Buying hostas from a careless nursery
Posted: Jun 22, 2016 7:33 pm
Today I did something I promised myself I'd never do.
I bought two "Wheee!" hostas from a nursery that has been selling HVX-infected hostas. I bought them because they were labelled "Proven Winners" in the hope that the label means the growers are held to a high standard and that they must check for HVX.
I know the buyer gets hostas from different growers. Several years ago I informed the buyer about the HVX in a few of her plants, and I showed her which hostas were infected. I suggested strongly to the buyer that she not purchase hostas from growers who send her infected hostas. I think it's only one grower, but I'm not sure. She could easily check if she chose to, as I identified which hostas were sick. A week or so later I came back to see if the sick hostas were gone; the infected plants were still out on the tables for sale.
This year there are still infected hostas at this nursery. A week ago I went through the same process with this buyer. I explained what HVX is, which hostas are infected, and how the infection is spread by growers. I don't think she remembers me doing this in the past. Yesterday I checked to see if the sick ones were gone; nope, they stayed out on the tables. Some were gone but I assume they sold.
Clearly, this nursery's perennial buyer does not care, or is too busy to follow up. So....
Last night, from a post on this forum, I discovered that a hosta I've seen and craved strongly is called "Wheee!" Today, surprise, I saw that this nursery is selling "Wheee!" It's got a Proven Winners label. None of the infected hostas have a Proven Winners label, and these "Wheee!" hostas are new arrivals to this nursery. I doubt any infectious stuff from the diseased hostas has come in contact with these particular plants.
I could not resist and bought two. (Disclaimer: I am working at this nursery this summer.)
Does the Proven Winners label tell me anything about how careful the growers are? Can I be comfortable thinking that this is a disease-free hosta because it's got that label? My gut says I can trust that label, but maybe not.
I usually quarantine any hostas bought from local nurseries for three years just in case. My quarantine area is full, but it's time and I can move something if I have to. I don't quarantine hostas when I buy them from online dealers who acknowledge the existence of HVX and say they make sure it's not in their plants. I'd like to not quarantine these two new hostas. I have a place picked out for them in the garden.
Does that label actually mean the growers are held to a high standard? Does anyone know?
I bought two "Wheee!" hostas from a nursery that has been selling HVX-infected hostas. I bought them because they were labelled "Proven Winners" in the hope that the label means the growers are held to a high standard and that they must check for HVX.
I know the buyer gets hostas from different growers. Several years ago I informed the buyer about the HVX in a few of her plants, and I showed her which hostas were infected. I suggested strongly to the buyer that she not purchase hostas from growers who send her infected hostas. I think it's only one grower, but I'm not sure. She could easily check if she chose to, as I identified which hostas were sick. A week or so later I came back to see if the sick hostas were gone; the infected plants were still out on the tables for sale.
This year there are still infected hostas at this nursery. A week ago I went through the same process with this buyer. I explained what HVX is, which hostas are infected, and how the infection is spread by growers. I don't think she remembers me doing this in the past. Yesterday I checked to see if the sick ones were gone; nope, they stayed out on the tables. Some were gone but I assume they sold.
Clearly, this nursery's perennial buyer does not care, or is too busy to follow up. So....
Last night, from a post on this forum, I discovered that a hosta I've seen and craved strongly is called "Wheee!" Today, surprise, I saw that this nursery is selling "Wheee!" It's got a Proven Winners label. None of the infected hostas have a Proven Winners label, and these "Wheee!" hostas are new arrivals to this nursery. I doubt any infectious stuff from the diseased hostas has come in contact with these particular plants.
I could not resist and bought two. (Disclaimer: I am working at this nursery this summer.)
Does the Proven Winners label tell me anything about how careful the growers are? Can I be comfortable thinking that this is a disease-free hosta because it's got that label? My gut says I can trust that label, but maybe not.
I usually quarantine any hostas bought from local nurseries for three years just in case. My quarantine area is full, but it's time and I can move something if I have to. I don't quarantine hostas when I buy them from online dealers who acknowledge the existence of HVX and say they make sure it's not in their plants. I'd like to not quarantine these two new hostas. I have a place picked out for them in the garden.
Does that label actually mean the growers are held to a high standard? Does anyone know?