New AHS Policy: Reserving Cultivar Names

A hosta cultivar name can be reserved with the AHS Registrar. The reserved name does not require descriptive information, will be protected for a one time period of three years from date of receipt, and requires paying a $10 reservation fee. The reserved name may not be displayed in gardens nor used in print before registration with the AHS and Registrar publication. A maximum of 6 cultivar name reservations may be held concurrently by a registrant.

New AHS Policy: Gift or Sold Seed

It is the position of the AHS that a person gifting or selling seed relinquishes all claim and registration rights to any seedlings grown thereof. The hosta seedling originator is the person who grows the seed, regardless of the source of the seed, except by mutual agreement between the parties.

Membership

Time seems to fly more quickly with each passing year --- YES, IT’S MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL TIME AGAIN! If there is a “13” after your name on the mailing sheet which accompanied the most recent Hosta Journal, then it’s time to renew --- you wouldn’t want to miss any of the fun, would you?! I know this might be surprising (and possibly somewhat distressing) news to those who joined for just a single year immediately prior to the 2013 membership cut-off date in mid-August and I’m sorry for that … but, remember, your membership was backdated to 01-01-13! 

All AHS Memberships run from January 1 through December 31 regardless of when an individual joins or renews. The year of your membership expiration immediately follows your name on the mailing sheet which accompanies each paper publication you receive from the AHS. The second Hosta Journal mailing of each year (which arrived in 2013 members’ mailboxes earlier this fall) is always accompanied by a renewal form. It is important to renew in a timely manner in order to avoid the $5.00 late fee which MUST be applied to all renewals mailed or entered online after January 15 of each calendar year --- mailing that first issue of the year individually to late renewals is a costly process! 

It is important to keep the AHS Membership Secretary informed of changes in your contact information. If you do not receive AHS mailings due to an unreported change of address, a $6.00 payment is required to cover the cost of shipping and handling for the replacement issue. Please send address changes to AHSMembershipSecretary@charter.net as promptly as possible. Individuals who travel between summer and winter homes should advise the Membership Secretary of their change of address approximately 6 weeks in advance. 

Tired of all the paper filling up your mailbox and taking up room on your desk (or kitchen table)? Why not try our new eMembership option? This option is available beginning in 2014 --- in addition to the Online Journal, you will now be able to enjoy the other two issues online and save a little cash at the same time! We also have a new 5 Year Membership option for those who prefer to renew for longer terms! Complete information is available on the website and on the renewal form which accompanied the fall issue of the Journal. 

AHS Memberships make great gifts for your gardening friends --- or great door prizes for your local club events!
Sandie

Sandie Markland
AHS Membership Secretary
 

VP Genus Hosta Report

HVX Research Update

Several key points came out of the completed 2-year study at the University of Minnesota with Dr. Ben Lockhart. 

• HVX can be transmitted from infected to healthy hostas by injury, resulting from mechanical contact with cutting tools or fingers. Mechanical transmission of HVX on tools or fingers occurs at a very low frequency.


• This, and any other mode of HVX transmission, is most likely to occur in the spring, when plants emerge from dormancy.


• HVX transmission may take up to 2-3 years to manifest itself as a recognizable disease.

Nematode Research The project is on track! Dr. Grewal has accepted a new position as Professor and Head, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee (UTK) in Knoxville in June. The project has moved from the Ohio State University with Dr. Grewal. The necessary matching funding to carry out the research has been acquired by Dr. Grewal. A new Agreement with UTK is in the process of being signed. There has been no delay in the project due to the changes!  Some very exciting first results have just come in from Dr. Grewal.
	Dr. Parwinder Grewal
Objective 1 Test Results:  In the early spring, soils, leaves, roots, and overwintering hosta crowns were sampled to check for the overwintering foliar nematodes, especially for the overwintering nematode eggs. The nematodes were found in the soil, the leaves, and the crowns (buds), but not in the roots. Nematode eggs were not found in the soil, but observations suggest that eggs may overwinter in the leaves and buds. This observation will be repeated next year to confirm the results.   Objective 2:  A pot experiment shows that if the pots of healthy hosta plants are placed close to the pots with the infested plants, the healthy hosta developed nematode infection symptoms, even if they were from a different hosta cultivar. In another pot experiment to check whether the healthy hosta can be infested by the foliar nematodes present in the soil, it was observed that there are a high percentage of healthy hostas that became infested. These experiments provide evidence that healthy hosta plants planted in the nematode infested soil or even close to another infested plant, even when there is no direct contact with the soil, can get infested by nematodes.	Ruisheng An Research Assistant
	Foliar Nematode Lab work

This is the exciting part!  Out of the tested chemicals, several (ZeroTol, Bifenthrin, G-Cyhalothrin, Azamax, Clorox®, Sodium dichloroisocyanurate, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Ammonia, and Neem oil) produced relatively high nematode mortality (50 to 100% at high concentrations and 30-40% at low concentrations). Of these tested chemicals, several readily available to every gardener, (Clorox® and Ammonia) had a 100% mortality rate! The entire experiment will be repeated for comparative data analysis.  

More results from testing are expected in the early spring. 

You can support this research project by making a donation. More information about this research program on the AHS website. Click here 

Cindy Deutekom

THJ - Ordering Back Issues & DVD Sets

2014 NATIONAL CONVENTION

ČZECH IT OUT!

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

JUNE 11TH - 14TH, 2014

Click for the convention WEBSITE

2015 National Convention

"Back To The Future"

Hosted  by Bob & Nancy Solberg
Raleigh, North Carolina
June 17-20, 2015