Verticillium Wilt & Trading - What's the Right Thing to Do?

11 years ago

I just had an experience where I was about to trade a plant when I realized it was within 3 feet of a space where I took out a viburnum 2 years ago due to verticillium wilt. I told the trader I did not feel right sending her the plant when I knew the soil still likely had the microbe in it. She thanked me for my honesty, but now I'm wondering - can I in good conscience trade ANYTHING in my yard? This was my first trade, thank goodness. I just want to do the right thing. Two other viburnums on the other side of the yard also got the disease this year and I took them down. But, I have tons of other healthy plants and shrubs. What do all of you think?

Comments (5)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
First of all, thank you for being so responsible. Please know that Verticillium is practically ubiquitous in the soil and not all plants are susceptible. But, having said that, I could not in good conscience trade nor give plants from my gardens, if I knew that this particular disease was prevalent.

I think that you should manage your own plants and gardens, bringing in resistant cultivars so that you can have a beautiful landscape in spite of this disease.

Again....bravo for being a responsible trader.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
First of all, thank you for being so responsible. Please know that Verticillium is practically ubiquitous in the soil and not all plants are susceptible. But, having said that, I could not in good conscience trade nor give plants from my gardens, if I knew that this particular disease was prevalent.

I think that you should manage your own plants and gardens, bringing in resistant cultivars so that you can have a beautiful landscape in spite of this disease.

Again....bravo for being a responsible trader.
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sherriseden
Original Author
11 years ago
Rhizo, thanks for the feedback. I had a hunch that v. wilt is just about everywhere, but since I did lose 3 viburnums, it may be really prevalent in my yard. I am now closed for trading and will send some soil samples to a lab and get help for cleaning up any abnormal infestation.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
Verticillium, once present in the soil, requires susceptible plant species AND just the right conditions for an infestation to occur. Soil tests will not reveal anything of importance and you cannot rid your soil of the fungal propagules capable of infesting plants.

All you can do is to avoid plants on that list of susceptible species...Viburnum is on that list, by the way. If you have poorly drained locations on your property, you might consider doing something to improve the conditions.

If you stop providing host plants for the disease and do what you can to eliminate soggy soil, you can naturally reduce but not eliminate the presence of verticillium fungus in the soil.
sherriseden
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks! Good info. You sound like a botanist or soil scientist - that's awesome!