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Problem Solver Plant Marquee

Plant:

Hosta
Image of Hosta
Flowering
Primarily grown for their foliage.
Adaptation
Hostas do well in most of the country, except in extremely cold or tropical areas.
Soil
Well drained.
Water
Do not allow the soil to dry out.
Fertilizer
Feed with a slow-release plant food at time of planting.
Related problems

Anthracnose - Hosta

Image of Anthracnose - Hosta
Anthracnose

Crown Rot - Hosta

Image of Crown Rot - Hosta
Crown Rot

Foliar Nematode - Hosta

Image of Foliar Nematode - Hosta
Foliar Nematode

Hosta Virus X (HVX) -

Image of Hosta Virus X (HVX)
Hosta Virus X (HVX)

Snails and Slugs -

Image of Snails and Slugs
Snails and Slugs

Sunburn - Hosta

Image of Sunburn - Hosta
Sunburn
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Anthracnose - Hosta

Image of Anthracnose - Hosta
Anthracnose
Description
Irregularly-shaped blotches appear on the leaves. The tan blotches may have brown borders with yellow edges. Later, the tissue tears and drops out, giving the leaf a tattered appearance. Little black spots like pepper grains may appear on the affected tissue in wet weather.
Analysis

This leaf-spot disease is caused by a fungus (Colletotrichum) that is most active in warm, wet weather. The fungus spends the winter in dead plant tissue. It spreads new spores in the spring. Leaves must be wet for an extended period before infection can take place.

Solution

Remove and dispose of the infected leaves. Avoid overhead irrigation in the evening when leaves will stay wet for hours. In the fall, remove and dispose of all dead leaves to prevent the disease from returning next year. When planting hosta, space plants far enough apart for good air circulation and quick drying.

Close

Crown Rot - Hosta

Image of Crown Rot - Hosta
Crown Rot
Description
Outer leaves drop to the ground without wilting. At the base of the plant, there''s a soft brown area at the ground line. There may be white fuzzy threads with white, tan, or red specks on the base of the leaves or on surrounding soil. Leaves are easily pulled off.
Analysis

This plant disease, also known as Southern blight, is caused by a fungus (Sclerotium rolfsii) that lives in the soil. The fungus is widespread in the South and attacks many types of plants. It spreads by moving water, diseased transplants, infected soil, and contaminated tools, traveling short distances over the soil to attack adjacent plants. The fungus produces tiny ''mustard-seed'' pellets, called sclerotia; these are white when young, maturing to dark red or brown. Sclerotia survive many years in soil, infecting healthy plants when conditions are suitable, especially in hot, humid weather. In the early 1990s, the disease appeared on hostas in the upper Midwest, perhaps coming from southern-grown plants. It survives cold winters.

Solution

Infected plants cannot be cured. Remove and discard infected plants and don''t transfer soil or plants to other parts of the garden. If possible, also remove the infected soil to a depth of 8 inches. Replant with resistant plants. Clean tools, shoes, and wheels thoroughly. Keep the soil immediately around plants in the diseased area free of mulch and plant debris.

Close

Foliar Nematode - Hosta

Image of Foliar Nematode - Hosta
Foliar Nematode
Description
In late summer, large, wedge-shaped spots appear on the leaves. The spots are delineated by the leaf veins. They yellow, then turn brown as the tissue dies. Much of the leaf may become infected. Severely infected leaves may die. The damage may extend to buds and flowers. Whole plants do not usually die.
Analysis

Aphelenchoides fragariae This disease is caused by a nematode that infests hosta leaves. Nematodes are microscopic, clear worms that usually infest plant roots, but this one infests the foliage of many plants. Nematodes enter leaves through the breathing pores. Inside, they feed on the tissues and may kill them. Leaf veins act as barriers until the leaf is wet; then the nematode swims through the water to infect other leaves. Foliar nematodes reproduce rapidly and are most damaging in wet-summer, warm regions of the country. They live in soil and dead plant tissue for years; some plants harbor them with no symptoms.

Solution

Remove and destroy infested leaves or plants by putting them in the trash. Do not compost them. Avoid wetting leaves when watering. Mulch the ground under plants; nematodes cannot move on dry surfaces. Remove dead foliage from the garden in the fall. Check new plants carefully for disease, and do not replant hostas in infested soil. Apply insecticidal soap if symptoms appear.

Close

Hosta Virus X (HVX) -

Image of Hosta Virus X (HVX)
Hosta Virus X (HVX)
Description
Hosta leaves, and sometimes the stems, are blotchy. Some varieties may also have puckered or twisted leaves. Leaves or the entire plant may die.
Analysis

This virus infects only hosta plants. This extremely contagious disease was first identified in 1996, but it may have been present before that. In 2003 and 2004 the number of infected plants grew rapidly, and the disease is now very wide-spread. The virus develops for 3 or more years with no symptoms, but meanwhile the plant is contagious to other plants. Because the disease is not yet well-known, it has spread rapidly in the stocks of hosta growers in the United States and Holland-many hostas for sale are infected. Avoid purchasing hosta plants with uneven color, blotchiness, or puckered or twisted leaves, and don''t purchase any hostas from a nursery that has suspect plants in its collection. Some varieties may be more resistant to the disease than others, but they have not yet been identified, so a reliable list is not available.

Solution

The disease spreads through sap. Avoid bruising or crushing hostas and keep lawn mowers and string trimmers away. Disinfect tools and hands between plants. Destroy and discard diseased plants, including their roots, in a sealed garbage bag. Don''t plant hostas in the same location until any remaining roots decompose. Destroy the entire batch of purchased hostas if any of them develop symptoms.

Close

Snails and Slugs -

Image of Snails and Slugs
Snails and Slugs
Description
Irregularly shaped holes with smooth edges are chewed in the leaves. Leaves and stems may be chewed off entirely. Silvery trails wind around on the plants and nearby soil. Snails and slugs may be seen moving around or feeding on the plants, especially at night. Check for them in the garden at night by flashlight.
Analysis

These pests are mollusks and are related to clams, oysters, and other shellfish. They feed on a wide variety of garden plants. Like other mollusks, snails and slugs need to be moist all the time. For this reason, they avoid direct sun and dry places and hide during the day in damp places, such as under flowerpots or in thick groundcovers. They emerge at night or on cloudy days to feed. The young look like miniature versions of their parents.

Solution

Apply a pesticide labeled for slugs and snails, following label directions.

Close

Sunburn - Hosta

Image of Sunburn - Hosta
Sunburn
Description
White or tan areas appear on the leaves. Areas first become pale, then white as the leaf bleaches. Later, brown spots appear in the white areas where tissue is dying. The damaged areas receive direct sunlight.
Analysis

Hostas are shade plants and cannot tolerate too much direct sun. Sunlight breaks down chlorophyll, the green pigment in plant leaves. Hostas cannot replace the chlorophyll as fast as it is destroyed, and bleach to a cream or white color. If the leaf remains in direct sunlight, the bleached areas then burn from overheating and die, turning tan or brown. They can tolerate more morning sun than afternoon sun, and tolerate more sun in cool weather than in hot weather.

Solution

You cannot repair the damaged leaves. Remove them if they are unsightly. To avoid further damage, move the hostas to a more protected location, or create some shade for them.

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