question about test strips

[bkay2000]

I have two hosta that have been tentatively diagnosed as having a virus (maybe hvx), one by Chris and one by someone on the gardenweb forum whom most people consider knowledgeable. It was late last season. Both plants had been in too much sun. It was suggested that it might also be sunburn. Both plants are and have always been in pots. They are mature plants and I didn't want to destroy them before they came up this year, in case the problem was sunburn. I moved them to the front yard. My plants are now breaking ground.

One is sub and substance and the other is a small leafed albomarginata (unknown).

Two questions:

If the plants have HVX, will it show up right away? Will it look like the photos at the start of the season?

I was going to order the test strips, but the site implies you have to buy some additional products. Is the test strip package all you need (the $27.50 package), or do you have to buy something else?

Thanks,

Bkay

[paul_in_mn]

bkay2000 - You are going to use a $5-6 test strip to test a $10 and under hosta (have Chris add an $8 S&S to this years order instead). I would save the cost of testing since they are potted, wait for them to come up and post some pictures again - I would think by end of May/mid June (in TX) you should be able to see HVX if it going to show this year.

The Agdia HVX strip package you mentioned (5/$27.50) is complete and very easy to use (I used free sample from convention).

[Chris_W]

Hi Bkay,

I've been working on updating my HVX DVD so I have HVX pictures on the brain right now... I took a second look at your pictures of the margined plant and I think that it is possibly Diamond Tiara and I really do think it has HVX. Since it is in a pot it should be easy to throw away. Let it dry out somewhere so it gets really light and then double bag it and put it in your trash.

By the way, if you have a really hot spring it might be possible to not see the HVX symptoms right away. In really hot weather plants grow faster and can fight off some of the effects of HVX, though they will always have it even if symptoms don't show.

Paul has a good point. You are probably better off just saving your money on the strips and buy some plants instead.

I'll go over to GardenWeb to see if I can find your Sum and Substance pictures too.

Chris

[bkay2000]

Yes, but they aren't first year plants. I can buy another S and S for $6.00 to $10.00, Diamond Tiara is even less expensive - BUT, it's a baby. Mine are not babies. Both are several years old. I don't want to toss them unless I have to.

On the other hand.....the squirrels have been digging in all my hosta pots...since before I knew there was an HVX. If I have HVX...I may have it in all my pots. They regularly go between pots and plant pecans and dig up what they think is a pecan. I have a Radiant Edger they dug up over and over for the last two springs - totally out of the ground. Usually, they just disrupt the soil and expose the roots. Unfortunately, my elderly neighbor loves to watch them. So, she feeds them daily. Since they have no shortage of food, they multiply rapidly.

Thanks for the help. I will wait and see how the hosta look and then most likely, I will test everything and see how they turn out.

This is really depressing. It's possible to lose a lot of hosta, but I've known that since last fall.

Thanks again.

bkay