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alexis717_df

Direct Source Hosta closing

alexis717_df
13 years ago

at least for a year and selling out all remaining hosta for $8.00 ea. I've not seen this online seller mentioned often but I have been happy with the dozen or so hosta I've ordered from them in the past. The plants are not huge like Chris' but well worth the $8.00ea. I believe shipping is fixed and all plants shipped in pots. I just placed an order for SEVERAL and shipping to the PNW was 9.95.

They've been pretty picked over but there are still some real nice ones left.

Comments (40)

  • firefightergardener
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ugh... !

    "Addtocart-itus": A compulsive disease that strikes young, middle age and old gardeners alike. Symptoms can be wide varying but may include carpul-tunnel syndrome like pains in the wrists from repeated clicking "add to cart", boxes and boxes of hostas arriving despite lack of space and hostas from the last order still soaking in water or pots, 9.99% APR interest rates or the occasional 0% for 12 months lures, knee pain from digging 500 holes in four weeks for new hostas, cramming of 3'x4' hostas 2' apart, single-handedly filling the entire capacity of the weekly recycling truck, moments of sheer joy and anticipation, thousands of calories lost and muscles strengthed working in the garden, unmmeasurable amounts of stress relieved and everlasting happiness. Seek immediate medical attention if you clicked on every single 'add to cart' on any single website.

    -Will

  • thisismelissa
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    OOOH Will, I think you have it WAY worse than I did! And I thought I HAD to be the worst!

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    To moccasinlanding: I assure you it is Blue Mammoth I have tried in the past. To Ken: I have yet to find anything left at the door; although I had to adapt quickly back in 2011 when my mother brought to me BOTH T-Rex and Blue Mammoth. And yes I smiled and did say thank you very nicely. Having both WAS NOT my plan at that moment. She is threatening to "share" some of her Mouse Ears next summer (not sure what variety she is talking about as of yet. Honesty I do get nearly 100% sun for about 2 to 3 hours from about noon in my garden (working on eliminating that next year). 'Popcorn' simply dropped its green in August; it did have an intense gold yellow as it faded. I thought that moment was exciting. 'Vulcan' took off, and exploded into growth making every other hosta look bad last year. 'Gorgon' was a close second in that department. 'Frosted Mouse Ears' and 'Holy Mouse Ears' each seem to have settled in with polite growth. 'Xanadu Empress Wu' was planted in August, and that even tried to take off by growing leaves that were twice the size of what it came with. In short I am expecting a 86% (18 out of 21 plants) survival rate next spring with only three plants not coming up (as mentioned at my blog). Those being ... Blue Mammoth, Itsy Bity Spider, and Popcorn. Naturally they have the option of surprising me, and appearing on cue. Everything else looked in good shape when I cut everything back Mid-October for their long winter nap! Finally Ken, to be honest, I do have a few theories as to why my 2013 survival rate was 56% (from 18 hosta to 10 hosta). I can't discuss those until I see what happens next spring (2014; trying to be objective here folks). Hint keep watching my blog for a lengthy narrative on that topic there. Peter Kelley St. Paul, MN USA
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  • firefightergardener
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    500+ hostas, 370 or so different in four weeks! I've got it pretty bad. Compared to conifers and Japanese maples, Hostas are both less expensive and more readily available(and fit into smaller places)), a deadly combination to someone insane like me.

    Hopefully I don't acquire another 500 hostas for 20 years.

  • Joan Habel
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks

    I thought that I was done buying for the year. :)

    AND...If you use the coupon code "daves" while checking out - you get an additional $5.00 off.
    With a deal like that - how could I not but something???

    Joan

  • treemon
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for your enabling Joan. The coupon code made ordering irresistible. Ill be receiving Illicit Affair, Velvet Moon and YesterdayÂs Memories. Not many left, it seems.

    I've ordered from Jerry before and found the plants are good growers. However, I'm a bit concerned that he's removed the leaves.

    Mark

  • mary52zn8tx
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Rats, I didn't know about the coupon code. I picked up 5 including Hanky Panky and Velvet Moon.

  • thisismelissa
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jenna posted on another thread that this vendor cuts off all the leaves of the hostas. As soon as I read that, I closed the window I had.

    I'm not interested in buying a plant that I cannot enjoy for a year.

  • Joan Habel
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    oohh... I missed the thread about cutting off the leaves (I did read it, but somehow missed that this was the vendor).

    Well, I'll just hope for the best.

    Joan

  • woodthrush
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Fed Ex just brought my order. Holy #%$#, they cut them right down to the crown. Still in the pots with plenty of space in the box that they could have left the foliage on.
    Pam

  • alexis717_df
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    OH No Pam that's horrible. I wonder why they did that, they've never cut the leaves off before. Haven't gotten mine yet, I'm sure they look very similar. :(

    Alexis

  • Joan Habel
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yep, I got mine yesterday.

    I had read that they would be cut, but it was still shocking.

    HOWEVER...they were all multiple eyes and had tons of stems.
    I planted them today and was quite pleased with the root systems - all were large and plentiful.

    The strangest part was that out of six plants; five were cut and one was left untouched.
    Ironically, the uncut hosta is the only one out of my order that is on my 'secret swap's' wish list.
    So, she is going to get a nice eye from it.

    Joan

  • treemon
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I received my order yesterday too. The leaves were cut off on Illicit Affair and on Yesterday's Memories which were three to five eyed plants. Velvet Moon was not cut, however and VM has just one eye. Perhaps, that was the plan. The box was long enough to have held the leaves. Illicit Affair has several new leave starting up already and YM is sending up a flower stalk. All the roots look great.

    Mark

  • dhaven
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I placed an order from this guy, chatted with him via email, and asked that the leaves on the plants I ordered not be cut. I offered to pay any additional postage costs. He informed me that all leaves would be cut, and that this was clearly stated in a previous email, which was not the case. I asked if he tested each new batch of hostas for HVX, and told him that unless that was the case, that I would accept his offer to cancel my order. Haven't heard back, needless to say, and I consider the order to have been cancelled. Although he hasn't returned my check yet, so I may still get a box of hostas--if so, I will discard them immediately.

    There definitely seems to be something odd going on here, and I recommend that those who bought plants quarantine them and consider testing. If even one variety was virused, he will have spread the virus to everything else when the leaves were cut. Although in the past it was considered acceptable to cut foliage prior to shipping, these days it is inexcusable unless all plants are tested for virus first. Even then, since the test will not detect a very low viral load, it's not a good practice.

  • countrygarden01
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    dhaven,
    Wow!
    You got your ducks in a row. Some of the best, practical advice I have heard. (smile)
    I have 'Tokadama Flavocircinalis', actually four that have now reached close to 36"x24". That's a huge T.F.C.! It took "six" years for any signs!!!
    I am not at all worried I have spread it in the garden. They have always been in "quarantine".
    I will be discarding them tomorrow a.m., what a shame.

  • woodthrush
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes, I was thinking about that last night too. What could have been spread from one plant to another with cutting the foliage down. I'm sure the plants will come back, but it
    sure is a shock to first see them.

  • dhaven
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Pam,
    A couple of those cuts look like they are already being attacked by some kind of fungal infection. I would take some really clean scissors, wipe them with alcohol, and cut down even further into the green stems to stop that fungus and hopefully get rid of it. You might also consider a fungicide drench with a broad spectrum fungicide like Daconil as a preventative. Be sure to wipe the scissors with alcohol again between cutting each plant.

    It is possible that these plants have been damaged by exposure to chemicals, or by a hard frost, but in neither case would it be necessary to remove the foliage.

  • woodthrush
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, Dhaven. I'll do that. They sure are a disappointment.
    Pam

  • nutmeg4061
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Did they give a reason why they decided to ship them this way? Looks to be plenty of empty space in the box...and leaves don`t weigh anything...
    Doesn`t make a lick of sense.

  • flowerchild59
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mine arrived cut down almost to the core. Very disappointing to say the least but you get what you pay for. I only hope not diseased.

  • caliloo
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Joan - if you have not sent your swap box, I would not include a plant from this order as a gift for someone. As dhaven said, there is something very strange going on with this operation this year and I would not want to send a possibly infected plant to someone. If you are going to send it - make sure you include a not explaining where it came from and let the person know.....

    Alexa

  • Joan Habel
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Alexa,

    I did send the box out yesterday with a note explaining to her/him where each of the plants had come from and the whole Direct Source situation.

    The other two plants were from my Hallson's order and I was careful not to cross the plants and assured her/him that they were safe.

    It is too bad that the quality is questionable, esp. since I have ordered from DS before and had no problems.

    The whole thing baffles me.

    Joan

  • sophie12
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I didn not order any on the $8.00 clearance, but I am also confused. The email Jerry sent out when he annouced he was closing DS and heading on his new venture, he very clearly stated that he had just cut them all back, as he said he does every year.

  • franknjim
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have been watching this thread and I have to agree that something is not quite right about what is going on. Like maybe a hosta business that discovered they had a rampant virus and are trying to squeeze out every last dime and run. Hiding the signs of it by removing all tell tale evidence of it by chopping all of the leaves off. This is just speculation.

    Has anyone tested any of their purchases from this going out of business sale?

    Who in their right mind cuts off every leaf from all of their hosta in the spring or even at any other time of the year? Maybe a disgruntled spouse with a lawnmower maybe but not anyone that I know that is into hosta.

    For those that had ordered from this place years ago, were the leaves also cut off back then?

    Their website now states the following. Important Notice: We are SOLD OUT and now closed for the 2010 season.

  • woodthrush
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have ordered from them before. Not in the last couple of years though. And never have the leaves been chopped off.
    And I have never heard of any seller that sent out plants with leaves chopped down to the crown. I can see removing a couple of less than attractive leaves, but this - to a hosta lover - this is carnage. It's like buying a fine set of china and having the seller break them all before shipping them to you.

  • luvtosharedivs
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi everyone,

    I've been away from this forum for a very long time, and have recently retired, so I hope to join in on the conversations more often.

    I placed an order for 4 Hostas with Direct Source last March. I requested that he send my order mid-June, and sure enough, I rec'd my order June 9. All four that I ordered, (Abiqua Moonbeam, Mary Marie Ann, Reptillian, and Veronica Lake,) had very full bunches of healthy leaves. He did send a gift plant, X-ray, which was cut down, as you all were talking about above.

    After reading all your comments, I'm wondering if he had set my plants off to the side somewhere, to save them for me, and they may have been "saved" from any possible disease that might have been spreading through his collection. I don't know...just speculating here.

    Anyway, can anyone advise me on what I should be watching for on these new arrivals? I already planted 'Reptillian' in a woodsy area, but the rest are still in their pots.

    TIA,

    Julie

  • franknjim
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Below is a link to a PDF brochure on hosta diseases and HVX with descriptions and photos from Iowa State University.

    http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/SUL14.pdf

    You will have to copy and paste the link. GW thinks it is an invalid link since it is a PDF file instead of a webpage.

  • luvtosharedivs
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, Frank!

    I browsed the sight briefly, but added it to my Favorites for further research.

    Julie

  • caliloo
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Julie - I would keep them in pots for the season just in case.

    Joan - I reread my post, and I apologize if it sounded snarky and short.... I tend to err on the side of caution and would hate for somone unsuspecting to have a bad experience. It sounds like the way you handled it is fine. Again, I'm sorry if I was abrupt.

    F&J, I too would like to hear from anyone who tests their plants. A few AGDIA test kids are a cheap price when you consider what you may be risking.

    Alexa

  • hosta_junkie
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I also ordered four hostas - had some misgivings due to the planned leaf cutting but decided to go for it, primarily because two of them had been on my wish list for awhile without much luck of finding them - Velvet Moon and Paradise Joyce.

    Velvet Moon arrived with leaves, like others have reported. The other three (PJ, Royal Flush and LS Babyface) hacked to no recognition. Plus one of them had some out of the container and was rattling around loose in the box.

    I have been debating back and forth whether to (1) toss them immediately or (2) plant in quarantine area and test at some point in time, particularly the PJ and VM, since they've been so elusive to acquire. The other two are readily available at several good sources.

    Dhaven, you mentioned the low viral load - how long would it take for enough HVX to build up to be detected by the agdia strips? Months? Years? I am very careful when planting or trimming to follow safe hosta practices (Lysol wipes, soaking in lysol) but am also reluctant to intentionally invite trouble. The neighborhood bunnies and deer are not so careful, and despite my tenacious spray treatment, they still best me very once in a while and have hosta salad. I can just see those teeth spreading HVX from plant to plant.

    I just have a bad feeling about the unnecessary hosta mutilation. Even DSH's website purports that "Our healthy potted plants look fantastic in your garden immediately." Umm, not so much - not this time! I share the sentiments of others expressed here that mass cutting is just not normal for anyone who is passionate about hostas and is feels like tampering with evidence. Would sure love to be wrong.

  • treemon
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Within the last couple of weeks I received an email from Jerry Van Der Kolk, principle of Direct Source Hosta, announcing he is beginning a new venture involving Forex trading I believe. He said he was recently certified and was looking forward to another pursuit. That message gave no indication that he was exiting the hosta business. I do not believe I bought any hostas last year, but I ordered at least once in the three previous seasons and have been very satisfied. The email Jerry sent announcing the hosta clearance said he was taking 2011 off from selling and wanted to clear inventory. The email clearly stated that he had fertilized and cut off the leaves on all the hostas as he does each year. Perhaps he normally cuts back leaves of unsold hostas that he then divides and repots for the next season. I noted that the Velvet Moon which was a single eyed plant that had not outgrown its pot was not cut back. The hostas that were cut needed to be divided or moved to larger pots.

    At this point I will take Jerry at his word. I do not believe there is anything sinister about what he has done. I will take the usual precautions and quarantine my new purchases until they look to be satisfactory. However, I do not believe he would jeopardize his reputation by selling diseased hostas. The website claims with pride a near-perfect satisfaction rating with the Garden Watchdog. The edges where cuts were made on my plants are brown, but do not appear to have any fungus. It is unfortunate the plants were cut if it costs them strength or size in the next season, but if they reflush successfully I will believe I got a good value in my purchases. Sometimes, I think we just get too carried away with concerns about HVX, other diseases and foliar nematodes. Reasonable precautions should be taken, but hysterical reaction is not productive.

    Mark

  • fayemo
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I ordered quite a few hosta from Direct source in 2009 and again early in 2010 and none of them have leaves that were cut off. They were fine healthy looking plants when delivered. All at this point continue to look healthy. I don't know why he chose to do the leaf cutting this time. I will continue to observe my plants closely for any signs of disease.

  • bunnycat
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I ordered from them 3 times previously, but not this year. I think I ordered in 2006 and 2007 twice. All plants were very healthy, & have grown extremely well. I was very pleased. I was so enthralled with Orange Marmalade that I ordered 3 more. Haven't had slow growth problems with that particular hosta like some people do. Sorry to hear that people are unhappy with what they received, especially if virus or fungus is suspected. What about quarantining in pots until it gets sorted out?

  • hosta_junkie
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you, Mark, for sharing DSH's rationale for cutting the leaves. While it still doesn't make much sense to me, at least it is helpful to know there was a plan.

    That doesn't alleviate my heightened concerns about the possibility of cross-contaminating hostas if the vendor did not sterilize the cutting equipment between each plant. (Ans since I have not seen any strong evidence to indicate that this practice was used, I will choose to err on the side of caution.) Yes, I agree, we should be habitual in our monitoring of all new plants received until they have passed that quarantine period. That period, however, can be as long as 7 years before visual symptoms appear, and I am personally unwilling to wait 7 years with this particular batch given the leaf cutting - which we all know is a primary method of spreading HVX.

    While searching that "other" hosta forum for information, I saw several recent threads that seemed to indicate that newly contaminated hostas (such as might occur while cutting leaves off a healthy hosta without cleaning HVX sap from an infected plant) would probably have enough HVX during their second year to test positive using the Agdia strips.

    I don't consider myself hysterical about HVX - merely aware, informed and prepared to act in appropriate situations. I have over 550 hostas, mostly acquired during the past seven years. To date I have tested two hostas which appeared suspect to me, both of which tested negative. And according to discussions on another hosta forum, Agdia strips are widely considered to be 99% effective with extremely low false positive or negative rates.

    A new piece of disturbing news about HVX: Dr. Lockhart is apparently now recommending that you NEVER plant a new hosta in a spot where a diseased hosta was removed, as his 18-month study showed HVX was still present after the plant's removal. As most of us are aware, the recent thought was you were safe after a year or so. And back in 2004, it was stated you could plant immediately since the virus couldn't possibly sustain itself outside the plant. So we are continuing to learn about this very unfortunate disease.

    So, for what it's worth to others who are trying to decide what to do with their new purchases, I have decided to do the following. Given how difficult it has been for me to locate Velvet Moon and Paradise Joyce, I will pot them up and enjoy them in my screen porch this season. If they survive over-wintering in my unheated garage this winter, I will wait for them to leaf out next summer and then test them with Agdia strips. If they are positive, out they go, right in the pots they are planted in. If they are negative, current research would say they are "safe", and I will likely plant in locations where they can be removed at some future point with ease should symptoms appear down the road. I will probably do the same with Royal Flush and LS Babyface, although I won't bother to test them if either PJ or VM tests positive - they'll hit the trash immediately. Those plants are fairly available through other reliable vendors, but I'll hold off on chucking them until I have reasonable evidence to do so.

    Lesson learned for me personally - I am not comfortable purchasing mutilated hostas, even if the vendor believes he has a justifable reason for doing so. But since the plants are here, I will take additional reasonable precautions to protect my existing hosta collection given the significant opportunity for HVX contamination introduced by the leaf cutting.

  • firefightergardener
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I received my plants with about 4 of them with leaves still, the other 10-12 cut. I'll be honest though I really doubt this seller is 'making a run for it', and shipping garbage/diseased hostas before they go out of business.

    All of the hostas had several eyes and huge, almost tangled root systems. They even included a free hosta with my order. At $8 a hosta and almost free shipping, I really don't see how there's room to complain - other then the fact that America IS a nation of instant gratification.

    I myself am quite content to leave them in pots for a few months and then plant them as they regrow.

    -Will

  • summersunlight
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Now that it is a year later, I am curious, what ended up happening? Did any of you have problems with the hostas you bought last year?

  • woodthrush
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Only 2 of mine came back this year. I didn't buy any more hosta from them this year. They were back in business this spring.

  • treemon
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jerry has sent me a number of emails promoting his brother's business "NewGardenPlants.com". The site reports it is owned by Pete and April Van Der Kolk. I believe they are in Michigan. Many perennials, but relatively few hostas. Direct Source Hostas website is offline. For awhile it was redirecting traffic to New Garden Plants. I'd guess they are out of business.

    Mark

  • woodthrush
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, I was getting the emails from him, but didn't bother to read them, just deleted.

  • Joan Habel
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Five of the six that I ordered came up and are looking lush and healthy.
    The sixth one is no where to be found. Even the tag is missing from my garden.
    I have been searching for it all spring.
    If anyone finds a "Tick Tock" that doesn't belong in their garden - send him home please.

    Joan

  • msjo
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I caught on when I noticed the last name being the same as Jerry's.

    I placed an order with New Garden Plants and they arrived in excellent shipping condition and very healthy robust plants.

    Free name plates and a free flowering plant as well.

    Jo