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anitamo

Southern blight question

anitamo
11 years ago

I've been gardening in this location for 12 years, and have never seen southern blight here. I just noticed it on a new hosta (planted 3 weeks ago). I know it lives in the soil, so does that means it's always been here, and I've just been lucky to not have noticed it before? Since the hosta arrived bareroot with no soil attached, i'm assuming it did not hitch a ride with the hosta. I've already trashed the hosta, but just wanted more info on how southern blight has managed to escape me for so long. OTOH, it has been the driest and hottest summer ever. I'm zone 5 Chicagoland.

Comments (8)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    11 years ago

    i want a pic

    the suggestions that a 3 week old.. bare root plant.. has developed SB --->>>> IN FALL ... doesnt seem right to me ..

    but then.. weirder things have happened ...

    ken

  • Gesila
    11 years ago

    I agree with Ken, picture would be good.

    I'm wondering if the squirrels could be the culprit. They've been busy scurrying around the gardens here in Zone 5 in Michigan -- digging in my pots and breaking stalks on tons of my hostas.

    Gesila

  • anitamo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I guess i can dig it out of the trash, but it did have the orange balls at the crown, and the stems broke off at the crown very easily. I only noticed it at all due to two of the stems laying on the ground next to it. Not a clean cut like an animal got to it, but like it rotted off.

  • User
    11 years ago

    I'm puzzled by that too, Anita.
    I lost one plant due to southern blight. It was in a pot. It was fine for most of the summer, but we had endless rain, high humidity, and heat. In about a week of seeing it healthy, it was a goner. Ugliest thing I ever saw, horrific.

    I link to that thread below.

    I tossed the pot and the plant, easier to do than deal with the blight. So far no further losses, but I cross my fingers.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Southern Blight on 'The Razor's Edge'

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    11 years ago

    i guess i was wondering if you had mushrooms in mulch ..

    but if its already thrown away. i am guessing you dont have a pic of it in the ground.. thats what i wanted to see ...

    is/was there any indication that the crown had gone to mush ...???

    my gut tells me shipping stresses ... even early dormancy ...

    ken

  • gardenfanatic2003
    11 years ago

    My understanding is that SB is caused by high temps combined with overhead watering, so it sounds like it could be a possibility. I probably wouldn't have trashed the plant. Last year I had one with SB. I sprayed it down with tebuconazole, including the ground around it, and sprayed it again this spring. Didn't have an issue this year.

    Deanna

  • anitamo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Not mushrooms...definitely little orange balls right at the mushy base. I rarely overhead water, but I did do it twice over this hosta. It was a Piecrust, by the way. My biggest concern right now is does this mean I should expect to start finding more SB in my gardens? If so, I'll have to have a plan in place, because I can't realistically throw out all my hostas.

  • anitamo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    By the way, as I was pulling this hosta out of the ground, my first thought was, "take a picture...Ken will ask for one." No lie! But I was too anxious to get it out of there. It was new, and I didn't bond with it yet. Lol.