What's wrong with my Sagae?

11 years ago

I have tried to learn about HVX, and I have followed several threads about frost damage and nematode damage and various other maladies that afflict hosta. So please forgive me for asking the question you are asked every other day (if not more) .... is this HVX? It is so hard to tell from the photos in the sources, I think this is something one needs to see before they really comprehend the symptoms.

Anyway, this is Sagae. I posted about this one a couple of weeks ago. Sagae and two others were slow starters this spring and I was concerned (the other two were Liberty and Guardian Angel -both of them are looking way better although neither is really stellar). Sagae has continued to falter and in fact look worse.

This plant came from my local nursery (who i trusted until today based on the other thread I posted). It was planted last fall from a potted plant, much larger at the time than it is now but I don't believe I have a photo. It is in a quite shaded location between a row of spruce trees and a row of cottonwoods, it has been pampered since it was planted.

I realize there is some slug/cutworm damage, but think more is going on than that?

Back side of the leaf

Thank you in advance for any advice.

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Comments (8)

hostahillbilly
11 years ago
Sorry, it's too small, young, cold and cutworm damaged for me to tell from these pics.

Here we would pot it up, move it to a quarantine area, and watch it for a year or more.

That said, I think it's just young and damaged by freeze and cutworms.

Other folk will probably weigh in here.

Fear not, I see NOTHING virus related in the pics!

Relax, it's all good,

hh
prairie_love
Original Author
11 years ago
That is very reassuring HH. What is the advantage to potting up vs leaving in place and coddling (watering well)?
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NHL, the only way to tell if it is infected with HVX is with a test kit. Adgia sells them for $25 for 105 strips. If it tests positive for HVX, then it must be destroyed. If it is not HVX it could be another virus and the results would still be that it will die in time and the plant would still be suspect. I don't think HVX strips are worth it; others disagree. I don't think it is worthwhile to test for one virus while it may be infected with several others that are just as fatal and many times far easier to transmit. Testing for all possibilities is simply not worth the cost for a home gardener. I would simply wait and see if the fertilizer or time work and it recovers. It it stays the same or gets worse then the only thing to do is treat it with glyphosate and wait until the Fall to dig it out to ensure the leaves, stems, crown and roots are dead. Then dig it out being careful to sterilize everything used to dig it out; before and after the digging. Everything has to be scrubbed vigorously. I prefer antibacterial dish soap as it kills the virus and it helps in the sterilization process (IMO) Jon I hope it shows signs of improvement.
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if just planted this spring.. then it probably doesnt have an established root mass capable of pumping enough water ... so.. its probably lack of proper deep watering ... i tend to not describe the browning as rust.. as rust is a specific disease ... again.. i note.. the newer leaves... extended after the plant settled in.. look fine ... the older leaves were damaged .. due to water management ... during the transplanting ... nothing to do here.. except perfect water frankly.. if you cut off the 2 worst leaves... the plant will look 99% better... and you can just move on to giving it a little more water ... maybe the 3rd hidden down in there ... no loss to the plant.. since its putting out a new flush .... ken ps: could have been cold damage... but then i presume she wouldnt have bought it ... but who knows ... its kinda that time of year were we have to morph from cold damage.. to heat damage ... or lack of watering ...
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Steve Massachusetts
11 years ago
Nope, no virus. Just a lot of cutworm and slug damage and probably transplant shock.

It's obviously struggling, but I think I would leave it in place. Here's what I would do. Clear back some of that mulch to 3-4 inches from the crown of the plant. Scratch around in the soil looking for cutworms. Give the whole area a good ammonia and water drench. Put down some Sluggo Plus bait (Iron Phosphate for the slimeys, Spinosad for the worms). Water it every other day and every day during a heatwave. I would also give it a little liquid Miracle Grow or something similar in the first watering.

If you do that you may get a new flush of leaves this year or it may be building roots. In that case you'll get a good increase in size next year. Sometimes plants struggle to get established when they are small to begin with.
Steve
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
there is a theory..

that tiny plants.. enjoy being pot bound ... and potted up.. [we always not a tiny plant in a giant whiskey barrel

and in doing so.. you can force the equivalent of 2 or 3 years growth out of them [and that isnt much on a tiny plant.. lol] ... unless .. as in my case.. you forget about the pot.. lol ...

each time you up-pot.. you use fresh media ...

and every time you water.. you use a gallon milk jug of diluted soluble fert ... 25% strength???? ...

and then shove it back in the ground in mid sept or so ...

in my experience.. if you leave it in the ground.. it will NOT be there come spring ..

i have a row of pots of various things.. out the front door.. in VERY bright shade ... so that every time i walk out there.. i an think about them ... a pot nursery.. if you will ... [i also have about 50 plants out in the garden.. that look like yours]

ken
prairie_love
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you all. I will begin the pampering and hope.

You all are very helpful, I do appreciate it.
leafwatcher
11 years ago
If you have an aquarium , dump some of your water change on your favorite/neediest plants...
chris-e
11 years ago
prairie love,

We have from time to time discussed what to do if a plant is just not making it or if you just don't like a plant. I don't mean to sound unkind, but considering how bad this one looks, I think I would say good-bye to it rather than spend all the time and attention trying to make it well.

And this is coming from someone who has a husband who tries to save *everything*, no matter how pitiful. He has had a number of successes too.

Considering how large Sagae is supposed to be, I would buy another larger one from a good, on-line seller.

chris
prairie_love
Original Author
11 years ago
leafwatcher, no I do not have an aquarium! Great idea though.

chris, I certainly understand your pov. For the moment, I am basically following steve's suggestions for pampering. I am watering every day which is easy because there are some newly planted hosta and heuchera in the same area, so no biggie to water Sagae too. I am not putting in ANY new plants in the immediate future as I will be out of town off and on for the rest of the summer - makes caring for newly planted babies difficult. As fall approaches, we will see. If Sagae is showing signs of improvement, I'll let it try out the winter. If not, I may indeed replace it yet this year.

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What's wrong with my Sagae?

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