Ginny, what I've read about HVX made me very come since nothing you could do about.
It doesn't spread by birds or insects, virused plants had been sold by large growers for several years already and they are wide spread around the country. After we divide them and share we are the spreaders to other gardens.
After we divide them and not sterilize(!) shovels we spreading it to other unvirused hostas in our garden.
List of most likely hosts of HVX is below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hosta Library

Ya know, Ginny...I've been reading & wondering about this myself. I've got 12 'Sum & Substance' that were purchased to form a very large edging. They were planted barely showing eyes from 1 ga. pots in April '04...all from the same nursery. (I'd made a special order mid-winter '04 and they were part of that order of approximately 200 perennials...new gardens & we negotiated a discount for placing the large order off-season.)

Anyway, they've been doing great as have the other hostas we planted at the same time. Now, spring forward to this year..spring '06. These 'S&S' look like they are living in the Sahara even with all the rain we've had. Some of the leaves are distorted, most all of the leaves flop over and don't support themselves, the leaves are thin and wimpy, and not one single plant has produced a flower stem this year. DH & I were just talking about them last weekend wondering wassup?

Now, from George's link...I see that 'S&S' is on the list of "High Percentage of Infected Plants In The Marketplace" & that it could take a couple years to show up on the plants. I'm going to feel ill if these plants are virused! It was a sizeable expense to plant this edging...to say nothing about the rest of our hostas.

Is there a way to know for sure? I don't want to just rip them out if it's not necessary. On the other hand, they look just awful instead of lush/beautiful that you'd think they'd be this season.

Oh, that is rotten news, Triciae. What I'd do if I were you is to post a photo--long-range and close-up--on the Hosta forum, and ask what they think. There are enough serious hosta experts there to tell you right away. In fact, there are already some photos of HVX-infected plants so you can see some of the symptoms. I hate to say it but it sounds like what you describe. Just type "HVX" in the "Search" box on that forum.

Thanks for bringing this up. I'm glad I read this. I don't usually visit the hosta forum. Luckily, some new hostas I purchased this year are not near any other hostas. Gosh, we don't need another virus, etc.

After reading what I have found on Google, I'm not sure I'd buy a new hosta right now, and absolutely not one from a big box store. A couple of nurseries, such as Plant Delights, they say, guarantee their stock to be virus-free.

If you buy new hostas, you have to quarantine them in another part of your garden--far from your existing hostas, for several YEARS. And you must sterilize all your tools with bleach etc. etc. Not worth it to me. What a disaster for our gardens, for nurseries, and others.

I've been looking at pixs on the 'net all afternoon & I'm pretty sure my 'S&S's' are virused...:( Now, the BIG question is what about my other hostas that are not showing any signs of problems. I've got half a dozen 'Blue Angels' that were purchased at the same time from the same place...they look terrific now...but, that might not mean everything's OK. Also, I just purchased a 'Pinneapple Upside Down Cake' from VPN a couple weeks ago & didn't isolate it. Guess I need to dig it up and find some place to stick it for a few years...what a PITA!

Besides the expense that loosing these 12 'S&S' has cost...I've also lost the two season's growth factor. I'm not a happy camper this afternoon!

One more question: even after diseased plants are removed, does the virus remain in the soil?

From what I have read, all infected hostas should be put in the trash--not composted. And if you leave even a tiny bit of root, it is infected so it is not a good idea to plant another hosta there immediately. But the soil itself does not hold the virus. It comes from sap from the infected hostas. So you can transmit it with garden tools, your hands (ripping out a leaf from an infected hosta) and many other ways. Some say animals can spread it; some not. But a deer browsing on infected leaves, it seems to me, could spread it to uninfected hostas.

This is all from reading. I am not a plant scientist! But this has become a hot topic among experts and there is a lot of info on Google.

Triciae--have you thought about contacting the nursery where you bought your infected plants for a credit towards some other kind of plant?

Yes, Ginny...I've been considering calling them all afternoon. The problem is how do I prove the virus came from THEIR stock? I know because we had NO plants until that first order from this nursery. But, they don't know that & I don't know how to prove it? Any thoughts?

I've just decided I'm going to call the nursery tomorrow morning. They are a large garden center that has been in business for decades. They didn't get as large as they are by not being reputable. So, since I'm certain they will at least remember who I am...I'm going to dig up a 'S&S' & take it to them. Then, go from there...I don't want any more hosta (!) so, maybe, they'll at least give me a partial credit on something else.

Any thoughts???

Triciae, first I'd print out as much relevant info from the internet as possible--especially all references to Sum and Substance as being particularly vulnerable to this. Show it to the person you talk to.

Then I'd assemble some info re your property--photos, docs--to prove you had no perennial garden or hostas before. Have internet info that states that the virus can't blow in on the wind.

Then I'd take photos of your S&S and bring them with a few really bad leaves.

Lastly, I'd make an appointment with the mgr/owner before I went--maybe several days--to underscore the importance of the situation.

Chances are they didn't know about the virus or that plants could look fine yet still carry it. Tho they ought to know by now if they are a good nursery.

Just a thought, I have more than a few dozen different hosta. My thoughts are that the lack of sun has kept the hosta from progressing in a natural way. All of sudden they get hot days, and evan hotter sun (although limited) than what they would have adjusted too under more normal conditions. The excessive rain beat them up also.

I have Sun & Substance from an older plant. I know it doesn't have HVX. BUT it sure looks much worse than ever before. This applies to all my hosta.

Today they were introduced to 3/4 -1" hail.

Just a thought.

Ron

Triciae: You're on the right track, but before you bring a plant back to the nursery be sure they want it there. Good nurseries will settle for a pic if a known customer brings it. Don't think they'll want the real thing around the other materials. On a good note: they should want to know about your S&S's since other folks may have the same problem.

(I was in the biz during Fulsarium Wilt traveling around in Basil. A good customer let us know early that hers were infected and we pulled everything. This is a bit different given the time, but the reaction should be the same :-)

My hostas are okay but are also only year two. So far, so good.

Martie

triciae... can you take a pic of your S&S?

Yes, we have an inexpensive digital camera that I could snap a shot with. But, I've tried several times & just can't get the picture posting thing down. Maybe, if somebody could hold my hand...? I've been trying through TinyPic.