throw it on the driveway ...

run it over twice.. not once ...

then throw it back in the woods ...

look for it next spring

ken

Hi Gesila, Ditto to what Ken said, only If it has crown rot I'd throw it in the trash after you throw it on the driveway and run over it twice. At least you won't be infecting all the other duds you've pitched into the woods until next spring. Been there done it. Big bummer it's one of your expensive ones, it figures. WW

Under a hard spraying hose nozzle, get all the potting stuff off. Pull off any rotted roots or mush crown material, and see what you have left. Soak that in 10% bleach solution for about 20 min. Then plant in some fine bark in a pot that just barely has room for those roots, and water it. Don't keep it soggy wet, just moist. Before I knew about using bleach, I used a strong solution of Daconil fungicide. Sometimes these days, I do the beach, then a few days later water it with fungicide solution so I cover all the bases. Then, keep your fingers crossed and see what happens. ...or throw it on the driveway, preferably in the sun, and that should kill the bacteria/fungus or it will kill the hosta. It's a craps shoot. But actually very rewarding when one comes back from the dead so to speak. I have a few like that and they are a little more special because of all we have been through together.

-Babka

Babka, good idea. I was looking for the bleach just prior to reading your post. I'm with you, it's the challenge of trying to save it!

I still keep thinking to a hosta I dug out of the ground last year. A small part of the crown must have been left because a single shoot popped up this year.

I'm wondering how deep I should bury what's left of the crown?

Gesila

I will definitely be saving that info. Thanks, this forum is Awesome. WW

Gesila- You live in a very different place than I do. So I offer this as only one way to go. My crowns are barely below the surface of the bark in my pots. But then I find that some of the more vigorous large varieties sometimes send up shoots from below that and are happy to do so. Keep it shallow where you can watch it this summer, and then later when it flourishes you can cover it to the level of your other similar sized hostas. They do seem to find their own level after awhile.

You have so many more hostas than I do, I'm sure you know which do what normally for you. Get this guy "cured" and back on on track. Actually when I look at your photo again, it appears that you have many fine firm roots. When I find a mushy crown, I usually have a whole pile of soft brown mushy roots attached that pull off easily. You can save that sucker!
Good Luck!

-Babka

Babka, was not familiar with Daconil until my DH ordered some this last week. It arrived today. I'm interested in any tips using it with hosta. He got it for our Italian cypress--they got sick after a lot of rain and wet soil, something they are known for it seems, so that's why we have it. Expensive stuff too, but available in small amounts for a reasonable sum.

The bleach solution is severe but effective in my experience. When I had to treat 3 hosta last year early for foliar nematodes, it involved the bleach solution. All 3 were from the same nursery, and this year, all are still small but looking healthy. I've also done the treatment for dirty rotten roots with mixed results.

Mocc-

Daconil is/was an Ortho product. Pretty much broad spectrum. I don't recall, but I probably used a Tblsp or two per gal. to soak, then pour over the freshly planted hosta.

Didn't know bleach would work with nematodes. I've never had them here, but from what I've read on the forum, you need to heat treat them. Hey, whatever works and keeps those hostas alive and thriving.
-Babka

I did the same as Babka did with cleaning it up and bleach bath, though use a different fungicide afterwards. I did pot the plant up high thereafter. I noticed I lost some plants this year again to crown rot, should raise those areas of the garden to eliminate any standing water.
Bernd