The Salty Knitter

Is This HVX!

We’ve had a crappy spring this year where I’m at. Cold, wet and not much sun so the Hosta look kind of yucky. People who have heard of HVX but haven’t seen it in person start asking “Is this HVX?” Since it’s way too crappy outside to do anything else, I thought I might share a couple of Hosta pictures from my yard and talk about HVX a little more.

My Garden Challenges

In the fall I got new human neighbors and my dogs got a new canine neighbor. Who’s a good boy!

Not my dog! He started running up and down the fence and peeing on all the things, trampling an entire row of Hosta into oblivion instead of them dying down naturally in the fall.

Spring comes and my boy dog still has a hate on for the boy dog next door. They’ve done so much leg lifting the ground smells like dog pee and I’ve got Hosta pips coming up. I had to do something so I put the underground pet fence back up. It keeps him away from the fence and put a stop to the peeing frenzy. More important, it kept him from breaking all of the emerging pips off of the Hosta planted along the fence.

Why are you telling me this?

By now you’re probably starting to wonder what my point is right? Well my point is there are a lot of reasons other than disease that can cause your Hosta to look less then their best. There are a few things that might damage the emerging pips – weather, late frost, trampling by humans or pets – and that damage will show in the leaves as they unfurl. As the leaves unfurl, less than ideal conditions – too much rain, too cold – can make your hosta look kind of ugly.

Probably Not HVX

So now I have a row of Hosta that have been peed on, stepped on, under water and haven’t seen too many warm days yet. Let’s take a closer look at them.

This one is Spartacus. Spartacus is out of the ‘pee zone’ so it’s looking pretty good this spring. I should move it soon before the maple roots choke it out, but other than that Spartacus is fine.

Sun Power is looking pretty good too, it is out of the ‘pee zone’ too.

But then here is Guacamole and it really looks sad. Crinkled leaves, blotchy color, it just isn’t nice at all right now. If you had never seen Hosta Virus X in person, you would maybe start to panic right now. Especially if you’ve been collecting Hosta and have a lot of time and money invested in your collection.

When you look closely at this leaf and see the way the tip is damaged, that’s most likely because it’s been trampled by boy dogs trying to establish who is top dog. Or it could be because some varieties of Hosta have a harder time unfurling their leaves when the weather is less than favorable. Either way, this is not HVX damage.

The sickly looking color in the leaves could be due to the cold, the wet, or just the long winter months of dog urine. But there is no ink bleed – dark areas ‘bleeding’ out from the veins – so again this is not HVX.

This one is Church Mouse. The picture is from last year, right after I planted it. The leaves are supposed to be rippled like that, but notice how even the blue coloration is.

This is the same plant as it emerged this spring. Kind of sad looking isn’t it? Church Mouse didn’t get peed on or trampled. It just doesn’t like this cold wet spring we’re having so it looks yellow and sickly.

Definitely HVX

This is a plant – Hanky Panky – that had HVX.

This is a close-up of one of the leaves. Notice the blotches of dark green disrupting the normal variegation. Hard to see in a photo, the tissue is depressed because the plant cells have collapsed. It looks almost scalded.

It’s probably not HVX

HVX is one of those things – once you’ve seen it, you know you’ve seen it. So if your hosta came up a little sickly looking this year, keep an eye on them, but if it was fine last year most likely it’s not Hosta Virus X. Just continue to practice good garden hygiene and avoid activities that could spread the sap of one plant to another.

For more on Hosta Virus X – Hosta Virus X, What you need to know

Attracting Hummingbirds

I’ve tried before to attract hummingbirds to my yard, putting out feeders and diligently changing the nectar for a little while. They never came and eventually I lost interest. Every few years I would try again but it always went exactly the same, until last year. So here is everything I know about attracting hummingbirds and what finally worked for me.

The Feeder:

If you are trying to attract hummingbirds for the first time, a novelty feeder will not do. I know, I know, just a week or two ago I showed you how to make a novelty feeder from a glass spice jar. But you still need at least one feeder in your yard that we’ve already taught hummingbirds to look for.

The best style of feeder to start with is the one below (affiliate link) and I have a couple of reasons I prefer this type.

It’s familiar to Hummingbirds. From their winter homes all the way along their migratory route to their summer breeding grounds, people put out feeders and it is most often one that looks like this.

It’s easy to clean. Being made of glass and having a neck wide enough to fit a bottle brush makes this type the easiest to clean.

It has the bee guards, the ant moat, but the main thing I like is that it is small. Last year I cleaned and replaced the nectar ever week for a long time before I ever saw a hummingbird at the feeder. 8oz is not a huge amount to throw away.

Planting to attract hummingbirds.

Last year was a bit of an epiphany for me. I realized that my parents, who always have tons of hummingbirds squabbling at their feeders, also have tons of flowers in bloom throughout the season. Seriously, my mothers gardens are lovely and extensive. So I started looking at plants to add that would draw the tiny birds.

If it was red and the right shape for Hummingbirds, I bought it and planted it. Red Mandevilla, Cannas, Red Hibiscus, Red Nicotiana, I tried it all.

I also threw down a packet of zinnia seeds for other pollinators. Hummingbirds never came for any of it, until that packet of zinnia seed started to flower. Thanks to a packet of zinnia seed, I had hummingbirds until they made their fall migration. And if you have hummingbirds in the fall, they will check your yard out the following spring.

This spring I had my feeders out and ready – way before they were expected to arrive. And I started walking around looking at what I could add for early spring flower.

I had a few things already like Hellebore. I’ve seen it associated with Hummingbirds but I am a skeptical. It is pretty though and usually in flower around the same time as the daffodils.

What shade garden would be complete without Bleeding Heart? Bonus, hummingbird like them.

So from there, I added some Perennial Sage ‘Rose Marvel’ and pansies. Pansies do nothing for hummingbirds but I like them. The Salvia on the other hand has been getting plenty of action from the hummers. I suspect it would normally flower later, this one came from a greenhouse and may have been forced to flower just a bit earlier than normal.

I’ve also added this plant – Lungwort is the common name. Pulmonaria ‘Silver Bouquet’ if you are looking for the proper name. There are some other cultivars that look very eye catching like Shrimps on the Barbie.

I also have some Bergenia Cordifolia to plant along with some Phlox subulata (creeping phlox). I should be well set for some early color next year to attract hummingbirds. And of course for this year, I have some zinnia to plant.

Hummingbird Feeder from a Spice Jar!

What do you do when you want to have a hummingbird feeder for every hummingbird, but you’re a little bit cheap? You get out your glue gun and DIY some feeders!

I’ve had my hummingbird feeders out since early April because I was determined to not miss their arrival like I have every other year. They showed up on May 1st and have been busy sipping nectar and chasing each other away ever since. I have 3 feeders out already plus the oriole feeder, but I wanted a couple more to really spread them around the yard. This is how I made my DIY spice jar hummingbird feeder.

Materials for Hummingbird Feeder:

Spice Jars – I got mine at the dollar store, three for $2.00
Twine
Silk Flowers – Try for red or deep pink
Ribbon Trim
Yellow paint
Glue Gun
Drill & Drill Bit – I used a 3/16 bit
Hole Punch

Make the Hummingbird Feeder

Step One:

Tighten the lids onto the jars and mark the location for the holes. I placed mine so that when the jar is tilted it would be towards the bottom. Next drill the holes in the lids. The center part is a brittle clear plastic, so go slow or it will crack.

Step Two:

Pull your silk flowers apart, removing the plastic centers. Glue all the layers together with your hot glue gun.

Step Three:

Glue your ribbon trim around the lid.

Step Four:

Punch a hole through the silk flowers.

Then glue the flower to the lid, lining up the hole in the flower with the hole in the lid.

Step Five:

Paint the center of the flower yellow.

And there’s your Hummingbird Feeder finished! Now to make the macrame hanger.

Make the hanger for your Hummingbird Feeder

Step One:

Making a macrame hanger for hummingbird feeder

To start you will need 8 lengths of twine 72″ or 6′ long.

Fold them in half to find the center.

Make a knot as shown. This is the top of your hanger. You should now have 16 strands of twine.

Step Two:

Section out 4 strands of twine. We will only be using square knots for this hanger.

Cross the left strand over the center two strands and under the right strand.

Then cross the right strand under the center two, and pull it up through the loop you made with the first strand.

Next pass the left strand under the center two and over the right strand.

Bring the right strand over the center two, and through the loop on the left. That’s your first square knot.

Repeat until you have 6 knots on this section of 4 strands. Do the same for the remaining 3 sections.

Step Three

For the next step, you will take a center and an outside from two adjacent sections.

Using those 4 strands, make a single square knot 6″ down. Repeat for the remaining 3 sets.

These instructions will make a hanger that measures approximately 12″ from the hanging loop to the bottom of the hummingbird feeder and an 8″ tassel at the bottom. If you prefer a longer hanger, you would add the length in this step. For each inch you add to the length, you will need to add 2″ to the length you cut your twine at.

Step Four:

It is easier to work the rest of the hanger if you can hang it on something while you are working. Then next knots are 2″ below the last ones. You will need to use a center strand and outside strand from 2 adjacent groups again.

Repeat for the remaining 3 groups. You should start to see the netting form.

Step Five:

The last set of knots are 1″ down. Switch up your groups again as you did in the previous steps.

Step Six:

Gather all the strands together and knot. Test fit your Spice Jar Hummingbird Feeder to make sure it’s secure. Once everything is good, trim your tassel to the length you want and you’re done.

Fill your Hummingbird feeder!

Fill your feeder with nectar to the rim as shown. You can make your own nectar with 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water. Use only white sugar, anything else can make hummingbirds sick. There’s no need to add color, the flower should catch their attention – hopefully.

Hosta Virus X, What you need to know

If you’ve got shade, more than likely you’ve also got Hosta. And if you’ve got Hosta you need to know about Hosta virus X, or HVX.

What is Hosta Virus X?

HVX is a virus and infected Hosta eventually develop streaked and or mottled leaves. HVX was first identified in 1996 and now affects Hosta globally. It’s believed that initially Hosta aficionados contributed to the spread of the disease, thinking they had a new and interesting plant. Many ‘new’ cultivars were in fact infected plants showing the effects of the virus. The virus will not kill the Hosta, but there is no cure.

Signs of Hosta Virus X

It is important to remember that a plant can be infected with the disease for many years before showing any symptoms, but when they appear symptoms present in three distinctive ways.

Inkbleed

This is not the best photo to show inkbleed, but what you will see is a leaf that appears to have dark variegation along the veins of the leaf. While some cultivars do have streaked leaves on healthy plants, leaves with inkbleed look different. For more and better images please click here.

Tissue Collapse

It’s difficult to see in photos, but on this Hanky Panky leaf, the dark spots are dimpled. Sometimes it will give leaves a crinkly appearance. Again this is a characteristic in some cultivars, but the leaves affected by HVX will look different.

Here is the back side of the same leaf. While it may not show well in pictures, it is very distinctive when seen in person. The leaf tissue collapses and thinner than the rest of the leaf.

Leaf Mottling

Treating the disease

There is no cure for Hosta Virus X. Let me repeat myself here – there is no cure for HVX. Just last night I saw a gentleman on a Hosta Facebook group insisting that it could be cured with a home-made spray of tea tree oil and Russian comfrey or some such balderdash.

If you believe that, I’ve got some Rainbow Tomato seeds to sell you – no really they look just like gumballs.

If you find signs of HVX on one of your Hosta, it’s important to remove the infected plant. While HVX is only spread through the sap of the plant and cannot infect anything other than Hosta, it is possible to spread the disease within your own yard – or to the garden of a friend. There are plenty of opportunities during regular gardening activities to transfer sap from an infected plant to healthy plants. Activities such as transplanting, edge trimming the lawn, dead-heading flowers, etc. can all potentially transfer sap from one Hosta to another.

Dispose of the infected hosta in your regular household trash – NOT the composter or a community composting program.

Once you’ve disposed of the diseased hosta, you must scrub and disinfect any garden tools that have come into contact with the plant. It’s not enough to just disinfect – thoroughly scrub the tool first and then dip it in a bleach solution.

Some other considerations

Once you’ve removed the plant, do not plant Hosta there again. It used to be assumed that as long as all root material was gone it was safe to replant in that location. This is no longer the thinking. You can plant Heuchera or Hellebore or any other shade-loving plant in that location, HVX will not affect them, but no Hosta.

Because the virus is found more often in certain varieties, some people might think only those varieties can have it. This is simply not true. HVX can infect any variety of Hosta.

Another issue is that some gardeners think the infected plant looks unique or attractive and will keep it in their garden. If you see a plant in a friends garden that looks suspicious don’t take any plants from them – even if the plant they are sharing looks healthy.

If you’re truly a Hosta lover, buy your plants at a place that specializes in Hosta. They’ll know about the disease and take steps to ensure their plants are free of the disease.

Shade Planter Ideas

I’m pretty pleased with my shade planters this year, although I would be even more pleased if the crazed squirrels would stop burying their treasure in them and knocking out my plants. I went for a more colorful tropical feel than I have in other years.

Tropical Shade Planter — Croton, New Guinea Impatiens, Asparagus Fern and Creeping Jenny

Container recipe,

Fairly simple, each planter has a croton for the center, 3 bright rose New Guinea Impatiens, 3 Asparagus Sprengerii, and 3 gold Lysimachia/Creeping Jenny. In the fall, I’ll bring the croton indoors and leave the Creeping Jenny to overwinter in the pots.

The second planter is the same – this one sits by my mailbox. It would look much nicer if I could keep those damn squirrels out. This time of year it’s worth it to do a daily check for plants the tailed rodents have dug out satisfying their relentless urge to hide food.

Heat Performance

Squirrels aside, I feel confident this is a shade planter that will look sharp until the end of the summer. On Father’s Day weekend, we had temperatures in the high 90’s and all the plants in these containers sailed through it. Had I used Lobelia it would be a crispy dead thing. Bacopa, the other plant that seems to show up in nearly every planter I see, would have completely stopped flowering in those temperatures. By using Creeping Jenny with tropical Asparagus Fern and Crotons, I’ve avoided all that disappointment.

Elegant shade planters

If you were looking for a more elegant shade planter, Begonia Pegasus is always a winner. These were last year’s arrangements, 1 Pegasus in the center, 3 Dragon Wing Begonia in either Pink or Red, and Tradescantia for the spiller. The picture above was shortly after planting.

Not the best photo, but here you can see how lovely it was well into the season.

Bonus Shade Planter Idea

Caladium Shade Planter — Caladium, New Guinea Impatiens, and Coleus

This is one from my mom’s garden last year. Another easy arrangement for shade, it’s just a caladium, a New Guinea and some coleus. She may have occasionally needed to pinch the coleus but other than that it’s another season long planter.