HVX at Walmart already....

[eastwood2007]

On Saturday I saw "Golden Tiaras" at Walmart with HVX....I wonder if there is any way to get word to their buyers?

[Pieter]

Charla, all you can do is try. First step would be to go to the department manager with some printed literature in hand and point out the problem to him/her, next would be to contact the national seasonal plant buyer and bring it to the next level's attention. With large box stores seasonal items of this nature may very well be contracted on a national level, with orders shipped from a very select number of locations to the store level in your area. Then again, they may allow the local buyer the latitude to obtain these supplies locally. Start locally and see where it takes you.

I had an experience last year with Costco's bare root stock Hostas and while the local store quickly refunded me my money, when I finally was able to get a response from the national buyer I was told they EXPECT and accept a 10% HVX infection rate. Part of doing business for them I suppose. Complain, and they'll deal with your individual situation quickly. If you're part of the great unwashed unfortunately, they just made money off you and you're never really any wiser. You may wonder why your Hosta looks funny, but if it comes back larger next year, hey, it's growing and it looks unusual.

All any of us can do is bring to other's attention, both at the retail level as well as when you spot them in someone's yard. When you spot it at retail, bring it to their attention and if you see no action has been taken when you next visit, it would be quite appropriate I feel to bring it to their attention once more with the indication you will not shop there any longer for plants, any plants, and will ask all your friends, neighbours and acquaintences to do the same until such time as they recognize it for what it is: a DISEASE, and nurseries should not be knowingly selling diseased plant material; seems to me that might very well be part of their licensing/certification.

I feel that as Hosta afficionados/breeders/collectors/connoisseurs we can make a loosely knit group that takes it upon itself to try and do something about this. Sitting on your hands and pretending it isn't your problem will not make it go away and it is gratifying indeed to see posts from others with the same concerns about this blight upon the genus of our collective fixation/neurosis and will go to the effort of getting the word out....GO TEAM GO!!!

[roflol]

Hello!

Before I joined any gardening forums, I bought some hosta last summer at Wal-Mart: Gold Standard, Francee, and So Sweet. They suffered more slug damage than I cared to see any other plants endure, so this winter I got seeds from Frances Williams and another unknown thick-leaved variety in hopes that the results would give me some slug resistant hostas to enjoy.

The seedlings from FW came up in their cozy milk jug and didn't flinch from the freeze, but the hostas in the ground flinched big time - mostly So Sweet and Francee which were quite the mush balls; Gold Standard suffered the least and has leafed out fairly well so far.

So then I "discover" the raging scourge of HVX and I wonder if I should quit while I'm ahead! The three types of hosta I bought from Wal-Mart in 2006 are in the top Not Recommended To Buy list, and now it seems seed can be infected as well. Meh.

I looked at the pictures in the HVX Halls of Infamy (much appreciated). Then I took a good close look at the hosta in the ground today, and I have questions.

Remembering that they suffered a lot of damage from the freeze, there was a lot of puckering and shriveling on the GSs and even on the SSs; the Francees are still trying to pull out, and I think the snails have already been snacking on everything. *However*, I did not see any color bleeding or mottling as the pictures showed, and the puckering was on some leaves, not all. I pulled off the bad leaves to avoid mold problems (no cutting, so I would presume I didn't contaminate anything if one or more does have it and others don't).

When HVX becomes symptomatic, is it on all leaves or can it just be some, and if there is just puckering and shriveled leaves without the color changes could it be just freeze damage?

And how likely would you expect seed from Frances Williams or Abiqua Drinking Gourd (if I should happen to get some) to be infected?

Thanks in advance.

Terri in Missouri, ADF zone 6, USDA zone 5a/b

[eastwood2007]

Hi, Terri in Missouri! Welcome to the forums! I am certainly not an expert on HVX, but I can answer a few of your questions.

First of all, I would think any hosta you got at Walmart last year would be highly suspect for HVX. I have seen so much HVX at Walmarts that I don't even like to get physically close to their hostas. I'm sorry...I am sure that isn't what you wanted to hear...

Next, frost and freezing can cause puckering and spots on hostas. As you pull pieces off them to clean them up from the damage, if you don't disinfect your hands/gloves between each plant, you can transmit HVX. Some hostas can take 5 or more years to show HVX infection. The virus can be visible on just one or two leaves to start with...or they can be infected and not show any signs for a long time.

Regarding HVX being transmitted in seed in Frances Williams and Abiqua Drinking Gourd...I think we have to assume that the guidelines are the same as for adult plants, in that you have to be careful from whom and from where you acquire the seeds. Secondly, most of the time, seeds from FW and ADG will not produce offspring that look identical to the parents, but they may carry some of the same characteristics. Most of the time what you will get are all green seedlings. Nothing wrong with that as long as you like green! I have some Frances Williams and Abiqua Drinking Gourd seeds off my hostas that I can be relatively certain are HVX free if you would like them. I planted some and got great germination...and lots of green seedlings.

What I might recommend though, in addition, is researching some of the old-time favorite hostas that have slug resistance (or there are products that can protect your hostas from slugs) or other characteristics you like, and purchase them from reputable sources, such as Chris and Brian here at Hallson's. I say old-time favorites as the prices are way down on some that have been on the market for a long time and they are good, sturdy growers.

HVX is a formidable foe, so I would invite you to study and research so that you are well acquainted with its habits. And, please, please, don't give up on hostas yet! The reward is well worth the effort!

Hope this helps...just pm me if you would like me to mail you those seeds. You are welcome to them. They have a very high germination rate, so they would be fun to practice on anyway!

[roflol]

Thanks for responding, Charla! (turning chair approximately west and waving to my practically-neighbor).

I'm aware that hostas are hybrids and the seeds can produce surprises. I am just hoping they are thick, slug-resistant surprises as I am tired of my garden serving as the local Sluggy Sonic.

I am gardening on a tight budget, and this seemed like a good option at the time. I received the seeds of FW from a vet hosta trader on GWeb. The other batch (which I collected on my own and has not come up yet so who knows) was from an old garden at my church.

Pieter posted a recent picture of his frost/freeze damaged Guacamole that shows exactly the kind of puckering I saw on my plants today, so I am holding out hope that that's all it is.

I actually found out about HVX because I was going to move the hosta to a shadier spot since Gold Standard seemed to burn a few times last summer, and when I learned about the HVX I thought I would pot up the hosta. Now I find there are perils associated with that as well, and it seems like more work than I'm willing to do.

I think what I will do now is interplant some taller things with these Wal-Mart hosta to shade them, and give them more time to either survive and/or show signs of HVX. The ones I grow from seed shall go in the deeper shade area once they're big enough (BTW, how big *is* big enough?).

I will PM you for details about the ABG seeds, I would be most grateful to send an SASBE for them.

[Liselotte]

Does anyone know about SHARMON?
Last fall my daughter-in-law showed me her new price Hosta. Since it was late fall in Illinois and the leaves were yellow, it still looked like Striptease to me. But DD said no, she still had the label which said: H.fortunei 'Sharmon' (from de Groot, Coloma MI) DD bought it at a discount store, can't remember which one. Frankly, even with the yellowing leaves, it looked suspicious. I told her back then, not to touch it and wait until spring. If it looked suspicious, to put in in the trash.
Anyway, I better ask her about it because she has some beautiful older Hostas in that bed.

[eastwood2007]

I had gotten Sharmon in a 5 pack from Walmart in 2005. Had them potted and around all my other hostas...all before I learned about HVX. They showed no signs until last fall...then they did manifest the green speckles. Out they went! Sharmon seems to change colors, and I wondered if that could be part of it, but I don't think so. I watched them for a couple more weeks before I pitched them, but the spots kept expanding. They started out as just dark green speckles on the veins. I would certainly be suspicious if she got it at one of the box stores....