I'd have Chris look at it. That tissue collapse doesn't look good, but that could be a symptom of cold damage. In photo 1, the new leaves don't seem to show any of the tissue collapse, so that's a plus.

I'd still ask Chris. Post these photos to his hvx forum at http://perennialnursery.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=63.

bk

Hmm, I hope not, but as BKay suggested: Chris.

While I'm NOT Chris, there's no doubt of what's shown in the 2nd picture: a clear example of the tissue collapse associated with HVX. Dig it up and burn it.....and do NOT replant another hosta in that spot for at least 2 years!

Pieter

Pieter, would the fact that it is planted in a spinout bag open the possibility that another hosta could be planted there immediately?

No offense meant, Pieter. I'm not an expert, and I know Chris is. I'm sure you know HVX when you see it, and thanks. Such a nice Wide Brim, sorry to see that, NHL : (

bk, I didn't think the tissue collapse looked good either. It is true that the new leaves don't show the same tissue collapse, but then maybe it doesn't appear until later? Would be nice to hear what Chris says. Good suggestion.

Thanks Don for your support. I've had that Wide Brim for many, many years---way before my hostaholic days. It just didn't grow too big because it was completely under my Corkscrew Hazel for at least the last couple of years. (I was bad---buying hosta that were better and newer instead of looking after what I already had!)

Thanks, Pieter for weighing in. I can't say I like what you said, but I do want to hear the truth! It's looking like this Wide Brim is going to have to be trashed. I wouldn't mind hearing a second opinion maybe from Chris. Not that I don't believe you---I guess I am in denial. There's always hope, right? And I was just getting a new sense of appreciation for Wide Brim.

Hi Deb. Unfortunately, I took the Wide Brim out of the ground and then put it in a spinout bag. So I'm not going to be able to plant in that area for a long time. Had my Wide Brim been in a spinout bag, then I would be able to plant another hosta in that space as all roots would be contained in that bag.

I don't think it is obviously HVX, Keep checking the other leaves and see if the anomaly spreads. Waiting for Chris' opinion is good advice. Digging it up is not. If it is confirmed as HVX, then digging it up can leave bits of roots in the soil that can live for over 2 years on the smallest bit of live tissue. IF, HVX is determined then the best way to handle removal is to kill the entire plant, including all roots is with glyphosate (Roundup). This practically eliminates any possibility of leaving HVX in the area. Waiting until the following Spring to plant any other hosta would be safe.

Myself, I see it as possibly HVX and if it is, there is zero chance of it spreading unless the living tissue is cut or scraped and the virus is transmitted into another hosta via a cut or abrasion in it. There is no harm in waiting. HVX can ONLY be spread in live tissue; unless every institution that has studied this including those sponsored by the Hosta Society are wrong.

Leaving it alone and not cutting it in any way while assuring whether it is HVX or not is harmless. Hosta never die from HVX, they just carry it indefinitely. Digging can potentially spread the virus to neighboring hosta or on tools used. My advice don't do it.

Jon

I agree with Jon - wait until you have another positive opinion before doing anything. Did you post this on Chris's forum as well? :-)

It's too late to wait. She just said she dug it up and put it in a spinout bag. So, if it's hvx, when she dug it up she cut roots and left some there. So, she's already done it. You can't undig it.

NHL, Pieter is pretty good. I would trust him or Steve Mass as much as Chris.

However, because you've already dug the plant once and you obviously have other hosta around it, I might consider buying test strips. I would also think about the tools you used, where they were used, if you sanitized them and the hosta that were around where you dug. Of course, nothing around it is going to show positive yet, even if you get a positive test on Wide Brim.

I'm really sorry. You could have a mess.

bk

Sorry I haven't been on here as much to help out, but yes, this is one of the many looks of HVX, and Wide Brim is one that I see often in stores showing faint symptoms..

So to your problem, now that you've dug it up, divided it, moved pieces around, you have the unfortunate situation of having a potential HVX problem on your hands. Sorry to hear it :(

First, based on research done for the AHS, HVX can survive in soil from root debris. This is a proven fact that even if you dig up or attempt to kill the plant, any root pieces remaining can infect another hosta in the same location. The only other virus I know of that is that stable outside of a living host plant is tobacco mosaic virus. In the research that was done, HVX in the soil remained infective for over two years after digging up the plant. The only way to get rid of HVX is to remove all of the soil along with the entire root system. For an old hosta this is a large area and a big hole. There is no proof that roundup will kill the hosta roots, and roundup was only designed to kill selective broadleaf weeds, not perennials. Hostas are not on the roundup label as a target plant, and even if you did kill the plant there is no proof that it kills the virus. We know from proven research that any tiny bit of root debris from a dug up hosta that remains in the soil has the potential to infect another hosta for years. Any root debris left after spraying with roundup has that same potential.

Second, based on research done for the AHS, HVX is more difficult to spread when digging and working with plants when they are completely dormant. For that reason it is best to move things or dig up infected plants in the fall after a really hard freeze. This way even if you touch something else the chance of spreading the virus is small to none, however, back to the first point, if the root system of an infected plant already co-exists with the roots of a neighboring plant, then it is best to remove them both along with all surrounding soil. Even if you leave the other plants there they could pick up the virus in time.

So I would recommend throwing away this particular hosta that you have in the spinout bag. If the other pieces you rescued are in a location where they aren't touching anything else and you can easily dig them up along with any soil around them, then you could do it now. Otherwise wait until the fall after a hard freeze to dig it out.

Get yourself some disinfecting wipes and start using them on your tools each time you touch a hosta in your garden to prevent spreading HVX, just in case you still have it in something else. We rinse off our shovels regularly and spray them with foaming lysol, scrub off the dirt, then wipe them with disinfecting wipes after that. And remember to wash your hands regularly.

Good luck.

Chris

Jon, I don't know how much actual experience you have have had with HVX, other than general horticultural knowledge being a master gardener, and I think once you said you had a degree in hort. HVX is very specific. All answers don't work for all things. You keep posting about using RoundUp, and Chris is saying that doesn't work and he has the real time experience selling and growing hostas. How much HVX have you had and what are your actual results with eradication, or is all your conjecture based on theory?

Most of us here can only express opinions based on actual experiences...are you doing that? Please tell me.

-Babka

Before throwing these all out, clean up the spots and all that work, I would test it with a HVX test strip from Agdia. Agdia sells 5 strips at a time. I thought some of my plants had obviously HVX per pictures on the internet, but the Agdia test showed it was not HVX, perhaps some other virus which did not show up the following year. Perhaps it were cold nights, etc. Good luck!

Interesting thread. I never knew HVX could look like that. Something else I'll need to be looking for, now.

Hi Bernd. Thanks for thoughts. I agree that it seems possible that mother nature may have us fooled. On the other hand I have Chris and Pieter that have agreed that this hosta is virus infected. I understand that this hosta can just sit where it is for a while until I decide what to do.

What I have decided to do is to just get rid of the three hostas I have: the largest one in a spinout bag, a four eyed division in a pot and a two eyed division in the ground. I really don't want to wait until I can get my hands on Agdia strips. Having these three hosta in my garden has a negative effect on me and saddens me. I have a lot of other beauty in the garden that I would rather focus on. And it's trash day today! So out go the one in the spinout bag and the potted one. I will wait until fall to remove the small one in the ground. (I am so happy that I decided to only plant the smallest one! It will be quite easy to remove with all the roots and soil.)

Bernd, I do appreciate reading your viewpoint, and those of others as well!

Here is a photo and closeup of my four eyed division in a pot. I wanted to show you all what HVX may look like.

The three leaves in the above photo are not looking healthy. So goodbye my Wide Brim!