One of the reasons not to by from big box stores is because they may have virus. Another is that you don't necessarily get the plant that is labeled. Don't despair, just pot up the hostas that are from the BB stores and keep them out of your garden soil. I would keep them for 3 years in pots before planting them out. If they show signs of infection, throw the whole deal out, plant, pot and soil. If you get one plant infected, then you should probably throw the whole mess out and start again from scratch. But your plants may be fine. I bought a Francis Williams from Home Depot last year and I tested it. It tested fine.

Oh, and don't worry about the lists. Those are old. The fact is that all plants can be infected. It's just that those plants that were being propagated by growers with unclean tools showed up first as being infected. Some, like Sum and Substance, showed up first because they were so popular.

More and more growers are getting educated about this problem and we are seeing less disease than before. Still you need to buy from reputable growers using sanitary propagation methods to be sure. So pot up what you've got and keep them separate from the known healthy plants that you will buy in future.

Steve

The hosta virus is a great concern for all hosta growers. With that in mind relax and enjoy your plants until, if, or when you might discover that you have an infected plant. The virus will not kill your hosta and if you NEVER plan to share plants with others then you have the choice of removing it or leaving it.

If you remove the plant then you should not replant another hosta in that space for a couple of years until all the roots left in the ground have died. Soaking your tools in bleach water and scrubing them well will take care of any sap left by removing it.

Most of us have had an infected plant and are shaken by the experience but that too passes and you go on.

The last word is to enjoy your hostas wherever you got them from!!!

Connie

ah pshaw ...

you were happy.. why not now..

you read up on it.. you should be able to find/see it .. IF IT ACTUALLY EVER HAPPENS.. and you throw that pot away .. so what.. room for more ... and then you can move up from the common ones.. and get them from a reputable seller ...

please dont go the chicken little route on us ... we need you ...

the key here.. is you are growing in pots .. just clean your tools between pots .. and you will be all set ...

absolutely ANY PLANT YOU GROW ... has diseases or bugs endemic to it .. does that mean you will grow nothing????

relax.. life is too short ... good luck ... oooohhhhmmmmmm

ken

It's too soon to tell anything from Twilight and Minuteman isn't up yet but here's what I'm seeing.

Gold Standard mottled coloring

Warwick Essence bumpy areas. Maybe bugs? This one did the worst for me. I didn't think it would come back this year.

Bright Lights weird raised area parallel to veins

Bright Lights new leaves. The picture didn't come out very good so I don't even know if it's anything.

Halcyon - the leaf to the left had discoloration on it but I wiped it off with my thumb, that's what that different color on the bottom is. The right leaf I hadn't touched. I see discoloration and some bumps.

Halcyon new leaves

they all look normal to me ....

a little off color like just about all 1500 of mine when they pop out of the ground..

might be a little cold damage there ...

IN MY OPINION .. at least let them leaf out completely ... temps warm.. color gets normal.. THEN lets see what look out of the ordinary ...

gold standard looks like it was nipped by frost ... right now ...

Warwick Essence with the three injuries just in front of your fingers.. looks like it got folded over ...

halcyon.. since the damage is entirely on one side.. frost damage ... when that part of the leaf was rolled around all the others ...

otherwise.. your paranoia rules...

relaxxxxxxx....

ken

Hi there,

The list I put up in 2009 that was referenced above is a pretty new update. Yes, the "lists" are severely outdated, but there are some that you should still never buy at a box store, and I would avoid anything in bags, so that's why I put up an updated list on the forum.

Halcyon, Minuteman, and Patriot (and their relatives) are some of the worst. These can carry the virus without showing symptoms and most from the Dutch (like those in bags) are still showing up infected. Golden Tiara from bags or cheap sources is another I would avoid. I've also encountered very nice looking El Nino and First Frost that were well grown, appeared healthy, but were still carrying the virus.

The main thing to do, and it is good practice for all of us, it to simply wash your hands and use disinfecting wipes on all our tools, such as scissors, knives, shovels, etc., after working with hostas.

From those picture above I don't like the looks of the Gold Standard or the Warwick Essence. The Gold Standard does not look healthy at all. Warwick Essence is showing some strange bumping on that back leaf that does not look normal, even for a plant that is struggling. I don't see any real problems with Bright Lights and I don't really see anything wrong with Halcyon, but like I mentioned, that one doesn't show symptoms.

Since HVX is predominantly a human spread virus, and not as bad as other viruses out there, follow my guide that I abbreviate DAD and you should be pretty safe: 1) Destroy any infected plants you have that you know for certain. There is no reason to keep infected plants around, plus who knows what might happen to them once future hosta generations get ahold of them. 2) Avoid too much contact with all of your hostas, and 3) Disinfect your hands and tools after ever time we divide, prune, plant, transplant, or work around our hostas.

But don't let it discourage you. Buy from reputable sources (please don't buy that crap in a bag, no matter how tempting), keep asking questions, and learn all you can.

Hope that helps.

Chris

Hi,

Sorry you're having this dilemma. You may not have any problems with the plants, just pot 'em up and go on down the road. Just wait and see.

That list Chris made doesn't mean by any stretch of the imagination that all of that variety is diseased. That's just his warning to look at those varieties closely when you buy them and be sure of your source. He sells many of the varieties he named.

This is my experience with hosta from Sam's. (I bought some in 2010. I was there, It was there and was calling to me. It was a variety that I wanted, so I bought it. And, yes, I knew better) The box cost $10 to $12. It said it contained 5 Guacomole and 5 Francis Williams. I put all 5 in one pot since they were so small. The guacomole did ok. Only three of the Francis Williams ever came up. The squirrels did in two of the three FW.

In 2009, I bought several hosta from a specialty grower. I think I paid $7.00 for So Sweet. I might have paid $10.00 for Night before Christmas and for Blue Angel (+ freight).

This is Guacomole from Sam's a year later (in a 10 inch pot)
{{gwi:959268}}

This is the Francis Williams from Sams' a year later (in a 10" pot)
{{gwi:959270}}

This is So Sweet from a hosta grower a year later (in a 12" pot)
{{gwi:949965}}

This is blue angel from a hosta grower a year later (in a 14" pot)
{{gwi:959272}}

The good growers aren't really that expensive, when you compare apples and apples. That grower has Guacomole for $10.00. Had I bought it from him last year, my guacomole would have been a nice plant by now - well on it's way to greatness. The one I have will take at least another year, maybe two, to be a nice plant. (Hopefully, it's not diseased) Also remember, there are 5 plants in that Guacomole pot.

At a nice nursery in town last week, they had VERY common varieties of hosta for $9.99. That's not cheap. (we're talking undulatas) I'm like you, in zone 8, so our local nurseries don't have much, if any, selection of hosta.

There are tons of nice classic hosta that aren't that expensive from the good growers. Also, before choosing hosta, find out what will do well for you in zone 8. Some will do lots better than others. Also, some are great growers and some are kind of picky and slow. Ask questions so that you know which is which. That way, you will be spending your hosta dollar on great plants. You will get great value from the professional hosta growers.

People here are really generous with their knowledge. Plus, there's the hostalibrary.com where you can look up the plants to see what they look like. You can read about them on myhosta.com and myhosta.be. Tony Avent at Plants Delights Nursery out of SC has a list of hosta that do well in warmer areas. The Dallas Arboretum has done some hosta trials (zone 8a), so had made some recommendations.

All you need are some great plants and you'll be hooked in no time.

Good Luck

Bkay

This is my neighbor's Night before Christmas (taken last week) that was purchased in 2009. ($10.00)

{{gwi:959274}}

Constantly worrying about HVX in the way that you are is going to kill all of the emjoyment of growing hostas. It is the same as if you constantly worried that you are going to catch a cold or the flu. Sometimes it happens sometimes it doesn't but if that is all you think about all of the time, how can you enjoy life?

Everyone should be educated in HVX if they are into hostas but don't let it ruin the experience for you. Just be aware. Hostas can show signs of damage from all sorts of things as was already mentioned. A twig can fall from a tree and make a mark on a hosta leaf. This does not mean that the mark is from HVX. If you brush up against a hosta a little too roughly you can cause a blemish. A bird or a squirrel can damage a leaf. Hail can do a tremendous amount of damage.

It is good that you are concerned but don't go overboard and let it ruin your enjoyment of the plants. Be observant and remember things. Learn what frost damage looks like, desiccation damage, stepped on or crushed pip damage, sunburn damage, vole damage, rabbit or deer damage, insect damage, slug damage. Nine times out of ten things are usually good but once in awhile you just have to deal with a problem if it arises.

Enjoy your hostas. That is what they are for.

I agree with franknjim.
If you are constantly worried about what disease, pest, storm, twig, etc is going to ravage your garden, you diminish your enjoyment.

You can take steps to help prevent pests by being proactive about applying deterrents. Weather is weather.

HVX is almost inevitable if you're going to choose to purchase hosta from less-than-reputable sources. I've been at this for 5 years now. And I can tell you from experience that most of the HVX'd plants I've removed have been from those less-than-reputable sources, like big box stores. I will not purchase bagged hostas. PERIOD. I'm just not willing to take that risk. I'd rather spend $10 from a reputable source for 1 good plant than $3 from a less-than-reputable source for 3.

Just my .02.

HVX is NOT the end of the world if you take proper precautions for removal and properly sanitize tools. The wildcard that was discussed at the 2010 Hosta Convention is that we now know the virus could potentially stay in the soil for more than 18 months. So, unless you're willing to plant something other than hosta in the "infected" hole, you're taking risks with the new plant. There's risk in everything, you just have to decide how much risk YOU are willing to take.

All this is news to me. We moved to SC 3 years ago and I happily have bought a half dozen hostas since then from Lowes and just plopped them in the ground. I'm hoping to add to the shade bed but now I wonder. Where exactly does one go to get "good" plants?

I agree- don't stress yourself out because it will just kill all the enjoyment and take years off your life! I've been there, with the stress. I lost two hosta so far to HVX and each Spring I cast a wary eye around the garden, waiting for more cases to pop up. It happens.

I used to fear HVX the most, then came nematodes, which are worse to me, because of the way they spread- I feel confident I can keep HVX from contaminating the rest of my garden because I use good garden hygiene with tools and gloves. Nematodes, not so easy.

Then came hail which made the entire garden look real, real ugly last year, a total buzzkill and made me totally want to give up on the whole thing.

But the cherry on top had to be the introduction of voles, eating away ALL the roots under about a dozen plants before I knew what was happening...I thought they were just going dormant.

So, it's always going to be something, I'm afraid. Last year was horrible for me, yet here I sit, eagerly awaiting the new beginning each season brings.

Ellen, many growers that specialize in hosta sell online, and they are well versed on HVX and take steps to prevent it. I have seen obvious cases of HVX at virtually every local plant nursery around here. Usually the owner/staff have no idea what HVX is if you point it out to them. The big box stores are notorious for having infected stock and being clueless about it, but as mentioned, it's basically a risk anywhere. Buying from a place like Hallson's at least cuts that risk way down.

I agree with the others i,ehhem have bought from Box stores and have been very lucky. I have all the plants on the list and no virus ever. SO , never not grow a hosta for fear of it being i'll. Just keep new plants to an area of their own , give em time to live large or die young and enjoy em while ya got em. may only be a couple years or decades, but really isn't that the way it is even with no sickness

Now, if only I could find a way to get the deer to stop eating them down to nubs!

Oh yeah, Deer! That's one scourge I don't have...yet, knock on wood. We've got plenty but, for some reason they aren't inclined to hop our fence. This will probably be the year for that. I feel for you guys with deer problems- that would make me insane.

Thanks for all your advice and comments everyone! At the beginning of the season, I dug around the yard moving things willy nilly so I could've been spreading virus without knowing.

My fiance and I are getting married in October and then moving in together where I can start doing things the right way at our new place (and by the time he realizes how addicted I am it'll be too late for him to running screaming for the hills!)

Bkay, it seems not many people here grow hostas down here so we probably don't have many good nurseries. On the plus side, I don't think we have any voles either.

you would be surprized how many people have hostas. Before finding the joy of hostahoarderism, i really never noticed hostas in anyones yards. Now that i have em, i see em everywhere. Oddly, though many folks have them in their front yards, back yards seem to be a meca for hostas. I think it is from trying to hide the condition from others.

I have a collection of over 600 hostas that I have bought over a 15 year period or so. Do I have HVX in my beds??? Probably. Do I look at every leaf and lose sleep? NO. Do I share with friends and gardening buddies like I used to??? No.
Are there other worse problems with the rest of my daylilies and other perennials??? Probably. If we knew everything that could go wrong with your garden and plants, we may never pick up the spade again.
I just try to make my little slice of heaven a little niceer, a little prettier and help me decompress after a long day. It brings me peace and enjoyment. Don't let a little HVX ruin yours.