FMV infected fruit?

[Rafaelissimmo]

FMV diseased figs. What is the deal with unhealthy plants and diseased looking figs? I am tempted to dump these plants that display such ugly fruit, some of which just fall off. I give my plants lots of care and fertilizers and I just don't think I want to spend more energy on poor producers, not when I have such little space and many more healthy plants. These are Sal's EL, an Unk., and a Hardy Chicago. I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts on this

[AscPete]

Leaf and fig necrotic spot are typical of more severe FMV infection, but increasing available nutrients will usually provide healthier looking leaves and figs. My experience has been that simply adding some Ironite (1/2 cup per 5 gallons of mix) which is additional Calcium, Iron and some more micro nutrients is enough to dramatically change the looks of the leaves and figs. IMO, if leaves and figs do not improve with this treatment, its a lost cause... Good luck.

[Rafaelissimmo]

Thanks Pete. I use Espoma Iron Tone, Glacial Rock Dust, various composts, Limestone, etc. Also adding Plant tone now. And liquid weekly fertilizer. So yeah, probably a lost cause.

[Chrisk]

Hey Rafael. Really sorry about your figs. Those two are supposed to be very Hardy and disease resistant. Maybe you're over fertilizing them? Figs in the wild are known to thrive on all kinds of soils, even clay or volcanic soils. Growing them in pots is very different of course but maybe the could benefit from some "less " pampering! All I give mine is some diluted Mg all purpose food here and there and they seem to be doing ok. Good luck and I hope they get better for you pronto.

[Rafaelissimmo]

Thanks Chris. An in ground fig will always do better, no matter what. But in pots, I do think they need more than just Mg, especially if they are badly infected or traumatized.

[eboone]

Rafael - are all of the figs like this? Is this repeated each year? Or is this a new issue?

We can't see all the leaves of course in your pics, but the leaves don't look all that bad. Could something else have damaged the figs? Insects? Mites?

[Rafaelissimmo]

Ed, the Sal's EL is just showing stunted growth overall, I think it is a badly infected unhealthy plant. Won it at Bass' raffle last year. Probably will give it away. The other two plants, HC and an Unk., are generally healthier although the leaves are showing some mottling or spots, at least they are growing to full size leaves.

[AscPete]

One thing I forgot to mention is that the pH is extremely important for the health of potted trees. Many FMD symptoms can also be caused by the pH of the potting mix being too High or Low, which creates nutrient deficiencies due to nutrient availability.

Currently I have three (3) cultivars that exhibit visibly leaf mosaic, two (2) Bordeaux types, VdB EL, Beers Black BS and an Unknown (lost tag) rescue, but they are growing vigorously and producing healthy looking figs.

[Hershell]

Why is Frank being blamed?

[eboone]

Someone has to take the fall...and he is out of the country...

[AscPete]

...
Always starting trouble!

[hoosierbanana]

I was sure these were fig mite symptoms last year... but I do have some similar damage showing up on branches that are heavily diseased this year and no sign of mites.







In my collection only the figs of Etna varieties seem to be affected, as well as Black Greek (which is looking more like an Etna to me this year).

Pruning seems to be the only solution, growing a whole new top from a healthy sucker would be the best.

[Rafaelissimmo]

Thank you Brent. I will probably dump the Sal's as it seems the whole plant exhibits unhealthy characteristics and habit. No healthy suckers. The HC (Etna!!!) I will probably keep.

[AscPete]

Instead of dumping the tree, cut it back to the soil line and allow it to regrow at buried node from the established roots, you may be surprised at the results.

[Taverna78]

I think some of my trees have tis. I have never seen blotch spots on my leaf ever. I may of over fertilized with miracle bro so I just use water last few waterings. I have done nothing different in my caring for them. Is maybe from a tree I buy or get in trade? And I read no cure. But I can not dispose of these trees because they are special to me from my friends. If tis is in fact fmv will it hurt tree or fruit? Will it just go away after time? I'm I over or under reacting?

[AscPete]

Over fertilization with Miracle Gro or other water soluble fertilizers will usually cause visible "leaf tip burn" where the outer edges of some younger leaves turn dark green, die, turn brown before decaying.

[Taverna78]

Yes I have noticed leaf tip burn. I just use water for long time now. No more fertilizer

[hoosierbanana]

Buy a 40x handheld microscope and look for fig mites. Your entire collection will be infected by the end of the year if you have fig mites and do nothing.

[Taverna78]

How are they exterminated ?

[AscPete]

Mites can be eliminated by treatment with Miticides...
Sulfur dust had been used in the past. I use Neem Oil Spray, but it has to be applied several times to get the newly hatched mites. There are several stronger pesticides (Miticides) that are available, but I've no experience with them. An earlier discussion on FMV, http://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-ho...on-and-control

[Rewton]

Pete, can you elaborate on how you prepared the neem oil spray for mites? I have a bottle of 100% neem oil as shown in the link below. What dilution do you use? Do you include any detergent (like Dr. Bonner's) with it? Thanks.

http://www.dyna-gro.com/pureneem.htm

[AscPete]

I use Bonide Neem Oil (70% oil) and simply follow the directions @ 2 - 3 tablespoons / gallon of water, it has the 'detergent soap' already included. http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/im..._1024x1024.jpg

[Taverna78]

I just read tis but unsure. Make sense but not sure

Another homemade insecticide comprises of alcohol and water. For making the same, add 1 part alcohol to 1 part water i.e. use both in equal quantities. Since rubbing alcohol is poisonous, it will kill the mites on contact. At the same time, it evaporates quickly and thus, will do little damage to your plant. Make sure to use the spray on the entire plant, paying emphasis on the bottoms of the leaves.
- See more at: http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/loun....8vXiUhRO.dpuf
Read more at http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/loun...YEXw0pDZs5T.99

[Taverna78]

I take some photo of my leaf. I know some burn from miracle gro but maybe I worry for nothing? A couple photo dark green leaf is tiger panache and leaf look like tis from day one

[Taverna78]

Couple more

[AscPete]

I've been able to get mottled leaves by simply changing the pH of the potting mix. A soil test may be able to diagnose any possible problems with pH or nutrients. It may be a simple nutrient deficiency (Calcium or Magnesium)

[Taverna78]

How do I test soil and how far deep do I take soil sample?

[Taverna78]

I see many topic on here about fmv and fmv free trees... Is fmv tis common among figs and with tis many complaints about it what are people doing about it? And is it even that big of a thing to worry about? Lastly in my photos tis is what I have or not too much ?

[hoosierbanana]

That is exactly what fig mite spots look like. Do not mess around with these guys, they are hard to kill. The only thing I know works 100% is Forbid 4F, you can get 1/4 oz. on eBay that will make about 7 gallons of spray, a single application should do it but you could also follow up in 2 weeks to be sure. I don't like chemicals but the healthy of my trees is more important. Spray all of your trees, even the ones without spots.

Good luck, I hope it is not fig mites but it looks so much like them I don't think you should waste any time. The spots will stop appearing one week after they are dead.

[Taverna78]

I will get tis. Do top and bottom of leaf,trunk,fruit?

[hoosierbanana]

Another feature of Forbid 4F is that, like Avid, it is translaminar. The active ingredient, spiromesifin, while not systemic (i.e., it does not move through the plant’s vascular system like, for example, Merit does), is absorbed by the plant’s leaves and will move from the tops of the leaves to the bottoms where the mites feed. This ability to move from the tops to bottoms of leaves significantly reduces the tedium of the spray process – while care should still be taken to cover the entire bush, rigorous spraying of the undersides of leaves should not be required. Moreover, according to Bayer, Forbid 4F controls mites at all life stages and offers an excellent residual of four to eight weeks for mites.

I focused on leaves but think the figs would have also been sprayed in the process, I sprayed enough to make the leaves drip with 1 ml/gallon concentration. They did show back up on a few plants at the end of the row because the tank was running dry and I tried to stretch it out.

Also, I used Avid on trees that were fruiting, I sprayed later in the season and Forbid 4 is not labeled for fruiting trees. The same chemical is labeled by the same company under a different name though so there should be no danger. No pesticides are labeled for figs anyway, so it really did not matter. As long as you are not selling fruit or plants you can spray whatever you like... as long as it is not restricted. Forbid is "safer" than Avid and works much faster than Neem, so that is why I think it is the best.

[Taverna78]

Okay well I just buy on eBay so hope I spray tis week. I wonder where they come from? I have fig in garden by my home 4 years never issue. This year first time I gave issue

[hoosierbanana]

They came on a plant or cuttings. The problem is not well understood and they are hard to detect, they are too small to see without a microscope and for many years people simply identified the spots as FMV. To explain how it spread from one tree to another they said all trees have FMV and only show it at certain times. So many people think there is nothing they can do about it...

It is a proven fact only some trees have FMV, and the only known natural vector is the fig mite.

[AscPete]

Fig Mosaic Virus is systemic, its transmitted within the cells of Fig trees, it has been proven to be "spread" by fig mites and cultivation of infected cuttings. Uninfected feeding mites can only cause localized leaf mosaic symptoms in healthy plants, and will not cause viral infection if none exists. Fig mites can only infect other trees if they had already been feeding on infected trees. FMV cannot be spread by mite eggs from newly hatched mites.

With this info its simple to create an "isolation" area where newly acquired plants (cuttings) are treated with Miticides and Fungicides (for Fig Mites and Rust) before introduction into the garden or orchard. They can also be fertilized while in "isolation" to eliminate any Leaf Mosaic that are caused by nutrient deficiency.

I currently have 2 trees in the garden that have visible mosaic symptoms or Fig Mosaic Disease (FMD), an unknown with a missing tag which I believe to be a Mission and a Beers's Black Attached photos are of the front and back of the leaves of the 2 infected trees and of healthy leaves. Back lighting the leaves is a simple way of diagnosing mosaic disease since the mosaic patches are visible and absence of rust and rust nodules on the back of the leaves will add to the confirmation.

[Taverna78]

And supplement suggestion is good ? 4F

[AscPete]

Increasing "Available Nutrients" by adding balanced Fertilizers and Supplements will benefit both healthy and infected plants.

[Taverna78]

Pete so I am clear in you direction. I spray Forbid 4F over all trees.. Only tops of leaf because it will seep thru leaf or do top and bottom of leaf? And spray enough until is dripping off leafs completely soaking entire tree with 4F. Leaf trunk fig to the soil.
You talk about ph and balanced fertilizers. Without getting Scientific can you recommend the best supplements to give to my trees so they have good ph and all necessary nutrients to help fight fmv and become healthy again. The only tree I had a chance to get any fig off tis year the fig look infected terribly. White crusty spots on them.

[AscPete]

I've never used Forbid 4F or other chemical Miticides. I use Bonide Neem Oil spray mixed @ 3 tablespoons / gallon of water spraying top and underside of leaves.

There are too many fertilizers on the market so I have only recommended the specific brands that I've actually tried Miracle-Gro, Espoma, General Hydroponics used at manufacturers recommended strength, with the water soluble @ 1/3 to 1/2 strength for fertigation. pH should be between 6 and 7.5 for best absorption by the roots, which is the standard recommendation.

Sometimes white crusty spots and streaks are only latex sap that has dripped from pinched tips or figs. Often its insect damage which is only superficial.

[Taverna78]

Makes sense. I pinch Tis tree a lot

[AscPete]

Recommending better cultural care by rethinking fertilization may seem simplistic but I liken it to Tomato Blossom-end Rot which can be eliminated by simply increasing the Calcium content of the potting mix or soil.

[smatthew]

that's not quite correct with the tomatoes though. Often soil has plenty of Calcium, but blossom end-rot still occurs. It's usually an issue with over or under-watering, or quite simply, some varieties are susceptible until they get large enough.

[AscPete]

smatthew,
Yes, but its actually more about the available Calcium. Gypsum is readily available, Limestone is not as readily available, but can be broken down in time by soil microbes.

[Rafaelissimmo]

Pete, I use gypsum, haven't seen b-e-rot in 3 years