How to deal with cabbage mosaic virus disease

Don’t be fooled by its name, cabbage mosaic virus attacks far more plants than cabbages, and it can be difficult to deal with once it infects your garden.

In a good year, your cabbages, nightshades and cucurbits can grow without problems. But some years, for some reason, a pathogen takes hold. When this happens, growing your favorite vegetables becomes a little more difficult.

A few years ago, aphids ran amok in our garden. We started fighting them in June and didn’t stop until the frost killed them. It was a tough year and they brought cabbage mosaic virus with them. He decimated our crucifers and our cucumbers. Here’s what you need to know:

Contents

What is mosaic virus?

Growing cabbages can be incredibly simple. Unlike many other plants, cabbages are simple, consistent growers. Perhaps that’s why sprouts are a staple in so many diets.

But any plant that has been grown for thousands of years is susceptible to a few diseases, and along the way a virus developed that specifically targeted these plants.

There are actually a variety of mosaic viruses that can impact cabbages: turnip mosaic virus (TMV), cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), and cabbage mosaic virus. flower (CaMV). Although each of these viruses belongs to a different “family” of viruses, they are all spread by aphids and all cause similar symptoms.

We’re going to focus on cucumber mosaic virus, which can also affect melons, celery, beans, and nightshade plants like tomatoes, corn, eggplant, and potatoes. But if you have something attacking your plants that looks like a mosaic virus, don’t worry about what virus it is. The symptoms and steps to manage the disease are all the same.

An infected plant begins to develop yellow rings on the newer leaves. As it progresses, the entire sheet takes on a mottled appearance – like a mosaic where light hits different tiles at once. In a real mosaic, the effect is delightful. It gives depth to the whole image. On most vegetables, the plants tend to look slightly bruised and discolored.

The virus continues to spread, causing mottled rings, spots, and even black necrotic patches. Finally, your cabbages, melons or tomatoes look like a boxer, fresh out of the ring, with bruises and black eyes. It’s not an appetizing end product, that’s for sure.

Without prompt care, that magnificent row of cabbages is useless at harvest time. There is no cure for mosaic virus, but there are many ways to stop the spread and help your plant resist the disease.

Like any disease, a healthy immune system can go a long way in reducing symptoms.

Methods of infection

Aphids are the most common means of infection for most plants, but they are not the only cause. Other common garden pests like leafhoppers and cucumber beetles can also spread it.

CMV can also overwinter in the garden. If some of your plants (or even some weeds) had a mild case of cabbage mosaic virus, the pathogen will linger all winter – waiting to infect itself again.

It also attaches to tools such as pruners, shovels and even your gloves.

CMV is highly transmissible within susceptible species. The simple contact of a leaf of an infected plant with a healthy plant is enough to spread the virus.

With that in mind, it’s easy to see how many causes could be behind a cabbage mosaic virus outbreak. A messy garden, dirty tools and pests can all be the cause of an outbreak.

Reduce infection opportunities

When a virus spreads so easily, it can be difficult to determine the cause. The best way to reduce the risk of a ruined vegetable year is to reduce the chances of virus infection. Start by making your garden as inhospitable to pathogens as possible.

To clean!

I say this all the time because it’s the best way to maintain a healthy garden: clean up dead leaves, weeds and plants.

Pathogens of all kinds can thrive in the organic mess of the garden. In the fall, put your garden “to bed” by raking, weeding and cleaning. Tarp problem areas to kill invasive plants or prepare the area for solarization in the spring.

A clean garden is a healthy garden. Putting your garden to bed in the fall seems like a lot of work for no payoff. After all, you can do it all in the spring just as easily!

But taking the time to prepare your garden for winter reduces the risk of disease exponentially. Wash your gardening tools and keep them clean. Don’t leave rakes and trowels among the weeds in your garden.

Destroy infected plants

Don’t just pile infected plants to the side. Don’t let them rot in garden beds. Do not throw them in the compost bin. Infested plants carry diseases.

Once the virus has made its way to one plant, it wants to spread to another. If you don’t properly dispose of infected plants, you are simply helping the virus find a new host among your healthy fruits and vegetables.

Burning is the best way to destroy mosaic virus infected plants. If you can’t burn your plants, put them in a plastic trash bag and take them to the landfill.

Cover

Aphids, leafhoppers and other common pests spread cabbage mosaic virus quickly because all it takes is one bite. This is why row covers can be a crop saver. Use row covers early in the season to keep pests away from your plants.

Those first two months of pest protection can make a huge difference to your plants. Row covers keep them secure so they have time to develop strong roots and absorb lots of nutrients. Then, with a good start, they are less likely to succumb to the virus.

Remember to remove covers or hand pollinate your plants during the flowering period or you may not end up with any fruits or vegetables on the plant.

Careful gardening

When working in the garden, avoid habits that could promote the spread of the virus. Do not work around sensitive plants in the rain. Viruses can spread quickly when wet because water provides a vector. In wet, damp or drizzly weather, stay out of the garden or work with non-susceptible plants.

You also need to clean your tools when moving from factory to factory. It may seem like a lot of work, but the virus can be carried by pruners or shovels from plant to plant.

To make it easier for you, take a cloth soaked in washing-up liquid and water with you to the garden and wipe down your tools regularly.

Remember to plant at an appropriate distance to minimize crowding.

pest control

Keep aphids and other virus-spreading pests at bay with insecticidal soap, trap crops, netting, and neem oil. The fewer sucking insects you have in your garden, the less likely you are to spread cabbage mosaic virus.

There are many ways to reduce the population of aphids in your garden, from trap crops to keep them away from your garden plants to commercial pesticides. Try to keep your response measured but consistent.

Plant mosaic virus resistant varieties

There are plants that can resist CMV. As for cucumbers, check out “Freeman’s Cucumber” and “Songwhan Charmi.” The ‘Perennial’ pepper is also resistant. Unfortunately, there are no resistant tomatoes.

Many Danish cabbage cultivars have higher resistance to CMV. The ‘Danish Ballhead’ cultivar stands out as the hardiest. Of course, any resistance is better than no resistance, so if you have the option of bringing any resistant variety of cabbage, don’t hesitate.

Is there a remedy?

There is no cure for cabbage mosaic virus. Once it settles, you can only minimize the damage.

Once you find infected plants, the best thing to do is to cover them entirely and remove them from the garden. Pulling out and disposing of infected plants early on can help save some nearby plants.

Can I eat plants infected with cabbage mosaic virus?

Yes, you can eat plants infected with CMV. There is no risk of transmitting the virus to humans or animals since it is species specific. I fed infected vegetables to my cattle. I also cut off the affected parts of a cabbage and used the rest in cooking.

There is no denying that CMV damages your plants. This reduces yield and leaves you with unsightly, mottled products. But most of the time, you can still find something to salvage from infected plants. You can even eat the ugly and damaged pieces if they are not rotten.

If you choose to eat infected plants, remember not to put food scraps in the compost! Even though this part of the plant looks fine, it is still infected. Put leftover food in the trash, burn it or give it to livestock. Don’t let them re-infect your garden.

Can I store cabbage seeds with mosaic virus?

The short answer is: No. Do not save seeds from infected plants. The seed will carry the virus to next year’s garden. If you have an infested crop, buy completely new seeds for next year’s garden. Destroy all stems and roots of infected plants and start over.

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