HOSTA VIRUS ALERT

by Gail Anderson, IGC Horticulturist

  It seems as if all our favorite plants are being hit with diseases! Hosta Virus X (HVX) is a relatively new disease that significantly disfigures hostas but doesn’t actually kill them. If a diseased plant is left in your garden, it can easily infect other hostas. There is no known cure other than removal. HVX only infects hostas. Symptoms including strange leaf colorations including color “bleeding,” odd stripes, etc., plus heavily crinkled leaves. Here are some tips from the Mass. Hort members’ e-newsletter Leaflet.

•    Don’t buy hostas with ANY disfiguration or discoloration. A representative of Massachusetts Horticultural Society noted infected hostas for sale in 4 of 6 nurseries visited last summer and 1 of 2 big box stores.
•    Be wary of hostas from friends and unknown sources. Keep away from established hostas for one year.
•    Wipe your tools with Clorox or Lysol wipes between each hosta that you are cutting in your garden.
•    Do not compost hosta leaves, even healthy looking ones. Put in the trash.
•    If any of your garden plants are infected, wait until the plant finishes flowering. American Hosta Society research indicates that the virus is very difficult to spread after the plant has flowered.
•    Dig out all infected plants. Dispose of in the trash, not the compost.
•    Scrub (don’t just rinse) all tools, shovels, etc. in a 10% bleach and water solution.
•    Do not plant new hostas in the former location of the infected ones.