Hosta Virus X presentation on DVD available

[Chris_W]

Hello,

I gave a presentation on HVX at Hosta College this year (2006) and have the presentation slides along with moving pictures and a voiceover as extras on the DVD. Running time is about 26 minutes. There is also a slideshow that you can view using the left and right arrow keys on your DVD remote.

The cost of the DVD is $10 including shipping (plus sales tax when shipped in Michigan) and will help to pay for our continued testing of plants for HVX, continue to gather information about HVX, and for each DVD purchased we will donate $5 to the Hosta Virus Research Fund. It is recorded on DVD-R media which will not play in old DVD players, so double check that your DVD player will be able to read DVD-R.

Hosta Virus X DVD Order Page

For orders outside the US simply enter your actual address and city but enter Michigan for the state, but make a note of your actual state/providence/country in the comment field on the last page.

[LucyGoose]

I just ordered mine.....

Maybe I can educate people around here....Thanks Chris!!!

[thy]

Got it and enjoyed it
One question here, you say the HVX can surviwe up to 3 weeks on tools
I thought virus could only surviwe a few minutes after the sap was dried in
Great and very informative pics, but what to doo/look for in the Minuteman/ Patriot ones .. or do we allways have to expect them to be virused

[Chris_W]

Yes, it is possible for HVX to survive outside the plant for up to 3 weeks on tools. It is unfortunately very stable. However, it is also possible that it will be scraped off by dirt or washed off by then, so it is doubtful in the real gardening world that it would truly survive that long.

Patriot and Minuteman will probably start to develop dark patches on the leaves. I've seen these dark patches develop on fortunei aureomarginata so I would expect something similar on Patriot and Minuteman too. But it could take a couple years. Last year we saw no symptoms on them, but it was also the first year we've ever found a positive test on them, even on plants from the same grower the previous year.

Hope that helps to clarify a little

[irishbelle]

Thank you for offering this. I am going to purchase it as soon as I get home. I have been looking for a way to convince my mother that she has to destroy her hostas (Undulata Univitata). There are probably in excess of 1000 clumps. They boarder every bed on her property with (previously) amazing sun tolerence. It is heartbreaking, as she loves them. Her original plants came from her parents' house and they have travelled with her from house to house since 1959, multipled and flourished. About three years ago I started to notice some odd happenings (mottling of the white centers, poor leaf substance, diminished overall hardiness, etc.) with these plants, which spread over the years. Very few of the Hosta appear to have been spared. Sadly, she refuses to see that there is a problem. Thanks again for offering this material.

[Chris_W]

Hi Irishbelle,

Actually, Undulata has a tendency to look really bad when they are stressed out. This is not the virus. The center will green up or have green streaking/veiling from: too much sun or heat, not enough moisture, planted too shallow, from being crowded, when being grown in pots, or after being divided a lot. I would be that if she has had the plants that long they are fine.

Take care,

Chris

[Ed_B]

Virus on Strip Tease

I had to destroy my Strip Tease after I figured out what was wrong with it. It showed the symptoms for two years before that, I just never knew what the virus was.

None of the other hosta's that were near it have shown any signs of the virus.

KNOCK ON WOOD!

[newtohosta-no more]

That is so sad to have to destroy such a great looking Striptease. I'm going to be watching mine this year for any signs. I didn't see any last year, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[Quiet Storm]

Just got my copy of the HVX DVD yesterday, and I am very glad I ordered it. Thanks so much for doing this.

[Nathalie23]

Hi Chris!
Just got my DVD. Thanks a lot. It was very easy for me to understand your english!!! You talk very well and clear!!! Wow! You are the first to tell the Holland's producers!!! Love the animation on the DVD. Thanks again. I will now have something to show to my friend who don't know about the virus.

[Chris_W]

Hi Nathalie,

I am so glad that you were able to follow it!

And yes, I have the distinction of being one of the first people to inform some of the biggest growers in Holland about Hosta Virus X, and that they had it. It was in 2003 that I reported it first, but the salesman just gave me credit for "diseased plants" and nobody ever followed up on it. The next spring I submitted claims for several plants with Hosta Virus X to 3 different wholesale sellers and within a couple days I had lengthy phone conversations with John VanBourgendien and Jack DeVroomen and wrote several emails back and forth with Hans Witteman from Darwin Plants. They all were very interested in learning more about it and Hans Witteman vowed to personally inspect all of their suppliers. In 2005 I had a chance to meet one of the growers from DeVroomen Holland who visited me here at the nursery to talk about HVX and show him some of their own infected plants that they had shipped us.

The growers in Holland, for the most part, are taking HVX very seriously, but they are having a really difficult time controlling and stopping the spread. We might give them another try next year just to see if they are making improvements.

And thank you to everyone who has supported us with a DVD purchase. Hopefully the AHS will figure out what they want to do with the money being raised for more HVX study. It seems to me that it is getting too far into the epidemic to spend time doing more research. Personally I hope they do more about education. So many people still have no idea about Hosta Virus X, and it is spreading worse and worse in many gardens

[Nathalie23]

I made a tour of my hosta's bed and I am starting to regret seeing the DVD I found a Striptease infected, I am worried about my Wide Brim who is bumpy and other than I don't remember. Since the beginning of the year, I found Gold Standard, Gold Edger, Honeysongs, all virused... And what's made me more mad and scary it's that not a lot of people here know about that virus...

[weeding]

I just ordered the CD and some virus test strips.

[Xela]

I went to order the DVD but when I tried to register it did not list Canada as a choice!

[Chris_W]

Sorry about that. If you would like just give me a call at (517) 592-9450, or you can order online and simply enter any state you want, still enter your city and zip, and in the comments on the last page let me know your province. This way the shopping cart will accept everything and I will correct it later.

Chris

[Xela]

Hi Chris,
I went ahead and ordered via the shopping cart and added the correct address in the comment field.
Thanks,
Alex

[Xela]

Hi Chris,
I received the DVD yesterday...thank you so much for creating it! It is very informative and will help in identifying the badboy HVX. Next summer I will get test strips and test all of my hostas. I figure if the geese attack on my hostas has spread the virus (if it is present) I might as well wait until than to test. Plus, I will get an idea of how hostas fair winter around here.
Have a great day!
Xela

[Chris_W]

Glad to hear it was useful If you have any extra questions about anything just let me know, and hopefully you will be able to prevent getting HVX in your garden!

Take care,

Chris

[morgansrgr8]

Has there been any additions or changes to the DVD since 09?

[Chris_W]

Hi Linda,

Not too many changes. I did add a section showing and telling you how to use the HVX test kits from AGDIA, and there are some minor updates based on the last research that Dr. Lockhart did, but for the most part not much changed. Unfortunately a lot of the research done simply confirmed a lot of what information had already been presented on the DVD. The big game changer was that Dr. Lockhart found that HVX remains in the soil for years after removing an infected hosta. Apparently plant tissue can rub off into the soil, leaving a residue which has the potential to infect other hostas planted in the same spot. So it is not recommended to EVER plant another hosta in the same spot as an infected one, but instead plant something different.

This winter I'm going to try and update the movies that are on the DVD and then offer them for free online, probably on youtube. But the DVD still can be useful because of all the pictures that are together in one spot which really helps people to understand what to watch out for when looking for symptoms.

If you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask

Chris