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Bacterial Stem Rot

11 years ago

According to the grower, this is not environmental damage but bacterial stem rot. Highly contagious but treatable with a dose of streptomycin followed by a soaking with a product called "Cease". If you have bought a hosta in a square 4" green pot with the label Opel Growers I would return it to the nursery where you bought it. Symptoms may not show up right away, it may take several weeks.

Sigh. Another thing to look out for.

Sandy

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Comments (7)

Babka NorCal 9b
11 years ago
Mosswitch-

Thank you for pursuing that. One more thing to look out for, but thanks to you we all will know that there is a remedy. Can you send that pic and info to Bob at the HL?

-Babka
Steve Massachusetts
11 years ago
Sandy,

That's a new one on me. Thanks for the follow up.

Steve
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I had EXACTLY the same problem. The center stem was mush, and smelled bad, too, right? Since this is my first year with dahlias, I wasn't sure what to do, so my first step was to cut that stem out. The next day, I went back and cut back the entire plant to the base, and culled it from the dahlia bed entirely. I replanted it in a very large pot, away from all other dahlias. Yesterday, I noticed a small shoot coming up. I'm hoping the tuber is still good, as I didn't see any problem with it when I culled it. Glad to know I'm not the only one. I've been trying to figure out what I did wrong. Do you have any ideas as to what causes this? Sassy Stems
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Sounds like you have the correct diagnosis. I just happen to be reading back issues of The Hosta Journal. Here is what appeared in the The Hosta Journal, Volume 35, No. 3, 2004. "Bacterial soft rot occurs in gardens and nurseries, particularly following very cold winters where plants may have been damaged by ice or freezing temperatures. Bacterial soft rot is a disease that degrades fleshy underground plant tissues. The fleshy tissue becomes watery and soft with an unpleasant aroma resembling that of dead fish. Above-ground symptoms are characterized by yellow, wilted leaves and a soft rot at the base of petioles, resulting in plant collapse and eventually plant death." Once plants are infected, most pathogens are difficult to eliminate; diseased plants should be removed from the landscape or nursery and destroyed. Many pathogens enter the plant through wounds, so use good sanitation practices whenever plants are divided and avoid unnecessary wounding to the roots and crowns when plants are transplanted. Use disinfectants to sanitize tools and work surfaces during propagation; rubbing alcohol or a 10% bleach solution can be effective. Other management strategies, such as selecting resistant cultivars or avoiding susceptible ones, fungicides . . . choice of mulch and potting mix and heat treatment, may help manage specific hosta diseases." Sounds like this hosta doesn't have much hope. Hopefully others with more experience will post their thoughts.
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Bacterial Stem Rot ??'s
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Fruit would be safe to eat It generally spread by mechanical means. Avoid working with infected plants and then handling the others. Be careful hoeing around the ok plants. Damage to the roots may let infections into them. There is something called bacterial rot (which generally is a fruit issue) so you might try looking under "bacterial wilt" for more info. I provided a link below Here is a link that might be useful: bacterial wilt of tomato
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Its hard to say with any certainty what is the cause. The typical reason is related to being too wet or too heavy of a soil mix. Which based on your description was unlikely. There could be other reasons beyond that like a bad cutting (rot was not apparent but was already there), bad cut (not properly callused), and/or seasonal issues (too cool and not during growing season). Sorry but that may be the best I can say. My preference is to start cuttings in the springtime on a heat mat with natural light. IMO light is less important than warmth.
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mosswitch
Original Author
11 years ago
Chris (Hallson's) still thinks it looks like freeze damage, but the grower says it's bacterial stem rot. I assume they have tested it to be sure but I haven't seen the cover letter they sent out yet. There doesn't appear to be any secondary signs (no fungus fillaments, so soft tissue damage) so I'm waiting to see if the treatment stops it. Whatever, it looks nasty and I think I am going to dig up the ones I have planted and either isolate them until I know for sure or bag and trash them. In the meantime I would not buy any Opel hostas this spring.

Sandy
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
11 years ago
Thank you Sandy for taking the time to post this.

tj
don_in_colorado
11 years ago
Thanks very much for the information, Sandy.

Don B.
mosswitch
Original Author
11 years ago
I read the letter Opel sent out, the plants were state lab tested and it did prove to be bacterial soft rot. They recommended AG streptomycin followed by a drench of Cease, which is an anitibacterial. It is very contageous and needs to be handled with gloves, affected leaves need to be bagged and destroyed. Not composted. Fungicides will not work as it is not a fungus.

My recommendation would be to bag and destroy the whole plant!

Sandy
User
11 years ago
Thanks, Sandy. I'll keep an eye open for the label.

When my Fried Green Tomatos came down with a virus this year, I felt totally devastated, to the point I really wanted to isolate the pictures of it too. It felt that revolting.

Let's see, I had Venus last year which was shipped back to the seller for testing....haven't heard about it yet. Then this spring, there was Fried Green Tomatos, and apparently Fried Bananas which was next to it. Not HVX though. Something like the tobacco virus. Fried Bananas is in isolation and looking extremely gross. This picture from yesterday.

My strategy is to watch who I buy things from first. Then I basically isolate hosta by seller. After that, am aware of what I touch and how I water and clean my tools-- and look at pictures of normal plants like mine. I consider that climate may be a stress factor and may accelerate disease if it is present.

Like now, I'm beginning to investigate anthraxnose which BKay talks about, because I figure if she has it I probably do too. Hopefully it will be an uneventful growing year.

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