I have 2 mini hostas that are not doing well. It always happens this time of year.....just when they bloom! What's wrong? The first 3 photos are of the same kind of mini-hosta. This is a different kind, 'Butter Rim'. I grow other mini hostas & they show no sign of this problem:
The plant may be suffering from petiole rot caused by the fungus Sclerotium rolfsii. Check this web site from Iowa State University. ISU yard and garden FAQ Jerry
Thanks Jerry. I have sent an email & photos to the U Mass home gardeners extension service. I sure hope it is not that fungus. It apparently is pretty contagious & can affect other plants as well (daylilies, peonies, etc). I have dug up the worst hosta & looked for the fruiting bodies the above link talks of.....not found any. I am wondering (HOPING) it is that I have them all growing in too much sun. Hope hope. Thanks for your help.
Looking at this made me wonder if you are using very cold water. I know my well water is very cold and I can not water my plants with it on hot days or they look like that. Just a thought ...
Thanks Netty. I don't water, or rarely water. We have been having rain at least once a week here. Plenty of water. Thanks for the thought though.
Lot of Hostas suffer from virus infections. passed on from plant to plant by aphids. http://www.hostalibrary.org/firstlook/HVX.htm Scary reading!
I have no idea, but am crossing my fingers that you find out what the problem is and that it is an easily cured one.
As you and I are subject to the same recent weather patterns, I believe that the recent roller coaster patterns of very warm and very cold have subjected some plants to a growth spurt followed by cold that damages tender leaves. The new shoots/leaves have not had sufficent time to hardened. The result is damaged/dead or dying leaves. This may happen with increased frequency and with varying degrees as weather patterns fluctuate from year to year. I have seen this happen on several dozen of our plants this year during the past two weeks. Welcome to global warming. Jerry
I am hoping my mini hostas come back...we have been weeding and my husband was standing in the area where they are in the ground, I am keeping my fingers crossed they weren't starting to poke through the ground. I have never seen the damage you have on the hostas...I got rid of all of my larger ones years ago because we don't have very much shade around here. Good Luck with them.
Where do you find your minis? I guess they haven't made their way to southern Oregon yet because they are as rare as hens teeth Anybody have any mini seeds??
stratsmom...I bought mine from a Garden Fair at the Green Bay Botanical gardens about 3 years ago. They cost more than some of the larger ones, at least mine were pricey.
