Thanks for your comments, Ed. I appeciate them. I'm unsure about being able to kill off the rust or not (in warm weather areas). Just about everything that I have read says that you only suppress it, yet my garden seems to have been clean (at least, no visible pustules) since that initial exposure, so I don't know what to make of it. (Not, mind you, that I have minutely scrutinized every leaf on every plant - though I do check the remaining previously very rusty plants periodically.) I "got it all in time"? (Sounds like cancer, lol - and doesn't explain why those non-dormant rusty plants haven't been rusty since.) Climate not conducive? (Which seems to be the case, but still...) Re dormants... you make a good point in that northern gardens don't necessarily have to worry about rust resistance (especially those hybridizing mainly for other northern gardens). I was just curious as to whether - in zones 8 and 9 - if one DID have a garden of all dormants, if they got infected, would the plants all come up clean next year (provided all the dead leaves were removed). I guess we may never know. Re hybridizing - only two generations to get a very resistant plant? Depending on how many genes control resistance, the genetics of the parent plants and how many F2 seedlings you grew out, I can see that happening. (Only takes four years minimum to get there, sigh - and that's IF your environment is such that you can reliably tell which seedlings are susceptible or not.) (DH asked me something to that point - why not cross the rusty purchased plant to a resistant plant, etc. etc. Well, there are a lot of excuses (er, reasons) as to why not, including not much sunny, deer-proof, unlandscaped space that I can use for seedlings. Since I have WAY more crosses that I want to make than I ever have the time/energy/space to grow out, and since I also don't want to perpetually be battling rust, it seemed the best thing to just toss the rust bucket(s).) Ed, do you mind if I ask how many F2 seedlings you had to grow out to get at least one resistant plant? I would guess at least 16 for tets - with no guarantee that you would get a very resistant plant because the probabilities hold for large populations, not necessarily for small ones (though you could get one to a few moderately resistant plants, depending on the genetics of the parents). (My reasoning is as follows... We don't know how many genes are involved, but for tets, making some very simplistic (and possibly incorrect) assumptions (only one gene determines resistance, an additive as opposed to dominant/recessive mechanism (what I gather seems to be the case?), the pod parent's extra DNA does not affect resistance, the resistant parent is rrrr and the susceptible parent is RRRR - so this assumes the best and worst case plants), I would guess you would get in the first generation F1 all rrRR (call that average resistance/susceptibility), and in the second generation F2: 1 rrrr very resistant F2 plant 4 rrrR equivalent moderately resistant plants 6 rrRR equivalent average resistance/susceptibility plants 4 rRRR equivalent moderately susceptible plants 1 RRRR very susceptible plants If the resistant parent is rrrR and/or the susceptible parent is RRRr then the picture gets more complicated.) I wish there was more information available in one location as to resistant cultivars. (Yes, I have been reading daylilyrust.org, forums, and hybridizer's comments.) I have gathered some of the reputedly resistant plants together, but for other plants (with traits that I want) it is hard to tell. (If anyone can tell me one way or the other re resistance on WHITE MOUNTAIN or ARCTIC LACE I would appreciate it!)

Thanks Phil! I only ordered from really reputable sources. Naylor and Foxfire sell some sweet hostas - always pleased w/ what I received. If you've never ordered online from Hallson's, you are truly missing out. Some of the best hostas I've received are from them!!! HUGE w/ giant roots...incredible! Then there is Bob Kuk's stuff...that guy is a legend, love his stuff....and Olga...oh wait, what was I saying? LOL The DB was a gift from someone who got it directly from Herb Benedict...he literally dug it out of his yard for him. That's pretty good stuff. :)

Kiendu & Troutwind, Once a hosta flower is fertilized, a pod will form. If no pod forms, then either it wasn't fertilized, or it was, but aborted. The flower will then dry up & fall off. The seeds are in the pod. It generally takes 2 months for the pod to mature. Once it does, it (usually) will split open and the seeds will scatter. You could also pick them before they open, and dry the pods in a paper bag. The seeds should be black, or very dark. White or clear ones generally are not viable. Different plants vary in size as you can see: You can't tell really from the picture, but one end should have a distinct "bump"; that's actually the seed. (No bump=not viable.) The black is just chaff to help scatter the seed into the wind. They do not need cold to germinate, so you could plant the seeds indoors in fall/winter, or sow them outside in fall, and they will germinate in spring. They will germinate on the soil surface, or also lightly covered with soil. Important to note, that hosta seedlings do not usually look like the pod parent. Most are greenies, but they do pass on traits of the parents, such as rippled edges, plant & leaf shape, color, but not variegation. Variegated hostas almost always come from a streaked pod parent. Even with a streaked pod parent, you still get alot of solid colored seedlings. Wendy

I notice in Josh's article that he says they will continue to mature if the entire scape is cut and stood in a jar of sugar water. It is interesting that those scapes are as tough as they are. They take the wind, they take hard rains. So I guess they provide some nourishment to the seeds as they absorb the last bit of moisture through the stems of the scapes. Next time, I'll cut the scape as long as I can. And pick up some sugar when we shop next.