Wal-Mart Pays no attention.

Bluecanoe · Post by **Bluecanoe** » Jun 01, 2005 3:53 am

About a month ago when our local Wal-Mart opened up their nursery department for the spring I was browsing through looking for some outdoor pots. I saw they had recieved several shelves full of potted hostas so I went over to check what they had. Low and behold I spotted at least 20 Gold Standards so infected with Virus X that even I could tell at first glance, they looked like they had the 'blue measles'!! I altered the clerk working in the shop and he took me seriously and took the plants off the shelf, but then told me he was going to alert his boss. 15 minutes later he came back, badly infected plant in hand and started to put them all back on the shelf, I asked what happened, he said his manager said I didn't know what I was talking about and ordered him to put them all back up for sale. So there you have it. As long as places like Wal-Mart etc. are selling these plants, there's not much hope of someone not getting their garden infected. Sad, but true!

Lynda

caliloo · Post by **caliloo** » Jun 01, 2005 5:38 am

Sorry, but I think you gave up too easily. You should have asked to speak to the manager directly, not just relay the info through an employee.

I keep the Hosta Journal that has the article on HVX in my truck all the time and usually have a couple of photo copies of the article I can give to managers. When they see that I am serious and have documentation to back it up, I am not questioned and have had many managers (both box stores and indie nurseries) thank me for passing along the information.

Alexa

kHT · Post by **kHT** » Jun 01, 2005 9:35 am

caliloo is right in handling this the way she does and am email directly to Wally's corp. offices should be sent with information on the location where these were.

Bluecanoe · Post by **Bluecanoe** » Jun 02, 2005 1:44 am

Yes, I stand corrected. I went back today and not only did Gold Standard have Virus X, but every other hosta on their shelves. First Krossa Regal I've ever seen totally infected.
I'm going back tomorrow armed with printed material DH is getting ready for me to talk to the manager. Then I'm heading over to Canadian Tire and hitting them with printed articles if I see anything in their stock, last year they were selling infected Striptease.

Post by **Chris_W** » Jun 02, 2005 9:09 am

Did the Regal Splendor look anything like the pictures in Pia's new post? That sure is an odd looking leaf...

Bluecanoe · Post by **Bluecanoe** » Jun 02, 2005 11:26 am

Chris, I'm going to check Pia's post, but I assure you, I saw infected Regal Splendor's last year, Canadian Tire had them along with those infected Striptease.

Bluecanoe · Post by **Bluecanoe** » Jun 02, 2005 11:31 am

Yes Chris, I just saw Pia's post, and the Krossa Regal looked just like that. Plus the Regal Splendor's I saw at Canadian Tire last year. I wasn't too 'up' on Virus X last summer, plant just looked sick so I didn't buy any of them.

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Jun 05, 2005 10:17 am

Alexa, thanks for the suggestion of carrying the Hosta Journal (Volume 35, Number 3). After the looks of disbelief I've seen this week, that's a great idea.