Virused 'Sum and Substance' probably infecting the 'Halcyon' right next to it, grown by a different company.

Uh oh. More Greenleaf hostas with HVX. They had that problem last year too. You can find them on the internet, let them know. They had tp recall some last year because of it.

Sandy

Would be interesting to know which of their locations those hostas came from. The ones in Missouri I think were from Park Hill,Oklahoma.They were Gold Standard. But do report it to them, they need to know.

http://www.greenleafnursery.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.contact/index.htm

Sandy

Call or email these guys and let them know. I have the email address for the man in charge of inspections in both the counties near me. I email him the name of the reseller as well as pictures.

Here's the contact info:

Here is a link that might be useful: Colorado Department of Agriculture

Thanks for the info. Done.

Don B.

A few years ago I pointed out some hostas that had obvious signs of HVX to someone at a local nursery (in Hastings) and they blew me off and got rather rude with me because of it. They said they knew about the disease, but unless they tested it they couldn't confirm it to be the disease. All one had to do was look at the plant, it was so obvious. I'll never buy a hostas from there ever.

Karen

Greenleaf posted a kind of apology/explanation here last year (I think it was last year). Basically, they said they tried, but some stuff just gets past them or something like that. Sandy had found a HVX infected plant and mentioned it on the forum. They responded. I think it was last year, but the older messages are not coming up on search, and I couldn't find it using Google.

Now, here's a couple of downsides of telling nurseries that their plants have HVX. (or questioning their HVX policies) You find out that most either don't believe you, don't know what to do or don't care. Either way, they usually don't do anything. Then, you have a bad taste in your mouth about that nursery. Many times it's a part-time or uninformed person you talk to and they have no idea what to do.

The other downside is that you may be wrong. Then you have to go back and eat your words.

Below is one that I was wrong about. I made a big deal out of it. I called Lowe's headquarters, demanded to speak to the manager, etc. That experience changed my whole perspective. I no longer comment. I just walk away. It was a tough piece of crow.

bk

You can print out this leaflet and show it to the manager. If he gives a rip at all he'll at least ask the wholesaler what he knows about it. If you see the same problem again at that nursery, call or e-mail your local ag extension. Nurseries require plant inspections and he will note to check that next time. Do not purchase any hostas from that store unless you have a good place to isolate it from your other babies, as workers trim leaves and use the same tools on everything. Hostas have to pass bodily fluids (so to speak) to infect each other. It is so easy to take photos to attach when you e-mail the ag folks, so they will see why you are concerned.

We hostaholics can be anal about this, but most of the rest of the nursery world doesn't really care. Give your business to the nurseries who know all about HVX and can assure you will get disease free hostas.

Don't I sound SO knowledgeable here? Yeah right...I succumbed and bought yet another GE at Home Depot a few weeks ago. Simply hopeless, I guess.

-Babka

Here is a link that might be useful: AHS brochure about HVX

The hostas I found last year and made some noise about, created a s**t storm, from what I heard later, that Greenleaf pulled a bunch of hostas, but I never did find out the details. They knew who I am too as I know some of the sales reps from my nursery years. I also mentioned it to a couple of nursery people and I am sure they told the sales rep. I was hoping they had gotten the problem under control but I guess not. I have not seen the rep this year yet but if I do I am sure going to ask him! That is, if he's still speaking to me, lol!

Sandy

It's interesting that this is not an isolated matter, not with big nurseries growing for national distribution. If they encounter a public that is educated or aware, they send them somewhere else? It doesn't go away, it just moves on down the road.

A local nursery, 2 years ago, maybe 3, had an HVX August Moon plant. This is a general nursery that has a landscaping business etc. When my sister and I showed an employee the shade house she was noticeably disappointed. Her hands were full so she told me to put it on the cart and nodded towards a cart with a couple of other plants (not hosta) that were not in good shape. Then she asked if we saw others and we said no, we didn't really look. I went back a week later and their hostas were gone. What was 8 tables, overflowing with hosta, were down to two sparse tables. This is unfortunate for this popular garden center, but they did the right thing, sent them back to the grower. I didn't have to complain, bully, go over someone's head... This is what we should expect from a responsible nursery. I bought annuals and a basket for my Mom for mothers day there today.

Beverly

I had the same experience last year at my area's "leading" garden center. I saw a Gold Standard on a shelf which obviously had HVX. I went back to my car, got my laptop, brought it into the nursery and went to the HVX webpage. The infected specimen on the webpage was also a Gold Standard. I showed them the webpage, compared it to their hosta. The result? I saw them put the infected hosta back on the shelf.

This year, with the big problem with powdery mildew infecting impatiens, I wasn't shocked to see Home Depot still carrying impatiens. But I WAS shocked and dismayed to see this "leading" Queens nursery offering impatiens for sale. Some of them already looked affected. I asked their lead outdoor plant person why they are offering impatiens this year when it's well known that powdery mildew is taking them down like crazy. They replied, "Because we have customers asking for them."

What do YOU guys think about this??? Now you know why I only buy hosta online now, would never consider buying any there or any other place around here.

I buy from local stores from time to time, and if I ever get infected plants, I'll just have to deal with the consequences. Not the end of my world. BUT I don't blame anyone if they never, ever buy from anywhere but the online nurseries we know we can trust.

Don B.

Yup - I saw a badly virused hosta at one of our local "good" nurseries. When I told them, all they said was "Can't be, we were just inspected yesterday." So not only did they not have a clue, the inspectors didn't, either. Scary.

Last year I had some hostas in my garden which looked like they had HVX, so I bought these test strips and tested 3 I believe. One of those plants had something else, but no HVX, or was affected by heat stress. That plant this spring was starting to wilt already. I also have a 'St.Paul' which 2 years ago looked sick, but it was probably the heat, last year it was beautiful, this spring is good too. So, all sick looking plants not necessarily have HVX or another virus.
Bernd

Bernd is right. I was just trying to relate a positive story so that people wouldn't quit reporting suspect plants to the nursery staff. I trust they looked over their stock and found a few more problem plants and then sent them back.

Beverly

A large local nursery poo-poo'd my concern last year, too.

I stopped buying hostas from them a few years back.

Conversely, however, I pointed out a case of asters yellows on a coneflower last year and another large local grower pulled the stock immediately.

I think managers are there to manage, not fully understanding the impact of infected stock. But, if you reach out to someone on staff who has a horticulture background, you may get action.

Here's another way to put it..... most nurserymen understand the impact of having aster yellows in their stock.... why is HVX not treated with the same concern/care?

I hate to say it...but aster yellows can effect the rest of their stock/spread, while it's not likely HVX will.

UPDATE: Just wanted to let anyone who cares know that a small difference was made here...I contacted the Colorado Dept. of Agriculture about the infected plants on this thread. That was in May. Last Tuesday, I revisited this garden center a couple of miles away from my home here in Westminster. I got the opportunity to speak with the owner of this garden center (he owns a second one near North Denver) and I brought up the virused hosta that were in stock the last time I was there. Turns out the inspector that came out and tested the plants was, according to the owner, a 'hosta grower' and gave him a good (but short) lecture on HVX (I'm so glad the owner was on the premesis when the inspector showed up)!! The owner told me he took a 'crash-course' in making himself familiar with signs and symptoms of the virus, and actually HAD HIS MANAGERS AND EMPLOYEES FROM BOTH STORES take a mandatory 'working lunch' where he had Subway come in and cater lunch, and during said lunch, he presented a power-point collection of pics he found on the internet of HVX-infected plants. WOW, RIGHT??

LOL It was right around this time he asked me if I was the person who called in the infected plants; I admitted I'm the guy, and he shook my hand, thanked me for caring. I told him (not pointing out anyone) I wouldn't have, but that his guy on duty at the time didn't get what I was trying to tell him about the HVX.

I'm very happy to say that the owner has committed to buying only from wholesalers who are aware of the virus, and sell guaranteed HVX-free plants. He has no hosta in his shops at the present time, but plans to sell them when he's got a wholesaler who he'll buy from. I name-dropped Q&Z and Walter's Gardens as the two I know of that make appropriate efforts to make sure their plants go out HVX-free.

The property was loaded with customers when the State Inspector showed up, and the owner was embarrassed, both that he was ignorant of HVX, and that so many customers witnessed the plants getting pulled off the display tables.

So....Something very good happened here. If it happened here, in my neck of the woods, it can happen in other places as well. I'm just a second-year hosta beginner, but this is what can happen when the right people are contacted with the right information, and the others involved, from the inspector to the owner on down, go the extra distance and do what's right, do what they know they SHOULD do.

Happy 4th Of July, Everyone!
Don B.

That's pretty cool, Don. Thanks for the update.

Steve

Congratulations, Don on making a difference.

I found that the TX dept. of agriculture has "no authority" to deal with diseased hosta.

bk

I'm really sorry to hear that, Bkay. It kinda sounds as if they don't much care.

Don B.

Hey Don, that was a good report of action taken. Very encouraging. Citizens taking a stand.

You should really feel good that you did your part in getting those hostas out of the public's hands. Cuz you know that they'd be the "hey, look at this really cool hosta I found at XYZ Nursery" plant for the next how many years. And then that person divide the plant and share it with friends.

Good for you. Proud to be forum friends with someone who could make a difference! And for educating a nurseryman who actually cares more about plants than profits!