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Cottonwood Heights

I am looking for Matt Debanco’s email address or a way to connect. Need info on how to get rid of mosaic virus. Thought i had the upper hand but appearing if it’s another year back. Any other growers battle this? And what was your experience? Wishing you guys and gals best of luck.

6/9/2022 2:50:47 PM

Mission Viejo, CA

I don't think anyone gets rid of Mosaic. It's fatal...

I have gotten pumpkins off of infested plants, but they also were grown 'above' the virus and were set before the virus took hold. Still, growth was stymied badly.

If you have it on one plant, and not the others, pull the plant. Also, disinfect all tools. Even getting this virus on your pantlegs can spread it from one plant to the others.

6/9/2022 3:13:17 PM

Cottonwood Heights

Yes it is fatal. I am on my 3rd year. Last year I grew mustard and this year covered w insect cloth. My plant still looks to have it. Wondering how long the virus remains in soil. What do you do w that plot? Grow nothing? Leave it for a year or two? Other vegetables ok there or am I aiding the virus?

6/9/2022 3:22:36 PM

Cottonwood Heights

Yes it is fatal. I am on my 3rd year. Last year I grew mustard and this year covered w insect cloth. My plant still looks to have it. Wondering how long the virus remains in soil. What do you do w that plot? Grow nothing? Leave it for a year or two? Other vegetables ok there or am I aiding the virus?

6/9/2022 3:22:41 PM

Cottonwood Heights

Yes it is fatal. I am on my 3rd year. Last year I grew mustard and this year covered w insect cloth. My plant still looks to have it. Wondering how long the virus remains in soil. What do you do w that plot? Grow nothing? Leave it for a year or two? Other vegetables ok there or am I aiding the virus?

6/9/2022 3:22:46 PM

Mission Viejo, CA

Can you post a photo or three in your diary?

6/9/2022 4:14:45 PM

Cottonwood Heights

I don’t have one. But could text if helpful. To be honest I didn’t think mosaic is in the soil over a year. I believe mosaic is in the roots. Which are in the soil.

6/9/2022 4:26:22 PM

Cottonwood Heights

Symptoms include.
Weak rooting system. When you have mosaic early.
Bendy stems.
Holy leaves like a grasshopper has eaten at them
Stunted secondaries. Kind of stunted plant in general. Maybe 70% of what it should be.

6/9/2022 4:38:55 PM

Cottonwood Heights

Symptoms include.
Weak rooting system. When you have mosaic early.
Bendy stems.
Holy leaves like a grasshopper has eaten at them
Stunted secondaries. Kind of stunted plant in general. Maybe 70% of what it should be.

6/9/2022 4:38:57 PM

Cottonwood Heights

And hot days blossoms the disease. Like it thrives. Since it has a weak rooting system the leaves burn quickly.

6/9/2022 4:41:07 PM

Central NY

Debacco@cox.net that’s who I’d wanna talk to also. Good luck.

6/9/2022 6:30:26 PM

Mission Viejo, CA

If you are registered on this site you get a diary. All you have to do is get one started. Go to home page, click on grower diaries, click on post to your own diary. Or use the app. Its easy, even for us non-techies.

6/9/2022 6:57:24 PM

Torrance, Ca.

I believe what KC Kevin said is correct. This got me one year and it was like watching my best friend die little by little each day..:(
Debacco is your best bet but I'll bet you he says there's no cure...

Hopefully its not mosaic?

Would love to see pictures? I've had a few friends over the years get this and its pretty easy to tell if you have it just by looking at the leaves.

6/9/2022 7:06:21 PM

Torrance, Ca.

I believe what KC Kevin said is correct. This got me one year and it was like watching my best friend die little by little each day..:(
Debacco is your best bet but I'll bet you he says there's no cure...

Hopefully its not mosaic?

Would love to see pictures? I've had a few friends over the years get this and its pretty easy to tell if you have it just by looking at the leaves.

It doesn't really sound like mosaic to me, but I'm no rocket scientists either. lol

6/9/2022 7:08:02 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Where's the edit button again Ken? ha

6/9/2022 7:08:59 PM

Cottonwood Heights

I am not asking for a cure. There is not any. More of for next year. Did you guys grow in the same patch the next year? If yes what did you do to achieve that?

6/9/2022 7:20:13 PM

Cottonwood Heights

I took some pics and posted, I think. I know it’s mosaic. Looking for direction for next season more than anything. Thank you all for the help. Peace.

6/9/2022 7:31:25 PM

Eugene,OR

I think Leonardo had it many years ago. I’m pretty sure Jose Cardenas grows in those spots now. He grew a 2218 last year.

6/10/2022 12:04:07 AM

Central Illinois

Here is what was told to me in an email from Matt, this was 7 years ago

we spoke twice once about me having downy mildew, and the mosaic virus I have both, the lab says they recommend these tests for $129 (Cucurbit Screen (13 tests), will I learn anything that's going to benefit me enough to justify this price for the virus problem.

Hi Henry-

Yes, this is the same crop screen that I have done in the past. In my opinion the test is worth doing as it may help you determine what weed species to target or what may be bringing in the virus. Also, if it comes up as Tobacco Mosaic you know that you need to find another place to grow in for the next 20+ years.

However, I highly recommend you also have the lab add in Watermelon Mosaic virus (WMV) test as I do not know why it is not on the standard crop screen but this is another common one that can infect giant pumpkins.

Also, contact the lab for proper sampling procedure.

Any other questions let me know.

-Matt

6/10/2022 5:05:00 AM

Central Illinois

The company used

Agdia Inc.
52642 County Rd. 1
Elkhart, Indiana 46514

Cucurbit Screen (13 tests)

6/10/2022 5:07:22 AM

Bethlehem CT

To my knowledge mosaic viruses are usually brought in on insects that feed on plants that have the virus. Around here a lot of the poke weed is contaminated with a mosaic virus. The poke weed is a perennial that comes up every year and hosts the disease so an insect can then spread it to other pla nts. Walk around your property and see if you can identify any mosaic virus infected species of plant. a very few mosaics like tobacco mosaic lasts in soil but I was not aware it could affect cucurbits. How do other species of plants perform in your garden soil? Usually viruses are host specific and are likely to infect only plants in the same family.

6/10/2022 7:31:19 AM

Boscawen, NH

Big Moon is correct, cucurbit mosaics are not viewed of as soil borne diseases. Primary vector is aphids but cucumber beetles are also known to be a vector. Poke weed, burcucumber and several other perennial weeds are known to be hosts. Herbicide damage often looks very similar to zucchini yellow mosaic. Soil treatments and crop rotation are not recommended means to address the problem. It is also a seed borne disease so never plant a seed that was off a plant that may have been infected.

6/10/2022 8:30:24 AM

Partlow,Va

I have had it in one patch for 5+ years. The perennial weeds have kept it going I guess. Polkberry and morning glory show it every year. Looks like spray damage. I never verified morning glory is a carrier because it certainly looks like it. I planted some thick cover crops and am spraying my fencelines to get rid of some of these weeds. I wish I had some advice to help.

6/10/2022 9:38:49 AM

Cottonwood Heights

I had a test last year. It came back positive for one of two mosaic virus’. Either watermelon or zucchini mosaic.
So that is just what I did. Fight aphids for a full year. And maybe that’s how I got it again. Old habits die hard and squished aphids w my fingers then touched my plant? Or around may 1 I left hoop house open and when I returned home I found aphids flying around!
Only thing I have not done is crop dust my neighborhood. I should do that late at night, so I don’t damage any pets. Right after I get pilots license I guess.

6/10/2022 9:50:53 AM

Mission Viejo, CA

about 10 years ago I grew a dozen plants with a friend who had some acreage- we got Mosaic on one plant, and within two weeks it was on every plant.
We later found out that the property had been commercially farmed with pumpkins and the grower abandoned the property because he never could control the Mosaic.

I had it one year in my own patch. Haven't seen it since. I think it was aphid-caused.

6/10/2022 12:16:35 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Moon and Geddes is the same thing I've been told.

Control the bugs, control the mosaic.

Vineman also nailed it and look how well Jose is doing now in the same spot!

6/10/2022 12:42:33 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Oh Kevin,,,, I remember that year and what a downer... It just went from plant to plant by one bite from a bug infected with mosaic.
That was such a downer Kevin.:(

The lame part about mosaic is there's no cure that I know of.

6/10/2022 12:45:17 PM

Cottonwood Heights

Just not a ton of info on which plants can carry and transmit mosaic. I do have one Shasta daisy that looks to be a transmitter but who knows.

6/10/2022 1:06:36 PM

Bethlehem CT

Hogan the you should be able to tell if the shasta daisy has mosaic by the leaves.. They will have that tell tale mosaic look. Actually looks pretty much like broadleaf herbicide damage. It sounds like you have a real achilles heal in your location. I almost quit growing Ag's because of Yellow vine disease so I can relate, hopefully you can get ahold of Matt D. I think he got his mosaic problem under control.

6/10/2022 6:57:57 PM

Colorado

Hogan,I.m not seeing mosaic at all in your pictures. I see heat wilt/ burn on a couple leaves and a bent yellow leaf stalk.Mosaic is a salt and pepper/varigation look.The young/new leaves will be smaller and look like 24d herbide damage.

6/11/2022 11:14:30 AM

Cottonwood Heights

Each plant of the 3 have a bit different symptoms. Last year was clearly variegated leaves with yellow blotching. But all of them at least here in Utah has had a few symptoms in common. Bendy stem. Holy leaves, stunted growth and scorched leaves. The warmer weather really kicks it into gear. Pics are of this years plant, very first symptoms. It gets worse daily. The plant would be basically dead in a week or two. Double vine is another symptom that I have here.

6/11/2022 4:26:42 PM

Colorado

Mosaic alone wont kill the plant.The virus replicates in actively growing leaves.The first time I had it i thought it looked kinda cool.Mine was watermelon mosaic. It kept coming back in the same area so I grew bushel gourds there for two years.I thought maybe mallow was its vector - carry over host so I really worked hard on my mallow situation.I pulled the plants as soon as I knew it was mosaic.It is carried by aphids and they fly all over and have a 10-14 day life cycle.Theyre worse than a million tiny rabbits reproduction wise. If your plants are dying theres something else at play. Mosaic does spread fast in hot weather , so does YVD. I remember matt did a lot of white and metallic barriers to try to ward off aphids. Best of luck.

6/11/2022 8:19:30 PM

Torrance, Ca.

This is a great thread on the stresses we go through each year. It always seems to be something.

Why do we keep doing this to ourselves year after year,,,, because we love growing giants!:)

Wr down, learn, take good advice from growers you respect and hear by year you’ll get better and better!!

I’m dealing with disease this year too and doing everything I can to treat and get a pumpkin to the scale! Without the help of others that went before me, I’d be done already.

Keep your head up and good luck!

6/11/2022 8:47:08 PM

Germany

Some impressive mosaic impressions. Enjoy!

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=296177

6/12/2022 11:27:46 AM

Torrance, Ca.

Great pictures of true mosaic Pumpking!


Man I hate that disease!:(

6/13/2022 9:26:33 PM

Lymington

Not an expert on mosaic but a hydrogen peroxide drench after tilling has possibilities Salvador I think did it and when I saw his plants there was jut a little at the end of the season these are some of my notes hope it helps Every year Salvador gets fusarium in early July and mosaic this year after hydrogen peroxide no fusarium until the end off August and no mosaic on main or secondary just on tersuary.

Rubin puts 25 litres 30% peroxide in 2000 litres water and applies it 5 litres per m2
The important thing is not to go overboard, the hydrogen peroxide when it comes into contact with the soil turns into water and oxygen. It is not harmful to the roots and provides oxygen to the soil.

6/24/2022 8:48:10 AM