted plants before...

LOL my dear.... my dave the plant hole digger, would have a coronary if I brought that home...lol
Thanks for the info.... It helps me a lot.... to know its heat tolerance as well as cold.... and since I
have lived in Houston, Galveston and The Woodlands I know we sweat (or glisten, as my southern aunt used to say) one day, we freeze the next... Thanks again bj

CORRECTION:

We freeze in the am and "glisten"
(I love that term) by the afternoon !

Actually the zones are for how cold an area gets. It has nothing to do with how hot it gets. I have friends in coastal SoCal that are zone 10a but it rarely gets above 80 but doesn't freeze either. I do think Hostas will do fine, in your microclimate.

Thank you 1lisac..... I was looking at your website and just the other day, we were talking about we wish we could buy the old Kentucky string beans in the grocery stores....lol we used to sit on the front porch and string and snap..... so much better than the blue lake we buy now....or whatever it is...bj

Difference in Woodlands and Galveston - the humidity in Galveston is stickier and the winds always blow, a tad warmer most times in Galveston. Woodlands? No winds except top of the pines, more pollen, still has the deep city heat tho- still in that basin like Galveston. Geography starts changing as you leave north Conroe and start the altitude slight incline. Huntsville is drier and at the altitude that soils do a LOT of changes as well.

Thank you Kittriana you are so right about the pollen, gets on everything, including my nerves lol by the way I just found out about a nursery around Conroe, called The Arbor Gate.... not that far from you and I.... Have you ever been there? I am going to try to go next week, their website looks very interesting.... I would expect they have a lot of Texas Superstars from the Aggies... lol bj

You can grow those Kentucky string beans. That's what I'm growing now. I will start the Asian long beans when the real heat sets in.

The Arbor Gate is very well beloved home to many DG area folks. Plan to spend a loonng time with your lil red wagon enjoyin the sites! Many places there to sit in the shade and lots of help, chuckl. If you are travelin west thru Tomball on 2920 it will be past all those eye catchin shops deep in the farming areas on your left- parking is in the rear and they get security to help point the way. Ummm, stop and get you a tall glass of iced liquad to take with you as well. And a sunbonnet.

I am still planting beans when I get a chance. All I plant are heirlooms, the taste is far superior. The beans we get at the grocery aren't regular Blue Lake either, they are bred to have the ability to handle long storage and shipping, not great taste. We grow several varieties, love the pole beans, and sitting down chatting while we snap them. Memories from my childhood.
Arbor Gate is a great place, was just there Wednesday getting a few replacement plants for those I lost this weird winter. The only staff more helpful are those at the Antique Rose Emporium. I will give this caveat, they don't ask about zones when recommending plants. I have spent a fair amount learning the hard way that some of my gorgeous perennials aren't out here. But they do have a wide variety, and have been known to order oddities. I stay away because my wallet can't take it. Went looking for a red lantana and red Tacoma, both lost to the freak winter. Left with a pink Turks cap, two trailing dichondrias, three red firecracker gomphreas, two russelias, a cool little fern, a variegated Jewels of Opar, and a dark blu/purple agapanthus. Notice something missing? They didn't have the variety of either plant I was looking for but I am tickled with my restraint and the score of that beautiful pink Turks cap. I got some seeds from Marty but they don't seem to have germinated.
As far as zones, I am west of Hempstead and my front yard is a whole lot colder than my back yard, and on those odd years where the temp skates the teens, all bets are off.

Almost Eden has the pink turks cap.

Wow Kittriana you make Arbor Gate sound delicious, and thanks for the advice about bonnets and I will take a container of iced tea...... also thanks for the directions...it will help my dave the hole digger.....(who has warned me that he is retiring June 1st and will not dig another hole until my birthday sept 14th...lol you have made me feel so welcome to this site...I am so happy that I found you guys....bj

Hello Joy, You have given me such food for thought, because I have never heard of a lot of the plants you mentioned.... I have made a list and will be looking them up..... I was thinking of getting some agapanthus since one planted long before I bought this house is blooming and it is so beautiful.... I was just going to get it at Houston lawn and garden..... I actually didn't realize that there were different varieties....... Did you mean that you are planting beans now? (I hope) and where do you get the heirloom seeds.... Thanks bj

Right now they will grow well, you just need to look at mature dates and have deep watering in place like soaker hoses or drip watering. I need to get my purple hull peas in the ground, it is late for all but the bush varieties are usually 50-60 days with a big crop then smaller after that. I have staggered plantings at two week intervals to extend the harvest and pull plants after the big crop. A bean that works well in the humidity and heat is the Manoa Wonder Bush.
Cowpeas and purple hulls take around 70 days so there is enough time for an August crop and on into fall. I love Bakers Creek for my heirlooms, but check with Arbor Gate, ARE, maybe Cornelius, Producers CoOp for packets of seeds quickly this time of year.

http://www.rareseeds.com

Now heirlooms are my preference, but there is nothing wrong with hybrids. They are still superior to what you can buy in the grocery store. I just plan for the zombocalypse so I want seeds that breed true. LOL

ILJ99 - You said

I have lots and lots of pill bugs so I'd like a little clarification, please ma'am.

(1) What are you diluting? Are you basically dusting with both red pepper (order pizza & get extra pepper) AND diatomaceous earth? Or is there a liquid in this picture somewhere?

(2) With coffee grounds on top of mulch, does it matter as to the ph of the underlying soil?

(3) Putting this together, where I already have beds that are mulched but are also occupied by outposts of pill bugs, should I just go straight for the coffee grounds?

Thanks!

Coffee grounds wont bother ph. Cant vouch for the pillbug reception. Cinnamon is touted to repel them as well. If pepper draws ants, i can see the pill bugs vacating... the moles and fireants play that game at the house- if ants are around, moles arent and vice versa....