My tomatoe have Mosaic virus

I'm really upset, I had 20 huge organic tomato plants. My book says I have to burn the plants. Is there nothing I can do? I'm assuming its too late to plant anymore? Also how soon must they be burned? I'm just off to my boyfriends for a few days, should I cut the trip short to do it?

Thanks in advance. I did search for similar posts but I couldnt find the exact information I was looking for.

 

from the rhs website

"It is probably not worthwhile removing older plants infected with TMV, because considerable spread of the virus may have occurred already. TMV-infected plants may produce normal fruits later."

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0603/tomato_virus.asp


Go to your boyfriends, have a good time! Gardening is meant to be fun,not spoil your enjoyment! They are only tomato plants after all, shops bought fruit aren't as nice and yes it is sad when your hard work goes wrong through no fault of your own, but hey theres always next year and you can use it to get your boyfriend to treat you especially well!!!!! :D

 

Brilliant, thankyou. Much more information there then was in my book. I just had images of going back and all of my plants being dead. :rolleyes:
So if they do fruit is it ok to eat them?

[ 19. June 2007, 12:31 AM: Message edited by: lottielou ]

 

Just incase anyone ever searches this disease, after a lot of hunting I have found out that the mosaic virus does not affect humans, so it should be ok to eat them. Infact one website said that 10% of the cabbage we eat is infected with it... I have no idea how reliable the source was though, I didn't even know they could get it. But according to The University of Florida it 'threatens' eight other plant families other then solanaceae.

But even after finding that out I decided it would be best to get rid of them anyway, surely they are damaging to any plants in the surrounding area