I don’t know how I didn’t see it early enough to save it, but this is what a Hosta too far gone from Southern Blight looks like. First I poured a 10% bleach solution on it. That was just an attempt to interrupt any reproductive activities while I got organized to handle the problem. I got two large heavy duty garbage bags, some tools, gloved up with disposable gloves, and mixed up a gallon of flutolanil fungicide. Gathering up the fallen leaves was pretty much like pulling hair into a pony tail. Into the garbage bag they went. Then I scooped all of the topsoil surrounding the Hosta up and put it in the bag also. Next I poured half the fungicide all over the poor one petiole left standing and the surrounding soil and said goodbye. Then I dug up the root ball and into the garbage bag with that too.

I poured the rest of the flutolanil into and around the hole and dumped a bag of dirt into the hole. I’m thinking I’ll plant a crepe myrtle there, I need the shade and I’m not putting any hostas in holes treated with that fungicide. They don’t do well there.

Punky was a gift from Hallson in one of my orders and rapidly became a favorite.

RIP, Punky.

Awww. So sad. Poor Punky :(

You have my sympathies. Thanks for the play-by-play on your treatment.

Sorry to see/hear it... yes, thanks for the explanation and education.

what a bummer when a pretty plant goes down :-( ..gardening is heartwarming AND heartbreaking..saw an article about above average US rainfall with color coded states..NC was in the top category..

Poor Punky. It's early for Southern Blight, no wonder you missed it. Yours had beautiful coloration. Maybe mine needs more sun.

I had an Android with Southern Blight and made the mistake of treating it with Bayer 3 in 1. It recovered and looked fine. Then it had thick twisted leaves for a couple years and this year it didn't come up. I was hoping to replace it. Any idea if tebuconazole lingers in the soil?

Haven’t used tebuconazole, although I think I might own some. The stunted twisted leaves is what I get from plants that have recovered after treatment with flutolanil, too. Maybe it’s the fungal infection that causes the distortions. I have some that have fully recovered from SB and some that are still struggling after three years. This one was too far gone to save.

Oh no, that's too bad. Punky was nice looking. At first I thought some animal laid down in the center of it, until you showed the closeups. If Punky has to go, it's good you are sharing what Southern Blight looks like. I don't think we have it here, but it looks terrible the way it takes a plant down like that.

The worst part is how fast it goes. The picture of Punky I posted was taken May 16. I found it down like that June 9. If you see a live petiole lying on the ground and it comes off the plant with a gentle tug that is Southern Blight attacking your Hosta. Act immediately if you want to save it. It takes about seven days to get to the condition I found it from the first symptoms.

Kathy- those that have eventually recovered... how did you treat them? With the fungicide? And then after looking distorted for a few years, they went back to normal?

I went out to take a picture of the Winter Snow that I saved from SB three or four years ago and it has a petiole down. Its under attack. I’ll let you know what I do with it.

My sympathies....RIP Punky. Maybe another Punky will help you forget.