I guessing that it is too much water/not enough water. Too much sun would burn the leaves and they would bleach out and look awful, but they probably wouldn't wilt if the roots were happy. Wilting means that the roots aren't getting the water to the leaves, whether it is from root rot or lack of moisture in the soil, or even critters chewing up the roots. Dig it up and take a look to know for sure.

-Babka

Here is a photo I took yesterday of some leaves I removed. Water or Sun ?

Oh Dear! That collapsed tissue is bad (HVX?) and the white areas between the veins almost look like nematodes. Where did you get this hosta? It doesn't even look like h. Gold Standard. Be sure to disinfect anything that touches this plant.

-Babka

I agree with Babka, that doesn't look like Gold Standard. But if it is, I bought one last year and I unknowingly think it had HVX. The leaves didn't wilt but didn't look exactly healthy either. I replanted it in a pot and the one eye that showed this spring never did anything. Pot and plant went in the garbage last month. Be careful of this one.

I just dug the plant up and re-planted in the back. I came back in and saw your two post. I agree to me it has never looked like Gold Standard. I bought it from Easy to Grow Bulbs, which also mis-labeled another plant I bought from them at the same time.

The roots looked pretty healthy to me. It did not appear like anything had been chewing on them and they were somewhat moist and healthy looking. They even has several large earthworms attached to the roots.

I'll keep everyone updated on the plants status. The leaves have never shown any leaching, so I never thought of HVX.

Here are some photos taken immediately after re-planting. As you can see the other leaves show no leaching and appear rather healthy. The bottom picture shows a leaf that I left on the plant with white spots on it. I also removed two other leaves just before I re-planted that looked similar, but with more area of white bleached out surface.

If they have a one year guarantee, I would get a new plant... Just not a hosta.

Can someone confirm or deny if this is a Gold Standard ? I've always thought it would get it's gold color later in the year. But it's getting pretty late and it looks nothing like a Gold Standard.

Could someone tell me what it is though ?

It looks like my plantaginea, to me? I'd have to say definitely not GS

Nope, not GS.

tj

You are right it does look like a plantaginea. I guess I will know for sure when and if it blooms.

If it is H. Plantaginea wouldn't it be sun tolerant ?

I really do believe that your problems are NOT sun intolerance. That tissue collapse is a real clue. Cold damage?? Were they just the first/outer leaves? Can you send a photo to Chris at Hallson Gardens? He is the resident guru for HVX and other cultural problems. Worry about identifying it later, with size measurements and flowering time/color. Hostas that were grown in a greenhouse then plopped in the sun would sunburn across the leaf/turn crispy at first before they became adjusted to their surroundings. But since you have an obviously mislabeled hosta it means the seller is questionable, so don't rule out anything.

-Babka

Thanks Babka. I really am leaning more towards Nematodes than HVX.

I would think if it isn't either of those then it may have received too much water. I just noticed the leaves doing this after a week of rain.

Thanks for your help.

I'm wondering if the Mycorrhizae I've added to the roots will help with Nematode reduction ?

I have also heard sugar may cause the nematodes to die, as well as giving the plant a hot water bath and adding boiling water to the soil it was planted in.

Also, I know you can purchase beneficial nematodes than supposedly reduce the bad ones.

I've also heard you can purchase beneficial Nematodes to eat the bad ones ?I

IF you have foliar nematodes, they are a totally different animal from soil nematodes. We use the beneficial ones here to eat grubs. Do some Googling for foliar nematodes in hostas to find out more.

-Babka

1. Mycorrhizae have no effect on nems.

2. Never heard of the sugar thing. Placing the dormant crowns in water at 120 degrees F for 15 minutes kills the nems.

3 & 4 You'd need to find beneficial nems specific for foliar nems. I don't think they exist.

Nem Info

tj

Ok, So if it is foliar Nems, then if I destroy the plant then it should be eradicated ?

Or would I still need to put some boiling water in the soil ?

You can save the plant with the hot water treatment. Although dormant plants are best to treat, you can treat a leafed out plant. Since they are in the soil, yes, it would need to be treated with hot water. Fall cleanup helps reduce their numbers.

tj

Foliar nematodes can come from other plants in your garden, and just be something you have to live with. There is a way to actually see the neems with a leaf and a glass of water and a jewelers loupe ( magnifying glass). Please address the tissue collapse and find out what THAT is first before you take any drastic measures. Right now, you don't really know what you have. Don't be too hasty.

-Babka

Have you looked for bugs? Spider mites can make marks that look like that.

Kathy

I actually have a jewelers loupe and will look on a few leaves tomorrow. I also hear soaking the plants in a 5-10% bleach solution gets rid of them as well. Right now this is the only plant I see with issues, but I will be sure to check regularly.

I haven't looked Kathy, but I will. Spider mites are red aren't they ?

Babka,

So you don't think the tissue collapse is from Nems ? Do you really think it could be HVX, or something else since there has been no leeching of the leaves ?

I've looked at the pics again and I think it's chemical. Any chance you sprayed something that might have drifted onto them?

Spider mites are red and very tiny.

Kathy

Spider mites here come in red and black and can be detected by tapping the leaf over a piece of white paper and they look like fine pepper. There is a process involved to soak a leaf and then look thru the jewelers loup to see that bugger. Google it.

-Babka

I havent sprayed anything on my lawn in weeks, and this plant is behind two others which should have been affected before this one if that were the case.

It seems unusual (to me at least) that the plants in close proximity to it are thriving (knock wood) at the moment and aren't affected by whatever it is.

I did spray them last week with some Schultz's fertilizer, reckon I could have applied it a little strong ? none of my other plants seem to mind.

We're the others established? This one was just planted, right?

All were planted at the same time.

Is the leaf substance the same for all the hostas in the area? Maybe this one got over spray and has a thinner leaf structure than the others?

if you moved it from full shade. to sun.. after it leafed out.. without hardening off ... then that is sun burn ... as well as transplant shock ...

no way gold standard.. it doesnt have any gold...

if it has 3 inch white fragrant flowers .. royal standard a maybe ...

i dont see hvx.. and its early for most of us.. for nems ...

i feel like there is a lot of chicken little in this post ...

but what do i know ...

Chris' fred flintstone computer.. cant handle houzz ... and he is very busy.. but he does work his own website... if you want to send the pix there .... let us know if you do

also.. i would never fert a transplant .. its already in enough shock ...

ken

Thanks Ken, I always welcome your knowledgeable opinion as well.

The plant in question grew from a bulb this spring along with several others surrounding it. The transplant occurred yesterday when I moved it to a location with less sunlight and better soil conditions. It seems to me when I dug the plant yesterday that the roots were impacted pretty strong inside of a soil ball (probably from so much clay in the soil here). So it may just be a water issue with the plant.