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How to ship bareroot Hostas?

16 years ago

Hello everyone,

I bought many varieties of Hosta at the local Costco store and I want to share with my friend. What would be the best way to pack Hostas for shipping? Also, my friend might not be able to plant them right away. Can I pack them so she will be able to store them in the same package for some time?

One more question. Some of bareroot Hostas have ghostly white leaves. Should I cut them off?

I know that many of you received you Hostas from mail order companies. Please share your experience with me.

Thanks in advance,

Alina.

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Comments (2)

caliloo
16 years ago
First - do not cut off any leaves. When the light hits them they will green up.

Second - see the link for packing and shipping instructions.

Third - be aware that many hostas from big box stores are mismarked and many are infected with Hosta Virus X (HVX). Plant them well away from any hostas you might already have.

Fourth - if they can't be planted immediately because of frost concerns, I would pot them and leave them in a protected area or worst case - put them outside on days that are nice and back in the garage or house overnight.

Mail ordering is a wonderful way to get plants when you are ordering from a reputable supplier (Hallson's, Naylor Creek, In The Country, etc). They ship excellet quality plants that are properly packed. If you are trading or shipping to friends, use the instructions in the link and they should be just fine.

Here is a link that might be useful: shipping instructions
alina_1
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks Caliloo, that is what I thought. I received many other bareroot plants packed this way. Excellent tutorial!My only concern was that plastic will not allow roots to "breathe". I guess for a short period of time it is OK.
I am aware of HVX. I potted my bareroot babies with these whitish leaves on them. I will watch for HVX signs before I'll plant them in the garden. BTW, can HVX be dormant for a while? For how long should I wait before introducing new plants to the garden?

Thanks again,
Alina.
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Let me just add that I've been buying Hostas from Costco for the last few years and last year almost all the varieties I bought were HVX infected. I had no trouble getting a refund. When I saw the displays go up again this year I dug through the assortment to see what I didn't have yet and would make a good addition the my modest but growing collection. So, right now I have 4 'Eskimo Pie' potted up in #1's and 3 of the 4 have started unfurling, so I should have an inkling in about another month or so whether these are possibly infected or not. I'll have to wait another year at least though before I feel a little more comfortable giving them a clean bill of health.
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