Power-washing Main Cause of HVX Spread in Holland

[Bill Meyer]

Hi Chris,

I was talking to someone well-known in Holland the other day about HVX and they said they are pretty much focused there on the power-washing issue as the main cause of so many plants being infected. I think here we all know who it was who first thought of that.

Good thinking, Chris! Took them a while to check into it, but they did eventually get there.

......Bill Meyer

[Chris_W]

Thanks Bill. I'm glad to hear they are finally coming around about the power washing. There have been a lot of people suspecting that, but not many took it seriously. For me it was the only logical explanation for entire batches being infected, or for virus indexed plants ending up 100% infected by the time they got to us here in the United States.

We use compressed air to bare root plants and remove the dirt here. I think someone in Holland should look into a system like that, but they still need to adopt a ZERO tolerance stance on plant viruses. Right now their exports are really hurting and they blame the economic fundamentals, when I think people are just fed up with the plant problems!

Thanks again for the news. Perhaps things will get better there eventually.

Chris

[eastwood2007]

Hey!

Sounds like things are moving in the right direction...very slowly, yet...but in the right direction!

Thanks for the post, Bill.

[thy]

Thanks Bill
Fit perfectly with us having dirt on the roots for the firs 2 years and HVX for the rest of the years
Please remember there are 2 serous hosta whole salers in Holland fighting side by side with us
It is hard here like in US to sell a tested hosta more expencive than the untested ones... just try to be on a plant floa market
All hostas need to be tested or nurseries certificated by the AHS