hope for what???

lowes stock???

ken

Brandy-I've had 3 hostas that I purchased from Home Depot (before I knew any better) for years and they've never showed signs of disease. There's a good chance yours won't have HVX either. However, now that I know about HVX and have seen the results first hand, I never buy at big box stores anymore. I just don't want to take the chance.

I guess I'll remain one of the guinea pigs and continue to pick up the odd hosta here and there at my local grocery superstore. After all, thats where i found June, when she couldnt be found anywhere in this city.

There IS a positive spin that comes to mind from checking hosta out at box stores. There are more ways to curb the selling of virused hosta than just by avoiding box stores. How will we hope to stop those who continue to sell them? By not buying them? I don't think that's the answer. All of us, as hosta lovers, are responsible in some way to ensure that this virus does not spread. We can't achieve this by ignoring or avoiding certain sources. All were doing is making sure we don't bring it home. But, it's still out there, waiting for the unsuspected.

I would rather continue 'taking the chance' ....by doing so, I might discover another supplier who is selling diseased plants and thereby, do my bit to put a stop to it. I think that's a more effective and progressive way to help to get rid of this disease....in my humble opinion.

Common sense would dictate that if I did purchase from other than a 'safe' source, I would of course keep said plant(s) in a pot and monitor it. I have followed this process since I've become aware of HVX and can state unequivocally that my box store hosta to date do not have HVX.

I cannot imagine my garden without a JUNE in it. Had I been a die-hard about it, I would not have had the pleasure of June's company for the past several years. :-)
Jo

I've been the Guinea Pig, too, Jo. I've unknowingly purchased five plants that have been HVX-infested, all locally-bought. FIVE out of about 20. I now report every store in my area that I observe selling plants that are showing HVX symptoms. I agree with you about having a certain responsibility to do something to help stop the spread/selling of bad plants. That's why I now report HVX to the Colorado Dept. of Agriculture. I respectfully, strongly disagree that avoiding known retailers that sell dirty hosta is a bad idea. I think it's a GREAT idea. I'll gladly give my hard-earned cash to sources I know have my back and that I can trust, like Hallson Gardens, for example. I'll buy my ferns, heuchera, liriope, lamium, etc. from big box stores. But not hosta.

Cheers,
Don B.

I have not experienced losing a hosta to HVX and I hope I don't ever have to; nevertheless, I really feel for you Don. Losing 5/20 hurts...a lot!

Just to be clear, I do not condone buying hosta from a KNOWN 'dirty hosta selIer' . I dont think I implied that in my comments. My train of thought ran more along the policing line. Buyer beware just doesn't cut it when one knowingly buys from a disreputable source.

I just returned from visiting Cindy of Hosta Fever, one of my hosta suppliers. I had better go outside and drool some more as I play with my new toys!
I have to get them picture-ready. :-) for my next post.

No, Jo, you didn't imply that; That is what I am calling HD/Lowe's/WalMart. They ARE sellers of dirty hosta. I hope you, and no one else gets burned by the innocent act of buying a nice plant that you like.

Hope ALL your hosta stay healthy!

Regards,
Don B.

I didn't have much luck with your approach, Jo. For one thing, the county agent told me that the dept. of agriculture didn't have any authority to deal with HVX.

For a second thing, I threw a big fit at Lowe's about some really ratty hosta that looked infected with HVX. They weren't. They just looked like it. (Stressed Paul's Glory looks like it has HVX).

For the third thing, I requested a prestigious local nursery look into their hosta supplier, as they had no HVX precautions or procedures. (They didn't know anything about HVX.) She told me she just had to trust her supplier.

I found HVX on a hosta I bought from another high end nursery here. I went by there and they still have that supplier's hosta.

I refused to buy a Royal Standard at a neighborhood nursery after he told me it was from Green Lake. I told him my HVX story and GAVE him a test strip to test a RS that looked like it was infected. He still had them a couple of weeks later. (He usually has Walters' hosta. )

So far, I'm batting 0 on informing nurseries and suppliers about HVX. I think that the Agriculture Dept. is the only viable option, if yours happens to be interested.

I would say that I don't think anyone cares, but Lowe's pulled the whole hosta stock when I reported the virus that really wasn't.

And the best nurseries in Dallas don't seem to care. Who woulda thought it?

bk

You know what, Bkay? I've reached the conclusion long ago that it's the almighty dollar that speaks loudest. It's all about the profit margin.

You've had your share and then some, haven't you? I'm sorry you had to go through all that. It seems like 'too much bother' , 'they'll buy them anyway' seems to ring true in a lot of cases....the three ring circus of supply and demand and hang the inbetween kind of attitude.

That's why I don't even bother with garden center managers anymore; Not many care, or even grasp what's being told to them. The Colorado Dept. of Agriculture will actually go to the store where the suspect plants are, and test right there on the spot. If they test positive, they order a 'stop-sale' on the plants and make the store take them out of stock immediately. Beautiful. I was most pleased (AND surprised) when I learned that was their general procedure for HVX-infested hosta. Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that everywhere.

That must be frustrating to no end, Bkay. That's extremely absurd, that your state's Dept. of AGRICULTURE has no authority over HVX-infested PLANTS. I remain hopeful that someday that'll be a thing of the past.

Don B.

This evening I had to go to Walmart real fast so I went the fastest way and noticed a house with huge and pretty green hostas. I stopped and asked what they were and where they got them? (Wish I'd brought my phone so I could get a pic!) They didn't know the name but said they got them and all the hostas (in back) at Walmart about 5 or 6 years ago and every year since (the green big ones were from 5 or 6 years ago.) Wish I'd had a camera... Thinking they might have been Guacamole? They had the leaf shape and coloring.