Looks like a fungus to me. Your order took longer than it should have so they probably sat in heat and humidity so long that a fungus set in. You need to tell the vendor so he can replace your plants and get his money back from the carrier. Make sure to send him the photos.

I am sorry for your loss, but I have confidence it will be made right. Most hosta vendors work hard to keep their clientele happy.

Lainey

Hi Janice,

The spots might have been some fungus from being locked up in a box for a while, or even in close quarters and/or saturated soil in a greenhouse, but the bleaching leaves looks more like sunburn to me. It is possible that they were growing in a very densely shaded greenhouse and if you've had them out in some sunlight that could have burned them.

If those leaves are pulling out easily from the crown then I would be concerned, although leaf spots aren't usually big deal. Usually you can just clean up and throw out the foliage in the fall and they will fight off any fungus net year after they are more established. But check with your vendor to see what they think.

Hope that helps.

Chris

Did they look like this when they arrived? How long have they been at your place?
Pam

Thanks everyone! One of the plants had a funny looking leaf, as though something had been splashed on it!
They all had the little rusty dots and I didn't think anything of it!

But--the one funny leaf has become several and involving another plant. I've had them since July 31at!

I don't think there is anything wrong with them. If you pot them according to my instructions I'll replace them if they don't come back fine next year. AND I don't know or care who you got them from! I'll still replace them if you follow my method.

And don't worry about me in this if I didn't feel confident or was willing to do as I say I wouldn't do it. Or, pack them and send them to me and I'll pay whatever you paid for them in advance.

I will enjoy proving or disproving my assessment.

The more I think about it, I want them. I have a few projects running but nothing new, I NEED the challenge.

Send them to me Monday, don't bother to pack them carefully just throw them in a box with a little paper towel wrapped around the roots. No special rush delivery, send them by the cheapest slowest method.

I am serious!

E.O.--Let me guess: Cut all the leaves off, plant in a bucket with holes drilled 1-1/2 to 2" from bottom and fill with
planting medium of choice. Fill with water. Keep that way till they put forth new growth--and maintain, making sure
there is always water in the reservoir!

How am I doing? :o)

These are my plants, E.O.--for keeps, and I want them to 'make it',
so---tell me how, mister Mr. smarty pants? ;o)

Nice try EO - Ha!
Janice, here are some pictures of an order I received mid September last year. It's the first time I ever ordered late and not knowing what to expect I didn't expect much. I got the plants quite inexpensively and figured they'd be ahead of plants I'd wait to order in the spring. I was pleased enough with the results to now be looking at ANYONE who is having a sale (mail order). Anyway, below are three different plants that came in this order. Fragrant Blue was the worst of the lot and I thought I might loose that one. You can see they have all come back just fine. I didn't cut any of the leaves off though Fragrant Blue didn't have much left by October. The first two were in pots over the winter and stored like all my other potted hosta, in an unheated garage. The sugar and Spice was put in a holding spot in the ground but this spring I found the spot to be soggy so I dug up all the ones in there and put them in pots in early spring. I would document the plants you are concerned about and email the nursery. Next spring when you see what they do, you will know weather they need to be replaced or not. McT

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Nothing tells the story quite as well as photos, McT, nice job with those plants. Hostas are determined to live in most cases, we just have to document it.

Lainey

My thoughts exactly Lainey. Nice documentation McT!

Patty

Okay--thanks all--deep breath and off will come those leaves and petioles! I'll wind up
with more eyes next Spring, if I do *whack* them--hopefully!!!

It's as though they are trying to go dormant, but really fast--with some scary looking patterns!!

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I'll let you know how it turns out, all--again, thank you for your thoughts!!

Janice

I knew it! Just like the girl who lived next to me when I was a kid, her mother bought her anything and everything she wanted. She didn't want a toy until I took it out of the garbage then it was her favorite.

Ok, selfish. BIG BUTT I wanted to play with them.

Get volcanic rock sized or beat with hammer to size about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. fill a tall container sized to the plant root system. Bare root the plants and plant them in the volcanic rock. Now, keep water just below the crown or even cover the crown if you like. Feed about 1/32 recommended strength water soluble fertilizer when you add water daily or there abouts to keep the water level high. Add enough water weekly with rain water or water you have allowed to set so the chlorine has evaporated to cause water to run out. Or, maybe this makes better sense, poor a volume of fresh water equal to the amount in the container which will give you mostly new water as one might in a fish tank.

Remember the zumberized unstable plant that is planted in the volcanic rock in the milk jug.

I know youÂve already cut off the leaves but donÂt on the one you do by my method, I want the roots to get all the energy they can. DonÂt worry about rot, IÂm buying you a new one if it doesnÂt work!

Here is the plant today.

The same plant when I planted it as I was planting it.

Now planted in the volcanic rock.

Hey thanks, E.O.!!! hehehe I'm sorry I spoiled your fun--not sending you these hosta to play with!
But, I'll do my best to follow the rules of the game!!

BTW--why the volcanic rock as opposed to just putting them in a large measuring pitcher like I have
one other I have? I did that with one that had signs of Southern Blight-kept it in there changing the
water every day for several days and finally planted it!It's doing great, so far--leaves are sprouting
and so far no blight!

So--why the lava rocks? Your turn!! :o)

The volcanic rock is porous; as the water below evaporates some will condense on the rock above keeping moisture near or on the crown. The condensed rock will be very clean if there is any potential for rot. Actually it is a bit overboard but it is easy to do and allows you to sort of look in and see what is going on.

If you can see rot then cut it off and clean the area but I wager there is none.

Next time I invite you out to play I'm bringing my own toys, BIG BUTT I won't even let you play with them either, so there!

Blaaaaah!!! Well, my Daddy is bigger than your Daddy--and, oh--okay---I guess we need to play nice!!! LOL ;o)

You need to know, that as the only girl in a neighborhood of all boys--I played *cowboys and cow-girl*--'Anne Oakley',
to be more precise.

And, the *cow-boys* would get so upset with me, because when they would shoot me, I would never die!!!

My excuse was, "Well, Annie Oakly never dies on T.V., so neither will I!"

Just so you know how it is when boys try to play games with girls who know how the story really goes!!! LOL

Thank you, E.O.!! And, I will try to *play by the rules of your game*--this time! ;o)

Did you notice I didn't eat any of the mushroom soup at your house, my mother said your mother thought a cow pie was an overgrown mushroom.

E.O.--good one!!!

Annie who?

are these the plants that took the long way getting to you? Probably just boxed up to long in hot trucks etc.

i would not worry about them

stick them in the ground and watch them grow out of it

I know every one is saying your hosta will be just fine next year, and i am sure they will,my question is this,"Why in the world would Any One mail out such awful looking hosta"?Unless,of course, these are the ones that were on the delivery truck so long.Just wondering.:0)

Carol

usually 'sale' plants are not expected to be perfect

that said they should still be free of any illness or diesease

but i think hey -j's are damaged mostly from shipping - the box was lost for awhile (i think)

Hey j, I got some puny little things (must have been tc's) from e-bay, NOT from diggin', and I have had them in water for about a month. They all put on new growth and I finally put them all in pots yesterday. I think they will all be fine. Just give yours lots of love and even more water and they should be fine.

I do still have one in a cup of water, bare roots, and a new eye is beginning to emerge. How am I doin', EO? ;-)

Tanya

I do still have one in a cup of water, bare roots, and a new eye is beginning to emerge. How am I doin', EO? ;-)"
Tanya

Thanks for the report, we really need more data to uncover what if anything is wrong with my results and thinking. This constant water reservoir works like ringing a bell so far.

See Grey Ghost thread for more on this question.

OK EO, tell me what you think........I've been reading your posts and looking at your pics, and thought that it couldn't hurt this puny little hosta to put it in water. It looked pretty rough when I got it, and the leaves still look pretty rough, but it is thriving. It sits on the front porch and gets morning sun.

Runt, ain't it!

Grand Tiara

Tanya

"I've been reading your posts and looking at your pics, and thought that it couldn't hurt this puny little hosta to put it in water."
tanya

I'm sure you noticed the eye starting to emerge. Right in the 2nd photo, left in the 3rd photo?

"I'm sure you noticed the eye starting to emerge. Right in the 2nd photo, left in the 3rd photo?"
EO

Sure did, don't you feel like a proud poppa????

It's all uphill for this little booger!!!

"Sure did, don't you feel like a proud poppa????

It's all uphill for this little booger!!!"
Tanya

Yes!

BIG BUTT I also want to know if anything go array so keep track of what you do next so we can study what or when something goes wrong, BIG BUTT I don't feel it will.
Please?

I think you could go to the next step now?

Take a large styrofoam cup or any container and plant it in what ever soil you like to use. Then punch a hole just below the crown level for drainage, BIG BUTT I don't think it matters above the crown or below. I've done it both ways with no problem, BIG BUTT I'm very confident of this method. After 1 week punch a drainage hole 2/3rds down the side from the last hole, then 1 week later punch another hole 1/3 down which will leave 25 percent water retention.