Re: Possible Hosta Virus?

The virus does not spread very easily- for the virus to spread it must be in 
sap and get into a cut or wound of another Hosta.  it doesn't infect any other 
type of plant than Hosta and doesn't live in the soils or on tools (except on 
fresh sap)

We are seeing an epidemic of this virus right now because of all the 
inexpensive bare root Hosta that have coming in from Europe over the last few years.

At one time an infected plant was taken from the US and imported into Europe 
and was mass produced and the infection spread to other Hosta as they were 
propagated. 

The way Hosta are grown and propagated has lead to almost all of them being 
infected that come from these mass production fields (one of the effects of 
every one wanting cheeper plants) 

The Hosta are lined out in long rows, and when they start to grow and produce 
many shoots, a large machine cuts them from the ground and they are cut up by 
hand and replanted.  Its during the cutting process that the infection 
spreads from one plant to the next, Its in the sap and spreads on the knife.


If you buy an infected plant you should report it to the place that you 
purchased the plants from so they can complain to their supplier, it will take a 
few years to clean up the supple chain.  The large wholesale growers in Europe 
know they are infected but are still shipping the plants.  But many of the 
wholesalers here in the US are complaining and they are working on getting clean 
stock.



Paul  

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