suspicious

Pieter · Post by **Pieter** » Jun 08, 2006 9:28 am

After my experience with HVX infected bare roots from Costco this year, I have been keeping a very close eye on the Sum & Substance which came from the same source 4 years ago. The smallest of the 4 I had gave me cause to do numerous double takes last year, but I never really felt sure about it. Here's that same crown this year and there are bumps I do not trust, the ones below. The Guacamole's bumps aren't raised quite as much, but again, I don't like what I see.

Sad thing is I transfered one of the plants 2 years ago and in my ignorance of HVX at that time I most likely will have transfered the virus to a number of other plants I transplanted at the same time, the spots on the Hyacinthina also give me cause for concern.

No doubt people more learned than me will pipe up with their input and comments and I'm rather afraid that by day's end I'll find myself ripping out my S&S after supper tonight.

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Jun 08, 2006 12:27 pm

Interested to see what Chris has to say from these close ups. I'm not one to even comment on whether it is or not, but like to see the results from the specialists on what to watch for.

Jmho, but Guac & S&S look to me like environmental stuff going on.

But the Hya looks suspicous be/c of the blue in the vein.

I most likely shouldn't even be commenting, b/c I am by far as 'ignorant' as the majority are on this. So I'll watch for the experts opinions!

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Jun 08, 2006 8:59 pm

Pieter,
I hope at least some of these will be okay. I'm no good at spotting subtle changes either. It's got to be pretty obvious bluish bleeds between the veins for me to definitely say it's HVX. I'll be on the look out for Chris' opinion too.
I know that I have become suspicious of all of my hostas lately and I'm not sure if I really am seeing signs, or if my imagination is seeing them.

Good luck with those!

Post by **Chris_W** » Jun 08, 2006 11:12 pm

Hi Pieter,

It's great that you are keeping an eye out, and remember to keep tools clean when contacting plants.

I don't see anything in your closeups of Sum and Substance or Guacamole that looks like HVX. The spots on Hyacinthina are odd, but they don't really look like HVX and I don't see anything else on that leaf to lead me to believe this is caused by HVX. If these things expand, travel along the veins, or spread to other leaves then you might have a problem, but for now it seems that these spots are too uniform to be a virus. Did you spray anything recently, or spread anything? Tiny water droplets of chemicals or fertilizer can sometimes burn uniform spots, and the fortunei plants are really fertilizer sensitive so can burn easily.

Still, keep a watchful eye and be careful when cutting things.

Good luck!

Chris

Pieter · Post by **Pieter** » Jun 09, 2006 1:35 am

Thanks for your response, Chris. Perhaps I'm just a little touchy and overly cautious about viral expression signs. My mind wanders and I wonder whenever I see something on any of my remaining Hostas and feel just a little more comforted now in the knowledge that what I'm looking at is nothing to be really too concerned about.

Thanks again.