Yes, I would test.

I would save the test strip for something you aren't certain about. That really looks like HVX.

I agree with Chris, that looks really bad, not at all like the cold damage I've seen on our hostas.

And, it was my thoughts before I even read Chris' post.

Gesila

My sympathies.

-Babka

A question for Chris.
If this plant sits in the garden with others around it, how long will it take for those other hosta to show positive for HVX?

Mocc., there has to be direct transfer, kind of like AIDS. Viruses carried in liquids have to move from one plant to another. It can happen if the soil is infected, the tools are infected or the mother plant is infected.

With good clean practices and clean root stock, it should not happen.

It is not transferred by insects, as some of the viruses are.

bk

I would test it for HVX before you get into that big operation of cleaning, destroying and removing. I had something like that last year and the test strip found it was not HVX. One year h.'St.Paul' had blisters and it must have been direct heat from sun shine, never came back. Bernd

This is so obviously HVX infected I wouldn't waste a strip..... but, it's your call.

Pieter

that is what all cold damaged plantaginea-type look like in my garden

they really.. really.. hate cold ...

now.. the real question.. is what someone in TX thinks cold is ...

i had 23 degrees after leaf out.... that is called.. beyond frost.. A FREEZE .....

did you get to 23 degrees.. all of last winter ?????

and finally .. how expensive can royal standard be???? get rid of it.. and throw one on your next order .. really now... is it worth a $5 strip.. to make sure on a $7.50 hosta???? ..

its so cheap.. and common.. chris doesnt even list it on his webpage .... he's probably running it over in the parking lot... trying to beat the thing back .. lol ...[but i didnt call to verify this.. its a joke]

ken

I agree it looks virused.
I also agree that if it's cheap, it should be garbage and not even bother testing.

And especially since it's potted, there's be no delay in me putting in the garbage.

And, as for the pot, I'd not put a hosta in it for a good long while, if at all. It's yet to be determined how the virus can remain dormant without a host.

Ken, your variations on a theme are endless, and quite enjoyable to wait for the punch line. I can picture Chris driving a fork lift of hosta up and down the drive, beating back a vigorous row of Royal Standards.

Don't I wish I could have that up and down my driveway!

Don't know about BKay up in zone 8a, but over here in zone 9a, we had a couple of nights of 28. That is our USUAL "hard freeze" temp. Cover the pipes. If it goes below that, I put blankeys on the tender plants.

This spring, I did get some cold damage on a few early growers
and it scared me what it looked like....until I saw pictures of similar damage to hosta elsewhere....what a relief!

How expensive can it be? It was a full 3 gallon pot and it cost $24.99, that's how expensive it can be. I really wanted a Royal Standard and there it was, big and healthy looking. I thought it was expensive for RS, but wanted it anyway. They gave me 20% off, so it wasn't really $24.99. It was July or August, so they were ready to move it. It has 10 or 12 eyes.

No, Ken we didn't get down to 23 degrees all winter. The cold spells were all around freezing - 31, 32, or so. I had lots of damage, though. Guacamole, So Sweet, Brother Stephan, Parky's Gold, and others had damage. The type of damage was different on different plants. I think that hosta are more susceptible to cold in pots though. The ones further off the ground had more damage (the nursery table).

I'm going to test it. I can't replace it for $6.00. The question then is, what if it tests negative?

bk

Tested an 'Iron Gate' Supreme hosta for a friend this week. Pattern on the leaves much the same as the photo. Sorry to say tested positive for HVX.

It tested positive.

I'm sure that there won't be many people from this area reading this, but the plant came from Jackson's Pottery and the wholesaler was Greenlake (not Greenleaf) nursery, which is a local grower.

bk

Now you have proof. Tell your local ag extension folks, as well as the wholesaler and might as well tell the grower too. Ignorance is not a good excuse when they are in business to sell healthy plants. HVX has been around for awhile.

Can we harp about this enough? Wish we could put a sticky note at the top of the forum.

-Babka

bkay, I agree with what babka suggested.

I know it's exhausting dealing with it but you definitely need to be reimbursed for the plant, in store credit at the very least. You could use it towards ferts or a planter, but I'd avoid any nursery items...just sayin'

I'd ask for the cost of the test strip as well, but don't hold your breath on that...

I'm sure the "sale" was an incentive to get people in the door and not to unload an unhealthy plant on the consumer. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt... for now.

Give them a chance to make it good with you. If not, as a suggestion, our local newspaper has a "letters to the editor" area where folks can sound off about being treated poorly.

Word of mouth can crush a businesses reputation. I hope you don't have go down that road to remind them of that.

Sorry for your troubles,
Deb

So very sorry for your loss of a beautiful hosta, BK. Do what you must to feel better about it.

It just reminds me to be super careful before I put something in the ground here, which might contaminate the soil in my garden. Things are difficult enough without adding an avoidable disease to the mix.

Good luck for a satisfactory conclusion to this story.

I emailed the local Texas Agriculture guy. I sent photos of the plant and the test strip and told him the plants origin. I threw in something about having to mail order from Michigan to get clean plants. One of the big things about TX AG is a "buy local" campaign.

I also called the store. They were very nice and asked what they could do. I said to have a talk with their supplier.

It may not do any good, but at least I did something.

bk

BK, I think you hit them where they will definitely pay attention. If it is a problem causing loss of sales, and you spend quite a bit of money on hosta and the other stuff required to keep them looking as good as yours do, then you multiply that by all the others in Texas who experience the same problems, and they got a big loss of income.

Good for you.
The nursery may be some good folks, but they need to be aware they are the only ones who can stop acquiring diseased plants to sell to their customers. If they do not take action, then it is time to reclassify them as not-so-good.

After all, money talks, and bull carp walks....to another source of hosta.

To answer your question for Chris,Moc,I can tell you from experience that an HVX plant will never transfer its condition to another plant near it. I have one in my garden that has been there for years,and no other hosta has ever been infected,and that's been ten years! They have to have sap from them actually get to the other plant somehow,and if they just remain there,nothing will happen. Phil