Hosta Virus X

The leaves of my ‘Gold Standard’ hosta have changed color since last year. They have dark green streaks and speckling on them and the plant itself doesn’t seem as robust as it has been. What’s wrong? My other hostas don’t seem to be affected. M.S. via fax

We suspect that your hosta has a virus. There are currently more than 10 viruses found in hostas, but Hosta Virus X is the most common and has become especially prevalent in gold-leafed hostas recently. Symptoms include the mottling you describe and the plant’s gradual decline. Field-grown hostas are more likely to carry the virus than hostas grown from tissue culture.

This virus is easily spread to other hostas through contact with sap from any part of the plant (even the roots). There is no cure for it and it’s very fast spreading, so once suspected, remove the plant from your garden. (Throw it into your garbage; not your compost heap or even your brush pile.) Even hostas that don’t show any symptoms can spread the disease, so be sure to sterilize tools with a bleach/water solution between plants anytime you’re working with hostas. It’s also important to buy new plants from sources that are familiar with Hosta Virus X and who are aggressively trying to prevent plants with the disease from entering the marketplace.

Moving peonies

I have six peony plants that are very old and need to be moved. Can I do this in the fall or should I wait until spring? Also, can I move my toad lilies this fall? G.R., Palos Hills

Peonies should be moved in the fall. They will have very large roots and you will need to dig deep and wide to avoid injuring them. Shake the soil from the roots and look for the ‘eyes’ or new growth swellings on the roots. Cut the stems into sections with three eyes to a section. Cut away and discard any decayed or blackened parts. Take this opportunity to dip the roots into a large pail of water to which you have added a half-cup baking soda. This will treat fungal spores.

While the roots are soaking, prepare the new bed by loosening the soil and working in plenty of compost. Peonies are heavy feeders and enjoy rich soil. Plant the divisions with the eyes just below the soil surface. Peonies should not be planted too deeply. Water thoroughly.

Wait until spring to divide and move toad lilies (Tricyrtis hirta). Since these perennials bloom in the fall, you would need to wait until late October to avoid digging them while they are blooming; too late for adequate root growth before the soil freezes.

The general rule of thumb is to divide or move spring bloomers in the fall and fall bloomers in the spring. Hosta, daylilies, hardy geraniums and most groundcovers can be moved in spring, summer or fall. Avoid moving plants during a hot dry spell, and be sure to provide water and shade until the plant has recovered. An old umbrella is ideal for shading transplants.

Lily ‘berries’

I have some lilies that get black berries all along the stems. Are these edible, and what are they for if not? M.W. Kankakee

The lilies you have are probably tiger lilies (Lilium tigrinum) and the ‘berries’ that sit atop the leaves along the stem, are actually bulbils, or little plantlets. They are not edible. When these bulbils fall to the ground, under the right conditions, they will grow new plants. You can pick them off when they are ripe and plant them in good rich soil, keep them watered, and you should have new plants in the spring. They may take a couple of years to bloom.

Tiger lilies are typically orange, but newer cultivars with white or pink flowers are available by mail order or online. Some lily enthusiasts believe that tiger lilies carry a virus that does not affect them, but will sicken other types of true lilies (not daylilies) in your garden. (This is why garden centers rarely carry tiger lilies.) It may be wise to choose either tiger lilies or other lilies, but not both.

No-so-friendly competition

I have a tiny strip (about 3 by 12 feet) where I used to plant several tomato plants and surround the edge with marigolds. We always had great tomatoes. Three years ago I inherited several daylily plants and put most of them at one end of the bed. Then a dozen hosta went along one side. Then a trumpet vine made its home in the same bed and has invaded the lily space. I still can fit four tomato plants comfortably down the middle. Since the flowers moved in, the tomatoes are not doing well. This year there were a total of three tomatoes on three plants (one died). My husband is blaming the flowers. Would they keep the tomatoes from growing?

I also have ‘Husker Red’ beardstongue in another bed that did very well. How do I care for this plant now that it is finished blooming? Do I trim it or cut it all the way down?

Thank you for your wonderful magazine and any help you may have for me. M.R. via e-mail

Your husband may be right. That sounds like a lot of plants competing for nutrients and root space. There are several other possible answers though. The first that comes to mind is a soil-borne disease resulting from growing tomatoes in the same space from year to year. Are you using disease resistant varieties? Or heirlooms with little to no resistance?

There could also be a nutrient deficiency causing poor production; you may want to test the soil. Tomatoes are heavy feeders and so are daylilies and trumpet vine. If you wish to keep all of your plants alongside vegetables, make sure you are feeding well. Use a low nitrogen fertilizer (the first number on the bag or box) since extra nitrogen will result in foliage, not fruit or flowers.

Your penstemon can be cut back in late fall. You may want to harvest the interesting seed heads to use in floral arrangements. Some people think they smell bad, but we have never noticed it.

Seasonal mums

I buy lots of mums in the fall to decorate my home. I hate to throw them away, but I have had bad luck planting them. Am I doing something wrong or are they not meant for planting? S.J., Channahon

Mums that are grown for fall sales have been treated differently than those grown for spring planting. They are somewhat stressed by this treatment and have a harder time settling into the garden. You will also be planting them fairly late in the season and they may not have enough time to root in before the ground freezes. Additionally, mums like good drainage and need to be planted in soil that does not get waterlogged over the winter or they will rot.

Look closely at your mums when you remove them from their containers in the fall to check for new growth at the base of the stems. If that growth is present, water the pots well and store them in the garage over winter. Don’t cut them back; but do water them once a month or so until spring. In April, cut back the old stems and plant the mums in your garden. This is probably the safest way to treat seasonal mums.

Alpines

Since Deb Terrill likes perennials and alpines so much, could you do an article on alpines—like which kinds to grow, disease resistance, fertilizing and so on? C.B. Bradley

True alpines are a special interest because they have such exacting requirements that most people would not find them ‘user friendly.’ The term alpine is broadly used to describe a group of plants that grow at high elevations. Most alpine enthusiasts don’t limit themselves to any single mountain region but grow plants from high elevations from Mexico to the Alps.

As you might imagine, these plants—usually little buns and tight trailers—are accustomed to wind and cold, but not humidity. Beyond that, they experience little temperature fluctuation in winter with one thaw in spring that waters them and breaks their dormancy. Providing these conditions at home requires either an alpine house, a carefully planned and executed rock garden or hypertufa troughs filled with scree, or rotted granite. At best they are short lived in our hot, humid summers and must be purchased mainly from mail-order firms. If you are interested in seeing state-of-the-art trough gardens and purchasing plants, we highly recommend a trip to any of the following:

The Flower Factory
4062 Hwy A
Stoughton, Wisconsin
608.873.8329

Arrowhead Alpines
1310 N. Gregory Rd
Fowlerville, Michigan
517.223.3581

Rice Creek Gardens
Blaine, Minnesota
763.754.8090