Babka, So far my opinion is backed up with science. I don't expect anyone to bow down to me. I do expect they will respect my opinions and if they disagree they will present facts rather than their unsubstantiated and easily disproved beliefs. I don't even expect them to believe me. I do however expect that if they offer a different opinion they should study the facts. Here are the facts. 1. HVX only exists in live tissue. 2. Glyphosates will kill hostas and all tissue to the root as far as any person alive can tell. 3. Digging up a live infected hosta in proximity to uninfected hostas is dangerous and can easily spread the disease. 4. Digging up a living infected hosta can easily leave remnants of the roots that can infect any other hosta planted in the same area for a very long time. 5. No study has found HVX to have the ability to go dormant. In fact, just the opposite has been found to be true. 6. There is no downside to killing a hosta infected with HVX. These are the facts that I have verified and keep repeating. Chris' response to these facts- "I don't think spraying with Roundup is necessary or any more effective than simply digging out the plant without spraying." Cher's response is that I can't prove glyphosate kills hostas and she doesn't think it does because her mother can't kill poison ivy with it. Paul accuses me of not being respectful because I disagree and quotes a study on Tomato Mosaic Virus proposing it is relevent to HVX virus when it is not. ...and you say that I expect everyone to bow down to me and suggest there is some other way of interpreting the facts...but you somehow never explain this way of interpreting facts differently. When others come back and say they don't "believe" that it makes any difference wether you kill the tissue before digging up a plant after hearing what I have to say several times, and offering no explanation as to why they don't "bleive" it makes any difference then you will have to excuse me if I repeat my reasoning to them. I would point out that I have never treated anyone with anything but respect. I have simply stated the facts and defended my position. If people think it disrespectful to defend a position with scientific facts then that is their problem. If you say this is because I must be young; this would be just one more point where you are wrong. Jon

Carol, This has been a very eventful night for me. First, we got our only good rain in a month--Carolinians take note--there is still water in that sky. Then after an hour's search, I found not only the receipt for the Spritzer but also my VHX pictures of it!!!! I had bot the Hosta in '96, but I discovered the disease in 2006--and judging from those pics, it was VERY advanced. (I had only learned of the virus problem a month earlier). I had split that Hosta, and there was no evidence of HVX on the other half--which I bagged and threw anyway. And it broke my heart--it's like losing a good friend. The receipt said Shady Oaks stands behind it's products, but I will be most disappointed if they just send me $14.95 and call us even. I want them to grovel at my feet and promise they'll never sell another diseased plant to anyone else. I also bot a Blue Moon and Hypolueca from them, and if I were to lose my precious Hypolueca, I think I would deliver it to them in person in a casket with a grave stone as that is my prize Hosta. I visit with it every day. Anyway, I'll get a reprint of my pic & receipt and send it off to Shady Oaks. I will report back their response. Mary PS Thanks for the prodding--I never dreamed I could find the proof that I needed.

lets define some terms... SOIL is mother earth ... MEDIA is what goes in pots ... DIRT is what is all over you or the house.. after you play in the two above ... soil is NOT a potting media.. FOR THE LONG RUN .... week or 2.. who cares... but not long ... potting media is DESIGNED.. to hold water.. shed water ... increase air to roots.. hold nutrients.. and be low in weight ... [ever move a couple hundred pots??? dirt is heavy ] MEDIA is manipulated.. depending on the plant in the pot ... trees/conifers.. want a sip a water.. and the majority of the water is shed ... aquatics want the opposite ... perennials and annuals are HEAVY water users ... and fert ... and prefer to have a lot of water available ... how plants and pots make it through winter .. is or can be dependent on the media used .... too much water.. late in the season and roots rot ... new beds.. new soil.. recently acquired plants... hard to define what is going on.. and why they might be struggling... it may or may not be a function of solely the soil ... maybe yes.. maybe no ... too much coffee.. cant remember my point.. lol ... oh. just defining some words ... and dont get me going on using COMPOST as mulch.. or vice versa .... compost is SUPPOSED to be incorporated into the soil.. but may be used as a mulch.. but mulch is NEVER incorporated into the soil ... or it should be called compost ... it is a function of its state.. at the point of use .... compost is already decomposed mulch at times ... words mean things.. and when you start thinking about what you need.. and can pin point the word that is special. .... then you can start delineating the variables you need to address ... buying soil by the truck.. used to involve.. for me ... visiting every dirt farmer or seller ... in a ten to 20 mile radius .... holding .. smelling... squishing and investigating all the various soils available ... good soil ... smells organic ... and when damp.. holds together like a snowball.. but crumbles or releases quickly... meaning the soil is friable... which would be just about the opposite of clay .... sand does not snowball ... and those are the 3 variables on soil analysis [sand, clay and silt --- google SOIL TRIANGLE for a pic] .... but i digress .... ken PS: boy.. talk about going off topic.. lol .. Here is a link that might be useful: friable???

I'm very sorry to say that I won't be able to come after all. A change in plans with my daughter's travel home has happened, and I'll need to be home. I don't post much at all, but I've been on Garden Web for about 20 years, and was looking forward to meeting everyone. Maybe next time. I hope you all have a fantastic day! And thank you again, Jojoco, for planning the get together.