Help Save My Hostas! :)

16 years ago

Ok, I need some good solid advice from those of you that have saved hostas from crown rot. I noticed a few weeks ago one of my hostas was looking yellow, and lower leaves were mushy with little orangey round things. Ok, so I diagnosed it as crown rot. It was one of my smaller ones so I wasn't too concerned.

This morning I was cleaning out my flower beds, and have come across LOTS of crown rot. And not just my small ones, my beautiful mature hostas are like half rotted! I am heartbroken. I started growing these 7 years ago, and have never had any issues other than slugs.

I have read that really prolonged hot, humid, rainy weather will sometimes cause this. This is all the weather we have had since late May. Anyway, I have been skipping around old posts here reading about crown rot, trying to find the right solution.

My plan has been for a while to move most of my hostas from the front and side of my house to the back(where there is more shade). We have had some trees removed from the front yard, and the hostas have been taking some pretty hot direct sun, and showing it. So should I move them immediately or should I try to kill the fungus first?

What steps should I take? They will all be going to a freshly built,raised flower beds around some Oak and Maple trees around back...I hope I can save them!

Thanks in Advance!

Annie

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Comments (3)

annieh78
Original Author
16 years ago
Oh, I should also add that a lot of places where there is crown rot has several new shoots or 'eyes' popping up. Is this normal?

Thanks Again!

Annie
ctopher_mi
16 years ago
Hi,

I would treat the fungus first. The one fungicide that I regularly see available that specifically treats Southern Blight is Bayer Disease Control with Tebuconazole. This fungicide is a curative and a preventive treatment. There is no need to lift the plant, just saturate the crown and surrounding soil. You will likely want to spray the whole garden, then repeat next year.

If you are moving the plants, I would recommend completely bare rooting them in place so that you don't move the fungus with them. Southern Blight is a soil borne fungus, so if you remove the soil you will remove most of the spores too. Take a garden hose with you and wash off the old soil right in place, then move the plant.

Since your hostas are in the sun that can be part of the problem. If you water during the heat of the day, especially if you overhead water, this can create too much moisture at the surface during the hottest part of the day and cause the spores to become active. It is best to let the soil dry out completely when it is really hot, and avoid watering on those 90 to 95+ days. Wait until evening so the soil surface is dry by the next afternoon.

But really, the fungicide I mentioned will get rid of this. Spray now and repeat again next summer before it gets hot. Treat again next summer if you see any again.

There is absolutely no need to soak the plants because Southern Blight is a surface mold and it does NOT get into the crown or into the plants. And yes, after the stems fall off and after the mushy fungus is gone, most hostas will immediately start to regrow.

Hope that helps!

Chris
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gardenfanatic2003
16 years ago
Chris,

Thanks for that great information!

Deanna