Testing Positive

15 years ago

Back in the Winter I was ordering a particular conifer from an online source to be delivered in the Spring. On impulse I added a Hosta Striptease to the order. It was a good price, and it allowed me to combine the two plants for shipping.

It was small when I got it so I potted it up (it came bare root) and put it on my deck. At some point I remembered that Striptease was a cultivar that had had lots of problems in the nursery trade with HVX, so I decided to leave it in the pot and keep an eye on it. Yesterday I saw this:

and this

Notice I had the tag still on it from the nursery.

One of the freebies we were given at the AHS convention was a Hosta Virus X ImmunoStrip from Agdia. So I decided to use it to confirm what I really knew was HVX. Here's the result:

Test Result

Basically what you do is you cut a piece of leaf or root to the size designated. The leaf size is about the size of a quarter. Then you put it inside the little mesh/plastic bag that has liquid in it. You mash up the plant material with something blunt and then put the test strip in the medium. There's a little white line on the green part of the test strip to tell you how far in the strip should go. You stand it up straight, leave it for 30 minutes and then look at the two red lines.

The bottom red line is the test line. The top line is the control. If the test line disappears and becomes white, the result is negative, no HVX. If both red lines remain, bingo, positive result for HVX. If the control line disappears then it's an invalid result.

So I took pictures of the plant and the test results and I've emailed the online nursery. I'll let you know how they respond.

Buyer beware.

Steve

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Comments (9)

Babka NorCal 9b
15 years ago
I'm so glad you posted that. I've known about the strips and wondered how they were used once you got them. Sorry your results were positive.

-Babka
Gesila
15 years ago
Thanks for posting Steve. Boy, you got collapsed tissue AND ink bleeding. It sure showed up fast in your Striptease.

I magnify all the pictures I take of my hostas with Windows Picture Viewer and scan all the leaves to check for signs of HVX. I'm always worried when I see the corrugation starting on younger plants and wonder if it's collapsed tissue. However, when I see somthing like your Striptease, the collapsed tissue is so obvious and much different than the normal corrugation that some hostas get as they mature. That collapsed tissue looks very unhealthy.

Great post and pictures!

Gesila
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Janice
15 years ago
Whew, Steve--I thought you might be pregnant!!! Not that it wouldn't be a good thing--weird, for sure, but a good thing--maybe!

I've been tempted by so many 'Striptease' I see at my local source, but I do keep in mind, it is one of the several that HVX is rampant! So sad, too! Were it not for 'Todd' a poster from our past, I'd not have one at all! So far, the one he sent me looks great! But--I know it can take several years sometimes for it to present with the symptoms!!

You're not craving pickles and ice cream are you, Steve???
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
15 years ago
Very nice tutorial, Steve. Thanks.

tj
anitamo
15 years ago
Yes, thanks for the tutorial...but sorry the results are positive. Good thinking on your part to keep it away from the rest of your hostas.
Steve Massachusetts
Original Author
15 years ago
Well, I didn't get a response from my email sent on Tuesday so I called today. What great people these folks are to deal with. The name of the nursery is Girard Nurseries. They are located in Ohio. I spoke with Jeff who I believe is the owner.

He explained to me that they had had this same problem with Cherry Berry last year and threw all of those plants out. They will now throw out their supply of Striptease. Recently they changed their supplier because of this problem and are dealing now with Q and Z Nursery exclusively. Q and Z is the hosta wholesale nursery of Mark Zillis, who wrote the Hostapedia. I ordered a plant of Orange Marmalade (from Q and Z) as a replacement for the Striptease.

No nursery is 100% immune from HVX. But what was good about this exchange was that Girard Nurseries have taken steps to deal with the problem and were more than helpful in making it right. "My name's Jeff. If you have any problems with any of our stock, you just call and ask for me."

I'll continue to order from Girard, because of the way they do business.

Steve
Janice
15 years ago
Good to know about a 'good' Ohio source! I've never heard of them, but that doesn't mean much!

I'm going to try and find out more about them like where, etc.!

Thanks, Steve, really was a good tutorial, espec. for those of us who are more visual learners!
jamiedolan
15 years ago
>No nursery is 100% immune from HVX

I'm pretty sure all their plants at QandZ are 100% from TC and are all tested. The stock they ship should be 100% clean. I've not seen any plants from them that are even remotely suspect.

In fact; Everything from Q&Z has been robustly healthy and of exceptional quality. I'd buy with 100% confidence from any retailer / grower who purchases stock from QandZ.

Jamie
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
15 years ago
Girard's has always been a good place. Never ordered hosta from them, but in the late 90's my very first mail order conifers came from Pete Girard, the founder. I had a ton of questions and he patiently answered all of them. The conifers are generally small but the price is too.

tj