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draj_gw

Mosaic Virus Identification - Need Help

draj
10 years ago

I bought couple of conadria from ediblelandscaping.com, transplanted them from 1Gal planter to 3.2Gal planters - they are in some transplant shock for sure and then these spots started appearing and are driving me crazy.

If you are reading this & if you are familiar/SME/horticulture-ly person, can you please help me decide if this is indeed Mosaic Virus ? (please restrain from guess work)
Should I destroy/burn them if it is Mosaic Virus before it spreads to other fig trees in my yard?

Thanks in advance....





Comments (12)

  • northbay12
    10 years ago

    I would say that is definitely FMV. Living in California, almost everyone in my neighborhood has figs, and we also have glassy winged sharpshooters, which means that unless everyone were to get rid of their figs, destroying the tree and replacing it with a virus free one would not be feasible. It is my understanding that most figs (except seed grown) have FMV.
    My 'Black Mission' showed signs of having the virus when it first leafed out in spring, all of the foliage was mottled and deformed, now it shows no sign of the virus, though I'm sure it still has it.
    It has tons of figs, as does every other fig in the area (remember, everyone else's probably have FMV, too), so I don't think it affects harvest, and I don't see the point in destroying the trees. Your other trees may already have the virus, I would search the forum, because I know this topic has been covered before.
    Some people have radically different opinions, some don't see it as anything other than a minor nuisance, and some think they should be destroyed. I tend to agree with the former. I also believe the severity of the virus depends on the cultivar, some are affected more than others. I would wait and see, but isolate the tree from the others if at all possible, but the others may already have it.
    Good luck!

  • hoosierbanana
    10 years ago

    Look on the undersides of the older mottled leaves for rust. When rust infects young, thin leaves it mottles them like FMV.

    Most likely Conadria does have FMV though, the collection it comes from is known for it.

  • draj
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you NorthBay & HoosierBanana. After your hint about rust, I shot some more pics of underside & suspect it is rust. I am inclined towards not destroying the plants. I pray its not Rust + FMV.




  • northbay12
    10 years ago

    I didn't know that about rust! Good to know...

  • terry_upstate_ny
    10 years ago

    You could try removing only the affected leaves. If t may help to stop the spread to the other leaves. Also try to keep good air circulation around the branches and leves.

  • draj
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Need Help !!!!!
    I have been spraying bonide copper fungicide (copper soap - 0.1%) after every rain & rust appears to be enjoying it. I recently sprayed copper sulfate(1%) & day after, this is what I see. What am I doing wrong ? Can these be saved ? I don't want to lose them. :(
    Haven't tried Bordeaux mixture yet, should I try it ?
    Thank you,





  • hoosierbanana
    10 years ago

    I have never used that product but have burned leaves using soaps. The pores in the leaves get covered and water cannot escape, which is how leaves cool themselves, and they cook.

    Copper can cause problems as well and should be used cautiously. It can absorb into the leaf and cause other minerals to become unavailable.

    It is tough to stop fungi when conditions are wet, but as things dry out they become easier to control. That is the life of a grower...

    I have had lots of rust this year and find the best thing is to give them lots of space and air to dry their leaves early in the day and after a rain. Nursery trees are often grown in close proximity to one another and get watered from above so that combined with record setting rain is probably the cause of the rust on your tree. The grower would probably not have had the same problem in the past, or not as early in the season as to be a problem.

    Your tree will be fine but is probably going to drop most of its leaves soon, which you should bag and throw in the trash. This will actually give you a good opportunity to repot and help the tree recover and grow better than it would if it stayed in a small container for the rest of the season. The new leaves will not be infected because now they are in conditions that do not favor rust.

  • draj
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you very much HB for taking time to post response. As you said, the plants dropped most of its leaves & there are new healthy buds coming out (in pics).
    I have couple of questions needing expert answers:
    1. There are still some old affected leaves, should I cut them off to keep new ones healthy ?
    2. Should I spray Bordeaux mixture or no? Copper sulphate + lime
    3. New buds are crowded, 2+ from each leaf node and 3 from top most bud. I am concerned that if I let all of them grow, they will grow to very thin/skinny twigs - any suggestions? Shall I pinch off some buds ?



    Thanks in advance

    This post was edited by draj on Sun, Jul 28, 13 at 10:28

  • hoosierbanana
    10 years ago

    I would clip those old leaves, bag them and throw them in the trash to get rid of any rust spores.

    You should be fine without spraying if those are the only fig trees you have. Without infected leaves around the new leaves should be safe. Rust is not a big problem either, it is a fact of life here but normally comes in the fall instead of early summer, making it worse than usual.

    Mulberry and other tree leaves are also infected with rust heavily this year, I don't think mulberry rust affects figs but it shows that the conditions are good for fungi this season.

    Some buds will show to be be figs, they should be broken off after they emerge because in zone 7 it is getting too late and the trees need to focus on growth so they can fruit next season. I just let young plants grow and then prune weak growth in the dormant season but yes you can remove some growths when they are emerging to shape the tree. On older trees I rub out interior facing and low buds sometimes if they need it. Pruning is one of the last things to learn so I am still pretty green with it myself. Best to pick a tree shape you like and try to copy it.

  • draj
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you all very much. Both Conadrias are doing well now, new healthy leaves have appeared, I am spraying Bordeaux mixture after rain.

    HooserBanana - is your screen name related to Paw paw ? I have some questions on that. :)

    Thanks again.

    This post was edited by draj on Sun, Aug 18, 13 at 15:32

  • draj
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Recent status: Conadrias doing much better. Spots on leaves is Bordeaux Mixture.

    This post was edited by draj on Wed, Aug 28, 13 at 21:42