Steve, could that be cut worms? It's really early for melt out, even here.

bk

bk.....If it wasn't melt out it was something else like that. The bad areas started thinning and eventually disintegrated over a two or three week period. Last year it didn't start until the summer, this year it started in mid April.

Once it got to the point you see in the picture it stayed like this until it went dormant.

Steve

This is where it was this year when the same thing started.

When I saw your picture, I also thought it was insect damage. I looked up the life cycle of cutworms. Here it is:

Could it be that a cutworm found your pot in June last year and then laid eggs? Could it be that it has now emerged and is having a feast?

Despite the difference in our zones, and my understanding of the challenges of growing hosta in your climate, being ever the optimist (or a pessimistic optimist, lol) in cases like this, it is also possible that this plant is just one of a bad TC batch. ?

Let's see how your new shoot fares - luck and fingers crossed!

*** Edited to add:. Your description of "thinning out..." is a part of the melt-out process, as your pics showed in your first thread. I'm inclined to agree with melt-out as opposed to cutworms even though the holes left DO, at a quick glance, look like they might be chew marks.

However, If you look at especially leaves at 5:00 & 10:00 o'clock you'll notice the parchment-like thin layer of remnant nearest centre of the leaf...that is a classic left-over after melt-out.

Overall it remained healthy although all of the centers melted out.

==>>> of course it did ... only the green photosynthesizes.. and most of that was left all season ...

santa ... this is s POS ..piece of carp plant ... throw it away ... there.. i feel better ..

the only reason to keep it.. if for the challenge .. but dont go whining to us ...

repot it.. and throw all this old media away ... so you can be sure there is no bug ...

weird thing is.. there is some green tissue missing.. and it rarely melts out... and the pattern of said missing stuff.. was access to the white ...

aw crikey ... dont even bother with the driveway..... throw it out .. lifes too short ... lol ...

just dont replace it with any of the other big white centered terminal plants ... like remember me ... etc ...

dont make me come down there.. and do it myself ... lol

ken

I'm 100% sure that the initial damage was not any kind of insect as large sections in the white part of the leaves slowly got thinner and thinner. I'm sure that thin, damaged areas of any plant makes for some easy pickin's for any kind of bug, so it is certainly possible that some of the final damage was done by some evil critter.

Ken......when you make a final decision on what you really think please let me know. lol I really don't think it is a bug issue this year (so far) as there is zip damage on any of the leaves from the second and late arriving shoot. The melt out only starts once the leaf reaches a certain size. Maybe that's common with melt out? The newer/smaller leaves on the first shoot are also still healthy as it continues to put out new leaves.

In my previous post I said I was 100% sure it wasn't initially insect damage. I should have said that I'm 100% sure it isn't like any insect damage I have ever seen or heard about.

I thought mine was dead but eventually saw some pips. I took kens advice though and tossed it. I have a small garden and don't have room for stuff that can't keep up.

I have plenty of room for it so I'll experiment and see what happens for awhile.

I found this picture of when it first started last year.

Ken......when you make a final decision on what you really think please let me know. lo

===>>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfL4-C8OCys

just as long as we are clear ... lol

ken

Good pic, and it certainly does look like the beginnings of a melt-out there, in my opinion.

BAZINGA!

That's the reason I don't have white centered plants (except Night Before Christmas).

My last white centered plant, which has since been rehomed.

bk

I've had this same experience with White Christmas. The first couple years it stayed small and was always a little ratty. When it got some size to it, it did the melt out thing and really looked bad for two years. It was in the ground with very little sun. I potted it up in 50-50 compost and garden soil last year and it was beautiful! Maybe just a lucky year, I don't know. This year I re-potted it in 5-1-1. We'll see, don't give up on it yet.

My Loyalist is on the dud bench.

I had seen over the last year where others had had bad experiences with others like Loyalist so I knew to stay away from those similar. I bought Risky Business this year, which is white centered, but that appears to be a different type leaf structure than Loyalist.

Is that 'Ann Kulpa' BKay?

Ah hem! Apparently Loyalist is dear to your heart or you like the challenge. I would have said outta here because I don't have the longevity or time to grow finicky hosta; but I say go for it and report back to us at summer's end. AND I hope you have a smile on your face.

I thought my loyalist was dead but it eventually sent up a few pitiful pips mid April. I benched it as well to put in some better performers.

Looks like for the most part Loyalist is on a level with politicians and head cheese.