Only $2.00 to infect your garden with HVX

13 years ago

Came across this cart this weekend, lots of Gold Standards infected with HVX. These plants looked worse in person, but since my cell phone battery was dead, I had to take this picture from my car window hooked up to the charger. I reported this stand to the Michigan Department of Agriculture. I've been by it hundreds of times and have never seen anyone there. There was no sign or telephone number to call anyone.

Looks like a whole flat is missing here. Don't you just love the sign:

"Perennials come back year after year.

All Sales Final"

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

Babka NorCal 9b
13 years ago
Thank you for your vigilance. I would put a note in their "pay" box on my way out, telling them that they are selling virused hostas. Somebody must come around to collect the $$. Or better yet, leave a sheet about HVX right there for other shoppers to see.. with the words NO KNOWN CURE somewhere prominent.

-Babka
0
Gesila
Original Author
13 years ago
Babka,

I was just thinking the same thing. I was just on the Hosta Library site and it looks like I can copy information from their sections on HVX. I am going to make up something and drop it in their box. I've got an awesome color laser printer and I think I can print up something that looks pretty decent.

Now you've really got me going. I'm going to print up extra ones and carry them in my car! This is way too close to home!

I like the NO KNOWN CURE part.

Gesila
0
Related Discussions
A recently planted rhodie has brought infection to my garden
Q
Comments (3)
There are two weevils that attack rhododendrons and azaleas: Black Vine Weevil or Strawberry Root Weevil They create two entirely different situations: Adult weevils feed on the leaves at night. Leaves chewed on edges is a symptom of the Black Vine Weevil and Strawberry Root Weevil, 1/4"long black beetles. They are nocturnal feeders and can be found at night with a flashlight for identification. Foliar sprays are very effective at controlling adult weevils when leaf notching starts. Foliar sprays of Orthene should be sprayed at about three week intervals from about May to October, depending on the weather, until no adults emerge. Since weevils feed at night, you can hand pick adult weevils at night using a flashlight. Since weevils spend the daytime in the soil and come out at night to feed, you can paint the trunk with Tanglefoot to stop them, but make sure no branches are touching the ground. Foliar sprays are very effective at controlling adult weevils when leaf notching starts. Foliar sprays must be repeated until no adults emerge. The major damage is caused by weevil larvae which girdle the roots and kill the plant. Prior to killing the plant the plant shows signs of chlorosis (yellowing of a leaf between dark green veins.) Larvicidal drenches may be used to kill them but are of limited effectiveness. A more effective approach is to use nematodes. They are very effective against weevils when applied in the fall to control the larvae. While this approach is promising, it has limitations in that the beneficial nematodes are very sensitive to temperature and moisture extremes and will not live over winter. If applied to soil that is too cold, too wet, too dry or too hot, they will die and provide no control. Best control is achieved by using both chemical and nematode methods with proper timing.
...See More
How long does HVX stay on garden tools?
Q
Comments (13)
aw, Ken... a voice from the other side of age-related brain damage... I've got a jug of engine coolant in the garage. It is open. When you use engine coolant, it is mixed 50-50 with water... but, of course, when you need it and open a new jug, the stuff in the jug is undiluted... and can't be diluted to the correct amount until that jug is half-empty. And, of course, this always happens when you are leaving for a trip or going to a funeral or getting married or something, so you pour some into the reservoir and then dump in some water, shooting for about 50-50. You also don't have an indelible pen (or any writing implement)in your pocket, so you promise yourself you will remember and head off to your great aunt's bat mitzvah... and promptly forget until the next time you need engine coolant. I've got four sprayers so I can use one for really bad kill-everything herbicides and one for Round-up and the other two for whatever... and you'd think I could keep straight which was which... and you'd think that I'd immediately mark them with an indelible (I first typed inedible - that too...)pen, but every year I have to go through the "now which was this again???" two-step. I think I have 8 shovels. Short of painting one with a black skull and crossbones, there is no way this old brain of mine is going to keep a specific "shovel of death" tucked away in the shed. Add to that that I have a co-Idiot gardener... I think we'd better concentrate on cleaning up!
...See More
HVX test your abilities
Q
Comments (8)
This plant does not show any symptoms of HVX. It just needs to blue up, as was mentioned. Young plant, growing in a pot is all. The test strip should work fine to confirm if symptoms are HVX or not HVX. Remember that HVX is only one virus out of several that can infect hostas, and if there are NO symptoms then the virus concentration, if it is infected, may sometimes be too low to give a positive reading. So a negative test could mean three things: 1) there is no HVX present or 2) HVX is present but at too low of a concentration to give a positive reading or 3) if there are clear virus symptoms it is possibly a different virus causing it. This plant looks fine though. :) Chris
...See More
HVX infected hosta for sale at library
Q
Comments (12)
There are viruses, other than HVX than can affect the leaf coloration/patterns of Hostas. About 15 years ago, I removed a division from 'Green Fountain' that was virus infected. It emerges with green leaves in the spring, like the parent, and by midsummer, the leaf center begins to develop a random yellow mottling. By season's end, almost the entire leaf is mottled yellow. So, both sources are probably correct. It is a virus infected plant, but not HVX. IMO, I don't believe that Hostatr, or any other vendor, using the high profile HLA, would knowingly list a Hosta that they even suspected was infected with HVX. I have bid and won many Hostas, from several vendors and have never encountered a problem.
...See More
flowerchild59
13 years ago
I would drop a message to them too. But don't expect any sort of response or them to quit selling hostas. Sometimes you can't fix stupid.
0
bettylu_zone6a
13 years ago
Last weekend I ran into a similar issue, (big hostas for 22.00, though!) but it was at what I thought was a nice garden nursery not too far from my home. There was only one person working and she was not familiar with hostas (she was not the owner or manager) and so I didn't say anything, but thought about it all the way home.

I bought my huge, mature Cathedral Windows and Francee from this nursery in the fall about 2 years ago, and after seeing the virused plants for sale there last Friday, I am really glad that mine are still looking good.

I am going to have to print up something to give them too - but certainly feel like they should ALREADY know about HVX, after all, selling plants is their livelihood!

BettyLu
0
hostadom
13 years ago
Where I live I've seen HVX at one of the big box stores. The other big box store we have (HD) has been quite good. I saw some last year on a couple of plants but the vast majority looked clean over the course of the season. The higher end nurseries are a different story . I've seen MANY HVX plants at a few of the high end stores. I talked to a manager at one store and she just shrugged her shoulders and said "yes there are a lot of virused plants". I mentioned they should be taken off the shelves since many Hosta people spend considerable $$$ on their collections. She shrugged her shoulders and walked off. The nurseries I'm referring to carry many hard to find varieties and the rate of obviously infected plants is shocking.
0
franknjim
13 years ago
I asked both of my local large nurseries about HVX and their hosta people knew what it was. One place even told me how they had to destroy many hundreds of hostas that had HVX. I like these places.
0
paul_in_mn
13 years ago
"I saw some last year on a couple of plants but the vast majority looked clean over the course of the season."

If I see any with hvx at a retailer, I assume they all could be infected and will delete them as a supplier. Too many good sellers to waste money buying from those that don't care or haven't a clue.

Paul
0

Only $2.00 to infect your garden with HVX

Comments (7)

Babka NorCal 9b

Gesila
Original Author

Related Discussions

flowerchild59

bettylu_zone6a

hostadom

franknjim

paul_in_mn

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Only $2.00 to infect your garden with HVX

Comments (7)

Babka NorCal 9b

GesilaOriginal Author

Related Discussions

flowerchild59

bettylu_zone6a

hostadom

franknjim

paul_in_mn

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Gesila
Original Author