Well here goes nothin...
Posted: Jun 09, 2005 7:00 am
I found out yesterday that the Langeveld salesman is coming in today to start working on next years perennial order. When he stopped in a few weeks ago, I hit him with HVX. It was a total surprise to him, he had no idea what it was. So I spent time last night compliling a folder with all of Chris' info and lots of pics etc, to have ready to hand him when he comes in. Actually I made two of them, one he can take over to the wholesale division with him when he goes to visit them. I'm in quite a dilemmna here. The garden center where I work, buys quite a bit in from the nursery, more nursery stock than anything but they do get in hostas from the nursery when our own stock is gone. I have walked thru a few patches of their 2 yr old potted hostas and wasn't happy with what I saw. Lots of frost damage to be sure but was truly upset when I pulled the virused striptease out of the middle of a block of Patriots. I never even got to last years plants or what they got in this year. I did inform them about the Striptease and actually brought the plant back to the garden center to show my bosses what the disease looks like. They truly do not understand the scope of this problem. Most likely because the sheer amount of plants they would have to destroy just to keep from passing along the HVX. They certainly are not going to listen to 'me'. It's going to take a state offical or salesmen actually taking responsibility for what they sell and requesting that it be destroyed before the nursery actually does something. So the best I can do at this point is to keep passing along this information to whoever will take the time to read it. I do not actively try to sell any hosta and do not put them into any landscape designs. Best I can do at this point.
At least Chris and Brian had the courage to face what is going on, take the hit, and prepare for the next few years with clean stock. Takes guts to do that. And thanks for doing that!
I also contacted a place in Indiana called Agdia, which does Elisa testing. Fairly pricey however. If there's a cheaper place, I'd like to find it. The U of I plant clinic does not do HVX testing.
Sorry for the rambling. Just gets to me somedays!!
mooie
At least Chris and Brian had the courage to face what is going on, take the hit, and prepare for the next few years with clean stock. Takes guts to do that. And thanks for doing that!
I also contacted a place in Indiana called Agdia, which does Elisa testing. Fairly pricey however. If there's a cheaper place, I'd like to find it. The U of I plant clinic does not do HVX testing.
Sorry for the rambling. Just gets to me somedays!!
mooie