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mountainy_man_z8_ireland

European nurseries

From reading some of the threads here it seem some of you order from Europe, could you give me any links or names that I could check out.

There was mention of hosta virus in some of the nurseries in Holland which is where most plants of all types come from here.

I have a pot of Sum and substance bought from my local garden centre and am worried that it may have the virus as it had a blueish staining along the veins( no pic sorry), I have quarantined it far away from any others and will re asses it when it makes its appearance in spring, is this silly and should I destroy it now?

Comments (16)

  • bkay2000
    10 years ago

    MM,

    It might a waste to keep it over the winter, but I did. Chris (our virus expert and co-owner of Hallsons Nursery) told me that my plant had a virus, not HVX, but some virus. I kept it over the winter. I moved the pot to the other side of the house, away from all the others. It looked the same in the spring, so I tossed it.

    I just looked at my S&S and it looks kind of "veiny", so it's possible that yours just has end of season uglies. I'd isolate it and see how it looks next spring.

    HVX is kind of like AIDS, in that you have to have broken tissue to broken tissue to transmit. So, be sure you don't break any tissue.

    If it's HVX, it won't go away in the winter, but if it's not, it will look just fine in the spring.

    Sorry, I don't know about European growers.

    bk

    Here is a link that might be useful: photo of HVX infected S &S

  • Steve Massachusetts
    10 years ago

    We don't order from them, but I know a lot of people speak highly of Mickfield Hostas in the UK. Link below. Their website is really great.

    UKhostaman would know more and there are a couple more European members who post from time to time. Hopefully, they will see your post and weigh in.

    Steve

    Here is a link that might be useful: Mickfield Hostas UK

  • mountainy man z8 Ireland
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    bk, I have looked at the pics in the hosta library of HVX in S&S and was exactly how mine looked. To be sure I will keep it in isolation and check with you guys in the spring but am not confident . It also died back very early, way earlier than all my others.
    Thanks for your help.
    Denis

  • mountainy man z8 Ireland
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Cheers Steve, that site is very good thanks.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    i would NOT throw it away ...

    until you POST A PIC ...

    crikey man.. its late october.. and you are way north of us ...

    hosta get weird in fall ...

    if you are just made of money.. then throw it out..

    but dont be surprised.. if the new one.. also does weird things in late october..

    no excuses for not posting a picture.. ask some kid down the road.. to do it for you .. lol ...

    VIRUS IN NOT A FALL PHENOM .... something doesnt seem right with this story ... this should have caught your attention in june.. not october ..

    ken

  • mountainy man z8 Ireland
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hi Ken, I won't throw it away until I am sure and no I am not made of money. I didn't take any photos as I hadn't found any hosta freaks to share them with till now.

    I bought it In august and it had the markings then which I thought in my ignorance were normal, I am only recently getting more informed about such things.

    I will have a word with the guy I bought it from to give him the heads up In case it is HVX, surprised that they didn't catch it themselves.

  • hostahillbilly
    10 years ago

    umm . . . the Agdia test strips are easily available, ahem, just today gave a demo to our local state (oxymoron? inspector on his awfully late annual visit

    my 2⬠worth,

    hh

  • don_in_colorado
    10 years ago

    Denis, does it look anything like....This?? Yuck.

    Don B.

  • mountainy man z8 Ireland
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Don, it was worse than that, the bleeding between the veins was pretty blue and was bumpy ( what's the terminology?) S&S isn't supposed to do that is it? Its 3 weeks since it died back which I thought was very early.

    Thanks hostahillbilly, was reading about them on the hosta library, Ah civil servants don't get me started !

  • uk-hostaman
    10 years ago

    I only order from van de top and fransens in holland
    Great suppliers and all virus free never had
    a bad hosta from either,I would say you get a
    bigger plant on the whole from van de top but
    fransens have a better choice of the newer ones
    I order from them as opposed to uk growers as I have
    found them to be of better quality

  • mountainy man z8 Ireland
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks uk-hostaman, I had found Fransens but will go google van de Top.

    The info in your post is really useful, thank you.

    What part of the UK are you in?

  • uk-hostaman
    10 years ago

    No problem.. I live in the East Midlands...if I could
    give one piece of advice to you, don't buy Hostas
    from garden centres they are terrible for selling
    virused stock!..

  • stoc zone 6 sweden
    10 years ago

    Hello again MM,Van de top is the link I put on that other thread. Comparing them to Baliha?? They seem much bigger.
    They also have grown better than the ones that I bought locally from nurseries.
    Here is a pic of an order from them.

  • stoc zone 6 sweden
    10 years ago

    Hello again MM,Van de top is the link I put on that other thread. Comparing them to Baliha?? They seem much bigger.
    They also have grown better than the ones that I bought locally from nurseries.
    Here is a pic of an order from them.

    {{!gwi}}

  • mountainy man z8 Ireland
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Yes uk-hostaman, once bitten twice shy. Well now I have found other places to send me the goodies it will be like xmas every time. especially if they look as good as what stoc has posted above.

    stoc , wow they look impressive compared to what I have received so far from bali-hai, his plants would disappear into those cartons, its nice to know what to expect, thanks for the pic.

  • don_in_colorado
    10 years ago

    Yeah, those plants are great...Rather like the Hallson Gardens of Europe, or so it looks.

    Don B.

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