Eight hosta species or cultivars, Hosta plantaginea, H. ventricosa ‘Aureo Marginata’, H. ‘Tokudama’, H. ‘Francee’, H. ‘Sum and Substance’, H. ‘Fragrant Bouquet’, H. ‘Frances Williams’, and H. sieboldiana ‘Elegans’, were chilled in a walk-in cooler in two-week increments from 2 to 10 weeks at 4C (39F), prior to forcing in a heated greenhouse. More than 80% of all cultivars in all treatments emerged, except for H. ‘Tokudama’. For all cultivars tested, days to shoot emergence and days to first leaf unfurled decreased quadratically as chilling duration increased. Most rapid decreases occurred between 0 and 6 weeks of chilling. In the absence of chilling, H. plantaginea was the first cultivar to emerge, between 34 and 79 days before other cultivars. H. plantaginea was followed by H. ventricosa ‘Aureo Marginata’, H. ‘Sum and Substance’, and H. ‘Fragrant Bouquet’, all of which emerged before H. ‘Frances Williams’. Leaf area index, an indicator of plant vigor, increased linearly as chilling duration increased. Shoot dry weight increased in H. ‘Fragrant Bouquet’, H. ‘ Frances Williams’ and H. ‘Francee’, decreased slightly in H. plantaginea, and did not change in H. ventricosa ‘Aureo Marginata’, H. ‘Tokudama’, H. ‘Sum and Substance’, or H. sieboldiana ‘Elegans’ as chilling duration increased. This study indicates that there is no absolute chilling requirement for shoot emergence or subsequent growth of hosta tested. All cultivars benefited from chilling with quicker shoot emergence and fewer days to first leaf unfurled, with the greatest benefits occurring between 0 and 6 weeks. However, the benefits of chilling, as exemplified by growth and vigor, varied widely among species and cultivars.

A study was conducted over a two-year period to determine how time of pruning affects cold hardiness of butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii (Franchet) ‘Royal Red’). Plants were pruned in November, January, or March, and pruned and non-pruned plants were exposed to six freezing temperatures two weeks after pruning treatments were applied. In addition, plants pruned in previous seasons were included in subsequent freezing treatments. Plants were rated for injury 2 or 3 weeks after treatment (WAT), and for mortality at 6 WAT. In fall 2001, at −6C (21.2F), injury ratings were higher in pruned than non-pruned plants. At all other treatment temperatures, injury to pruned and non-pruned plants was similar. In fall 2001, mortality increased with decreasing temperatures and was higher in pruned plants than in non-pruned controls, regardless of treatment temperature. In winter and spring 2002, injury and mortality increased with decreasing temperatures, but were not affected by pruning treatments. In fall 2002, temperature decreased as injury rating and mortality increased, regardless of pruning treatment and pruned plants had a higher injury rating and mortality than non-pruned across all temperatures. In winter 2003, injury rating and mortality increased with decreasing temperatures and pruning did not affect either. Spring 2003 plants, which had deacclimated prior to freeze treatment, were not affected by pruning or freezing treatments.

C6 volatile compounds are known to be produced by the plant upon pathogen attack or other stress-related events. The biological activity of many of these substances is poorly understood, but some might produce signal molecules important in host–pathogen interactions. In this research we explored the possibility that lipid-derived C6 volatiles have a direct effect on bacterial plant pathogens. To this purpose we used a unique tool, a bacterium genetically engineered to bioluminesce. Light-producing genes from a fish-associated bacterium were introduced into Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, enabling nondestructive detection of bacteria in vitro and in the plant with special computer-assisted camera equipment. The effects of different C6 volatiles (trans-2 hexanal, trans-2 hexen-1-ol and cis-3 hexenol) on growth of bioluminescent Xanthomonas campestris were investigated. Different volatile concentrations were used. Treatment with trans-2 hexanal appeared bactericidal at low concentrations (1% and 10%), while treatments with the other volatiles were not inhibitive to bacterial growth. The implications of these results with respect to practical use of trans-2 hexanal in pathogen susceptible and resistant plants will be discussed.

Hosta plantaginea and 11 selections with H. plantaginea parentage were chilled at 4C (39F) for 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks to determine the effect of chilling duration on subsequent plant growth. At 6 and 12 weeks after chilling treatment (WAT), response to chilling duration was selection dependent with three trends evident. At 6 WAT, eight of the 12 selections showed a decrease in new leaf formation with one or two weeks of chilling, but an increase in new leaf formation with additional chilling. In three of the 12 selections, new leaf formation increased linearly with increased chilling. New leaf formation of H. plantaginea ‘Grandiflora’ was not affected by chilling duration at 6 or 12 WAT. At 12 WAT, growth response of four of the 12 selections changed quadratically with increased chilling, similar to the response at 6 WAT, while leaf formation in seven of the 12 selections increased linearly with increasing chilling duration. At 18 WAT, leaf counts increased linearly in all H. plantaginea selections with increasing chilling duration, demonstrating increased vigor. All selections showed increases in new leaf formation over the 18-week period following chilling, demonstrating that chilling, though beneficial, was not required, and in the short-term, the response to chilling was selection dependent.

New offset formation in hosta in response to benzyladenine (BA) drenches applied at division and establishment was examined. Hosta Tratt. ‘Frances Williams’ and H. ‘Francee’ were separated into uniform single-bud divisions and drenched with 50 ml of 0, 100, 500, 1000, 2000 or 3000 ppm (mg/liter) BA just prior to potting (division) or two weeks later when substrate-container interface root development was evident (establishment). A 3000 ppm (mg/liter) foliar spray applied to established plants served as a standard. Offsets were counted in plants treated at division 14 days later at which time BA was applied to established plants. Offsets were counted on all plants 30 and 60 days after BA was applied to established plants and in spring of the following year. Offset counts increased rapidly in both cultivars following drench applications of increasing BA concentrations, whether applied at division or establishment. This positive response to increasing BA drench concentrations was evident 60 days after treatment (DAT) and the following spring, except in H. ‘Frances Williams’ drenched at division. However, benefits of either BA method or time of application were less pronounced in spring, following a period of dormancy.