hosta dx

novice_2009

13 years ago

I have several types of hostas, and was wondering...other than the effects of sun, heat, slugs, snails...what kind of diseases do these guys get?

I had one that I planted last year. It came up this year, hardly grew, no blooms, and had large reddish areas on leaves....this guy is in a place where there is an abundance of water, little drainage, no sun.

I've got another new one (this year) not looking good.

So, what are the diseases of hostas? They seem pretty hardy and I love them, but don't know anything about them except for that.

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Comments (12)

quicksilver
13 years ago
Google Hostalibrary and when you get to the site click on Hosta HVX.
franknjim
13 years ago
The red spots is a fungus called rust. Another possibility is anthracnose.

Anthracnose is a fungal leaf disease of hosta that thrives in warm, wet weather. This is not the same fungus that causes anthracnose on sycamore and ash.

Symptoms of hosta anthracnose include large, irregular spots with darker borders. Eventually the centers of the spots fall out, and leaves become ragged. Usually this disease doesn't mean "hosta la vista baby," but it sure makes them look like they were in a gunfight.

Try to keep leaves as dry as possible by using soaker hoses or watering the soil rather than the plants. Improve air circulation as much as possible by dividing plants or selectively thinning trees. If anthracnose still seems to be a problem, it may be worth beginning a fungicide spray to protect the emerging leaves. Ideally fungicide application should begin in spring as new leaves emerge and as long as wet weather continues. Look for fungicides containing thiophanate methyl as the active ingredient. Always read and follow pesticide label directions. Check to see that the fungicide is labeled for hosta to control anthracnose or leaf diseases.

Although more common in southern states, Sclerotium blight can be a serious disease of hostas. Symptoms first appear as lower leaves wilt and brown. Eventually upper leaves wilt and show a soft, brown rot of the base of petioles. This disease is difficult to control since the fungus can reside in the soil.

Leaf nematodes can also be a problem on hosta. Damage appears as brown areas between veins. Sunburn is not an infectious disease and appears as tan or whitish areas on the leaves.

Frank

Here is a link that might be useful: Diseases of Hosta sp.
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Holly - Yeungling's beer recipes (and the company) are originally German (the masters) so it's not quite what you think.... LOL Now I'm hungry for some beer-battered something... :-p Those are trees in the background, way down below (I'm on the 18th floor). Haven't been able to get a good pic from the ground - maybe because the spot to take it would need to be from across the street (and I'm not quite willing to look like a lost tourist, particularly with how busy the street can get when there's good light). The tomatillos are interesting plants and they usually require having multiples to get some cross-pollination so they will set fruit. I had 3 strong seedlings after starting them from seed in a 16 oz solo cup and I kept them together when I planted them out. Below is what they look like today (the plant hanging out over the rail with the yellow flowers). It was sortof hard to get in there to get the pic since they are in with some tomatoes and are right up against the rail. You can actually see some of my baby San Marzanos in the lower left-hand corner too, jammed in there... lol: Right now, the plants are about 4.5 ft tall (in the container) and will probably reach near 6ft or more before the end of summer. Have lots of blossoms and am hoping some of these bees would quit chasing the hummingbirds and have some fun with these tomatillo flowers. The tomatillos are used for Salsa Verde. Fortunately, they are pretty easy to grow from seed as it's often hard to find any plants for sale at nurseries (although I have occassionally seen them sold at some of my bigger local nurseries - but usually there's only one pot with a couple plants in it and you hope you can keep it in one piece to get it home because they can be fragile and will snap in a minute - moreso than a typical tomato). As for our contest - I personally think that we all have very unique land areas (balcony vs 1/6 acre vs 1/3 acre) and growing styles - yet we're usually growing many of the same things. LOL We do compete with who can get the first tomatoes (although they cheat by buying plants and I grow from seed). Of course mom seems to beat us all with her own cheat tomatoes every single time! We do look forward to the spring runs to the local nurseries and of course going to the Philadelphia Flower Show!
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Just as you cannot make generalized statements about all fungal issues that affect plants, neither can you make broad generalization about fungicides. The application of any fungicide needs to be tailored to the specific pathogen it is intended to address. IOW, not any or all fungicides will work on any or all fungal pathogens. And some fungal issues do not respond to any type of fungicide. Fungicides are grouped by their mode of action: preventative, curative or eradicative. The VAST majority of fungicides available to home gardeners are preventative. That means they will not kill or destroy any existing fungal organisms but simply prevent their development. For best effect, they should be applied before any visible signs of the disease are present but they still may have effectiveness in preventing the pathogen from spreading and infecting "clean" (uninfected) plant tissue. Both Daconil (chlorothalonil) and Serenade (Bacillus subtilis) are preventative fungicides - they have no ability to cure or eradicate pre-existing fungal issues. This is really not up for discussion - the products are what they are and the science behind them is pretty well established. Those who have differing "opinions".....and there seems to be a few judging from the previous posts.......would do well to research how specific fungicides work rather than relying solely on anecdotal evidence as to their specific effectiveness. If you Google the topic, there are numerous scientific websites that will explain the differences and even refer to specific fungicides, so one does not have to rely on word of mouth of hobby gardeners. I've linked to one that explains the issue clearly and succinctly but there are many others that delve much deeper in the science and technology behind these products.
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It looks like you have scale. Are those bumps on the back of the leaf slightly raised, and can you scrape them off with your finger nail? If so, I would try spraying them directly with an insecticidal soap, keep it quarantined and see if the little buggers disappear. Karen
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Ahhh--yes, ken--it is!! Thank you, sir!!:o) As one who has dealt with the dreaded SD, I want to understand all I can about it, especially the cause of it! So far--this year, no reocurrence in previous areas! I DID do what DonR has suggested doing--you know the stuff that scared the pajeebers out of me, in trying to use it 'safely'! Not 'pa-jammers', pa-jeebers !! Just want to be clear on that point! ;o) Manfred--good stuff--I'm saving your posting! :o) BTW--Don is not nearly as wary as I am about what he recommends! Here's his comment on a previous thread when I teased about the 'scariness' of the product, 'Prostar': "I'm not so sure that the Prostar fungicide is any more hazardous than many of the other fungicides that are commonly used by gardeners. Otherwise, it wouldn't be packaged and marketed for homeowner use and would require a hazmat permit to purchase. The safety data sheet can be found on-line if anyone wants to read it. Anyways, it's great to hear that you've had good success. I suspect that you will eventually find a plant or two still affected by the blight, but it will probably be because your treatment this spring missed those areas. Keep a vigilant eye! I think you'll agree that all of the hostas you've saved is well worth the $80 you spent on the Prostar, and you've got enough left for several more treatments if necessary." He was right--I did find it crop up in a barrel across the yard from the previous sites, which were, in fact, across the yard from each other, too! So--I do recommend the Prostar, based on my success, to date, but be prepared to pay the $80 for it--anywhere I looked!!! But--as Don suggested--it's not a bad 'investment' if you find you will need it in subsequent years, and I used so little of it, for the few places I needed it!
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franknjim
13 years ago
HostaLibrary HVX link below

Here is a link that might be useful: HOSTA VIRUS X
franknjim
13 years ago
Novice,

Below is a link on how to put photos in your posts. If you need further help feel free to ask and we will help you.

And don't feel that you have to read every old post before asking a question here. It is not a requirement.

Frank

Here is a link that might be useful: Including photos and thumbnails in your posts
schoolb1
13 years ago
You just keep them coming!We all are learning, that is why we are on here
aahostas
13 years ago
Novice,
We were all in your shoes at one time or another. Hostas are "The Friendship Plant" and 99% of the folks who raise them are friendly. I have made some great friends from this forum..cAROL and Butch to name a couple.I appreciate your curiosity and feel free to e-mail me again as many times as you need.We are all in this learning curve together.

DEnny
dhaven
13 years ago
Kudos to GardenWeb for removing the offensive response on this thread, and a big WELCOME to Novice2009. aahostas is spot on--most of the people on this forum are terrific, knowledgeable hosta people who are more than happy to share their information. Keep the questons coming!
in ny zone5
13 years ago
Welcome to the Hosta forum! Some people could get off wrong some day, but mostly the same persons are great helpers on this forum and have always shared their many years of experience.

Please look at this information about Hosta Diseases :
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/sul14.pdf

You can also search this website for
"Hosta Pests (info to read and print)"

Bernd
just1morehosta
13 years ago
Ahhhhhhhhh,a breath of fresh air just came through.
Yes, welcome to the hosta forum Novice,hope you stick around for a long time.
cAROL
swmogardens
13 years ago
Hey novice,
Go to as many hosta gardens around you as you can. Join the local hosta society. You will make new friends and pick up all sorts of helpful info.
PS: start a little garden journal of what hostas you have and where they are planted. If you do get hooked on hostas, you will want to know which is which.
novice_2009
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks everybody! Noticed a few posts were missing. I love hostas, and found recently that one has sprung up where I had one two years ago and moved it. Is that some kinda natural root division? Wow. When I first got started on the front of my house, it was nothing but weeds. No gutters, north facing.......After making some beds, my very first plants I put in were two hostas, still too much of a newbie to write down what kind they were, because one I wish I had because I am in love!!! It comes back huge, faithfully, every year, and although it doesn't bloom much, like another, the leaves are large, green, and lush.
Really fills out that space on the side of the porch. As I bought a few more hostas, my only problems I could see were slugs and snails(very abundant in that environment). So, I set out some shallow dishes of beer to catch em.
But, I'm learning that each hosta is different, and something is up other than heat and the slimy guys. Grasshoppers like to munch on them? Maybe they were just hiding out there. Saw some suspicious leaf spots (not sunburn or heat). Started thinking....
So thanks for all the advice, and links, and help.
I started a garden journal this year, but haven't really focused on the hostas. Now I can, and as I learn, keep track of them also. Just assumed they were hardy and reliable, other than the slugs....
Anyway, thanks again!
just1morehosta
13 years ago
Hi Novice, I was affraid you were not going to come back, nice to hear from you.Yes, a few posts have been removed.
Hosta are very hardy,and reliable,good luck with any newbies you may be buying, you will have a collection in no time at all.:0)Any more questions, just ask away.
cAROL

hosta dx

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hosta dx

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