FMV

[ETXfigs]

I have these two young fig trees that have been growing very vigorously but the new leaves at the top look like FMV. I also have a 2 year old Green Ischia that I think has it very bad. I have tried aggressive fertilization and good soil, but still looks sickly. My first question, could these two young trees have caught it from the Green Ischia? I don't think that I have used pruning tools on them but the trees have been in the same location close to each other. My second question, I'm thinking about chopping the Green Ischia down to a 12" stump (especially if it gets the others sick). Would this be a good idea, and would the new growth be healthy?

These are the two that just recently started showing symptoms.



These are pics of the Green Ischia

 

[grasshopper]

I usually ignore the mottled leaves unless it is spreading. I am concerned with the yellowing new leaves. Yes, any sap sucking insects can potentially transmit the disease from one plant to the next. Have you sprayed this season?

What kind of fertilizing regimen are you doing or have you done?

 

[ETXfigs]

I usually ignore the mottled leaves unless it is spreading. I am concerned with the yellowing new leaves. Yes, any sap sucking insects can potentially transmit the disease from one plant to the next. Have you sprayed this season?

What kind of fertilizing regimen are you doing or have you done?

I got them sharpshooters all over the place. They probably spread it. I haven't properly sprayed. I mostly use a water soluble fertilizer 24-8-16 about 2/3 strength every 7-12 days, and a little bit of organic granular 3-5-6 fertilizer mixed into the top of the soil about once a month. Alaska fish juice about once a month. Blood meal and worm castings mixed into the top of the soil about once every 2 months. But it varies, it's more random than a specific schedule.

 

[ETXfigs]

I think I should chop that Green Ischia down if the bugs are spreading it.

 

[ETXfigs]

I usually ignore the mottled leaves unless it is spreading. I am concerned with the yellowing new leaves. Yes, any sap sucking insects can potentially transmit the disease from one plant to the next. Have you sprayed this season?

What kind of fertilizing regimen are you doing or have you done?

I also noticed the color of the new leaves. I did spray some Neem oil on some of the trees when it was hot. Maybe it burned the new leaves.

 

[grasshopper]

I think I should chop that Green Ischia down if the bugs are spreading it.

It is not just Green Ischia has it now.

Yeah, neem oil on hot days can burn leaves.

That fertilizing schedule should be ok.

 

[ETXfigs]

Thank you for the advice

 

[Figless]

@ETXfigs may I put my two cents in on the subject. FMV that spreads can easily be associated not just with Leaf hoppers, but also with the microscopic FBM, or Fig Bud Mite. It is mostly associated with the West Coast, but fig hobbyist have spread this microscopic mite pretty much everywhere by Trading, and selling fig cuttings from coast to coast. It usually cannot be seen without 100x microscope or Loop.

Fig bud mites are tiny, microscopic pests (Aceria ficus) that infest fig trees and can transmit the fig mosaic virus. They are pale yellow and wedge-shaped, with only two pairs of legs. These mites primarily feed on buds and young leaves, causing a faint russeting or spotting on the foliage. While not always directly causing severe damage, they are significant vectors for the fig mosaic virus.

This microscopic mite is easily dealt with by spraying both sides of the leaves with wettable sulfur. I recommend bonide. Wettable sulfur has an unfortunate tendency to immediately settle on the very bottom of any container when mixed with water. You must use a suspending agent such as Yucca extract. But there are many others you could use to suspend the sulfur. Bentonite could probably be used as a suspending agent as well, we used to use it on ceramic glazes. 1 percent or less.. One or two percent solution of wettable sulfur a couple times a year will usually solve the Fig Bud Mite problem. Unfortunately by spraying with horticultural oil you have complicated the situation. Sometimes it can, and will spread throughout close spaced fig trees. I would recommend spraying with spinosad to slow it down. Then when the horticultural oil has faded apply wettable sulfur at sundown. Hopefully on a sundown when the following days forecast will be cloudy and overcast. I also recommend using Azomax, or Azatrol over Horticultural oils because it has much less of a tendency to burn leaves. I personally feel people apply neem oil far too quickly, and often. As I said now that you've applied neem oil it isn't as easy to apply the wettable sulfur.

Wettable sulfur is not very effective against Leaf hoppers a pyrethroid would be more effective same rules as above apply at sundown on a day when the forecast for the following day is overcast. Spray on both sides of the leaves. I suppose it could be your Leaf Hoppers that are spreading the FMV virus it doesn't have to be Fig Bud Mites. This subject is not often addressed these days, but it certainly is a FMV Factor.

This post has been edited to include new information.

 

[FigLab]

@ETXfigs,I feel you! - I just just gone through a similar painful situation: one infected tree came from an outside source and it was spreading fast.

I echo @Figless advice re FBM - it looks like fig bud mites. (thank you, @Figless, for yucca extract suggestion - I'm going to try that)!

I did used Neem (was not very effective ), and then used bonide Spinosad (Dead Bug Brew) - and then bonide sulphur. It took about 5 intermittent applications to stop it. Potassium salts (e.g., Garden Safe insecticidal soap) worked as well (but trees have to be in the shade, as it will burn leaves in the sun).

One lesson I've learned in this is to quarantine all new plants/cuttings and give them a sulfur bath upon arrival. I'll also do sulfur bath for all my trees after leaves fall off, as I read that those mites overwinter in terminal buds.

Good luck with clearing this!

 

[bushdoctor82]

Mite damage in the first pictures and probable fmv and mites in the latter pictures.

Sulfur should knock out or at least put a dent in the mite population with weekly sprays, then prune off the apical buds come dormancy for reassurance. Wait a few weeks to begin treatment after neem oil spray.

Mites can be transferred from plant to plant by wind if close enough. More than likely they hitched a ride from where the cuttings or plant was purchased.

 

[ETXfigs]

Thanks for the great info. I will get some wettable sulfur.

 

[Figless]

@ETXfigs,I feel you! - I just just gone through a similar painful situation: one infected tree came from an outside source and it was spreading fast.

I echo @Figless advice re FBM - it looks like fig bud mites. (thank you, @Figless, for yucca extract suggestion - I'm going to try that)!

I did used Neem (was not very effective ), and then used bonide Spinosad (Dead Bug Brew) - and then bonide sulphur. It took about 5 intermittent applications to stop it. Potassium salts (e.g., Garden Safe insecticidal soap) worked as well (but trees have to be in the shade, as it will burn leaves in the sun).

One lesson I've learned in this is to quarantine all new plants/cuttings and give them a sulfur bath upon arrival. I'll also do sulfur bath for all my trees after leaves fall off, as I read that those mites overwinter in terminal buds.

Good luck with clearing this!

 

[Figless]

I forgot to add the suggestion of Bentonite as another suspension agent. We used to use 1% for ceramic glaze I believe it would be a safe suspension agent

 

[grasshopper]

@ETXfigs,I feel you! - I just just gone through a similar painful situation: one infected tree came from an outside source and it was spreading fast.

I echo @Figless advice re FBM - it looks like fig bud mites. (thank you, @Figless, for yucca extract suggestion - I'm going to try that)!

I did used Neem (was not very effective ), and then used bonide Spinosad (Dead Bug Brew) - and then bonide sulphur. It took about 5 intermittent applications to stop it. Potassium salts (e.g., Garden Safe insecticidal soap) worked as well (but trees have to be in the shade, as it will burn leaves in the sun).

One lesson I've learned in this is to quarantine all new plants/cuttings and give them a sulfur bath upon arrival. I'll also do sulfur bath for all my trees after leaves fall off, as I read that those mites overwinter in terminal buds.

Good luck with clearing this!

I usually give a sulfur spray prior to giving or sending plants unless the receivers object to it. I think Sulfur spray is considered organic.

I also consider spinosad but some friends have bees so spinosad may not always be a good solution for them.

It is always a good idea to quarantine new plants.

 

[FigLab]

I forgot to add the suggestion of Bentonite as another suspension agent. We used to use 1% for ceramic glaze I believe it would be a safe suspension agent

@Figless, I already have Bentonite clay for many household uses - would you suggest 1 percent dilution? ...same for yucca extract?

Thank you!

 

[FigLab]

I usually give a sulfur spray prior to giving or sending plants unless the receivers object to it. I think Sulfur spray is considered organic.

I also consider spinosad but some friends have bees so spinosad may not always be a good solution for them.

It is always a good idea to quarantine new plants.

@grasshopper, I wish more people adopt your procedure. Honestly, I think that's should be the norm. (I'm pretty certain that my infestation came from one of the plants I got on figbid).

 

[ETXfigs]

I'm going to follow y'all's advice this time. I just bought a bag of Bonide wettable sulfur. Now I'm going to wait a while before using it, since I sprayed Neem oil the other day, and I will use it at night when it cools down some.

 

[Figless]

@Figless, I already have Bentonite clay for many household uses - would you suggest 1 percent dilution? ...same for yucca extract?

Thank you!

@Figless, I already have Bentonite clay for many household uses - would you suggest 1 percent dilution? ...same for yucca extract?

For Yucca extract I recommend following the direction on the bottle. Some of these products are pretty strong, and a little goes a long way. When in doubt yes try 1% it will also help alleviated salt build up in your planters, and your Reservoir systems

Bentonite is a less is more situation. When I wrote the post last night I included Bentonite because for some people it will be an easier to acquire suspension agent. When I was working in the ceramic industry the glazes we used would have collected on the bottom of any container we kept them in, and been unworkable without Bentonite, and the amount used was 1% to keep those glazes workable, and suspended. But Bonide wettable sulfur is relatively inexpensive, let's try a small amount 1/2 percent solution first, and see if that keeps the wettable sulfur solution properly suspended.. then spray just one tree first to see how it tolerates Bentonite in the solution. I am saying this because I've only used Yucca extract on fig trees. I included Bentonite because I was relatively sure it would work. But there's no sense in treating the whole Orchard with it before you've treated one plant first. Treat and give it a couple days first see how it tolerates it. As always apply at sundown. Always best if the following day is forecasted to be cloudy.

Thank you!

 

[Figless]

I'm going to follow y'all's advice this time. I just bought a bag of Bonide wettable sulfur. Now I'm going to wait a while before using it, since I sprayed Neem oil the other day, and I will use it at night when it cools down some.

In the future I recommend using Azatrol, or Azamax first before using neem oil. Both these products contain the active ingredient in neem oil. They will not burn the leaves as readily. Though there are times you just want to use a horticultural oil to smother a pest like scale. Which is resistance to many pesticides but succumbs to being smothered. For pests like spider mites Azatrol. or Azamax will work just as well, and not burn the plants.

 

[Ben]

I'm going to follow y'all's advice this time. I just bought a bag of Bonide wettable sulfur. Now I'm going to wait a while before using it, since I sprayed Neem oil the other day, and I will use it at night when it cools down some.

@ETXfigs I have a pretty bad infestation going on with Fig Bud Mites right now too. I'm new to this and I didn't know they were a thing until my leaves started looking just like your picture #1 and I started researching. A lot of the most useful info I found had been previously posted by @Figless

I had some bifenthrin (synthetic pyrethrin) on hand and tried treating with that. I've done 2 weekly full-plant treatments with extra focus on the buds and new leaves, and it definitely appears to be working so far. You can see in the picture the new mark-free leaves growing above the older scarred leaves. I'm going to do 2 more weekly treatments and then wait and watch for any new signs of damage.

Figless knows a lot more about this than I do, but this seems to be working for me so far, and since you wouldn't need to wait after the neem like you would with the sulfur, you could get a head start while you wait if you have some on hand.