Beam that one out.

-Babka

Yes, that's bad. Try to get all the roots and plant material out of the hole. Put something else there (not a hosta) and wash your tools carefully. Any idea where you got it from?

Steve

Yes I do remember but I couldn't tell you how I got there let alone the name. It was a home nursery (we have a few of them here). And I thought towards the end of the year that it was looking like a really sad specimen.....and considered HVX, but nothing really came of that thought....My hubbie loves Star Trek and was a little upset that it was Kirk (and not the Gold Standard that I bought at the same time) but I got him out of the funk by showing him a pic of Captain's Adventure and pointing out where in the garden we could put it (not the same place)....LOL It's a much prettier hosta anyways.

lol babka....yeppers, hvx

Looks like a transporter malfunction. Set phasers on full.

Paul

I just bought Captain Kirk because I LOVE Star Trek. Hope mine doesn't end up having to be phased out...

I have 3-4 virused plants in my yard right now.
I am choosing a slightly different route, based on Dr. Lockhart's research.

1. His limited research says that in 0 of 20 tries, HVX did not spread if transmission was attempted AFTER flowering.
2. HVX has been discovered to live in the soil for a minimum of 18 months after removing infected material.

So, rather than dig and toss, I'm going to add a few steps:
A. After flowering, RoundUp the hosta in question being careful to not overspray the neighboring hosta. If any neighbors end up dying because of root crossing, this tells me that those plants were likely infected as well, just not yet showing signs. My theory here is that RoundUp will kill the roots and therefore the virus will not remain in the soil. This is MY OWN THEORY based on the research... I make NO guarantees to its validity.
B. After a month or so, I'll remove and dispose of the plant, properly sterilizing tools afterward.

I will also say that my yard is on the MN Hosta Society tour this year. I am choosing to leave the plants in as an educational tool. I found that there are still active members of the hosta society who've never heard of HVX or know what it looks like. And in the plants I have, it looks different in all 3. Unfortunately, none of them have bleeding veins, so I won't be able to show that example.

Melissa, I am following the exact same procedure with a handful of fortunei aureomarginatas that tested positive for HVX last fall. I carefully sprayed them liberally with Roundup in September. Half of them came up this spring but are very small, and I treated them again a couple weeks ago. I am hoping that I can eliminate them without cross-contaminating nearby hostas by cutting through roots while digging then out and perhaps eliminate all traces of HVX in the soil. Certainly, I will not be planting any new hostas in that area, but maybe someday research will indicate that it's safe to do so.

You are all sure that is HVX? I ask because My Captain Kirk has the same stripes of white in a few of the leaves. Damn! And I gave a split to a friend yesterday and to my DIL today! I'm gonna get some pictures and have you all take a look at it.

chris

Interesting approach. I don't know that I'll have the time (or patience for it....LOL) The hosta in question is in my sunnier front garden. The nearest hosta is the Gold Standard that I'll be watching like a hawk (it came from the same place and so might already have an issue), but even that's a good 4' away. These are the only two hostas in this bed (in fact I only have one more in my front yard and it's about 10' away). This bed is definitely more of a part sun leaning towards full sun. I'm thinking of replacing it with some veronica or some phlox (it's surrounded by daisies, black eyed susans, delphinium & geranium) so contaminating nearby hostas or future hostas isn't too much of a concern for me. It's really more about the tools being contaminated and then moving to other hostas....I figure if I can mitigate that by having a special spade that I use (and disinfect that) to deal with HVX hostas I'll be better off.......going to remove him this weekend!!

By the way, I definitely learned my lesson. All my hostas are now coming from a hosta farm instead of "side of the road" nurseries. I've been there once this year and they brought up HVX and what they do to stop it....so I'm already 90% more comfortable. I remember that home nursery had something else wrong (not with the hosta) when I asked them a question about zoning I think.....And if I'm being completley honest, I seem to think I was suspicious of the captain when I got him....but my hubs liked the name so much that we bought it anyways....

Oh well, live and learn! Go with your instincts and buy from knowledgable people

Chris-e, the stripe in the pic is sunlight. The dark green in the veins is HVX. Stripes of white on a leaf is nothing special if it is only on a leaf or two. If the white stripes are on all leaves then you might have a sport.

HVX is circled.
{{gwi:1030116}}

thisismelissa- If the hosta are close enough, the Roundup can translocate (via roots) form target to non-target plants.

tj

Oh Jim, Thanks! I was so focused on the "white stripe" that I didn't even notice the HVX. So glad to know I don't have a problem, just an odd leaf or two.

chris

tj.... that's what I was talking about.
If the hostas are close enough that the RoundUp can translocate, then that means the roots are touching and there's likely been virus transmission and I'd have to kill those plants in short order too.

I think the virus will only transmit if there is a wound or some damage in those roots that are touching. But, of course, if you dig up the diseased plant, then you will likely create that wound or opening.

Steve

Do you think this is HVX? There seems to be somthing going on with then right side of the CK leaf I saw at a nursery the other day.
{{gwi:1030117}}

I certainly wouldn't buy it. If this plant were in my garden I would test it to be sure.

Steve

squirejohn-

The leaves in that photo look healthy to me. The streaks are the beautiful hand-painted look that hostas have. Am I missing something???

-Babka

Babka - it's probably me that's missing something. It's just that I'm trying to identify HVX and the bicolored streak in the vein on the lower right side of the leaf looked different than seen on the rest of the hosta.

My understanding of the inkbleed marks of HVX is that it centres on the veins of the leaves...I don't see that it's centred on the veins. You can test to be sure, but I don't think so...

Thanks - It wasn't "centered on the veins". I didn't know about that, and didn't buy it - just took a photo at the nursery.

I presume you all who decided on HVX on that leaf also looked at the leaves of 'Captain Kirk' in the Hosta Library. Being not an expert, and hesitant to shoot from the hip, some of the library leaves seem to have such 'dark green bleed on the veins' too, possibly this is a characteristic of this cultivar at that development time.
Bernd

Bernd....Hmmm....yeah - I see your point. Maybe it's worth testing first....The photos don't seem to have the bleed from the tip of the leaf though, just around the edges.....I haven't removed it yet.....

There is no question about it, the hosta has HVX.

The photos on HL do not show bleeding in the veins like the photo does in this thread.