Hi all, Long complicated post from a newbie!!

This year i have had considerable trouble in my newly established greenhouse. It looks very much like some kind of mosaic problem and has affected cucumbers, tomatoes and marrows. It has left all of the main leafs malformed and covered in yellow blotches and general yellowing of the leafs. The leafs on my tomatoes have all curled up along their long axis and are also twisted and malformed (I have pix but don't know if i can post them here??)

I am pretty sure it is mosaic for this reason. My aged mum-in-law had very similar probs in her greenhouse a couple of years ago and it continued over a season or two getting to the point where she decided to give up her greenhouse altogether. What I am wondering is whether, if she did have a mosaic type of virus in her garden over a prolonged time, would it be able to spread, with her as the vector more than a year after she has given up gardening, to my newly established greenhouse?? i.e. can a virus live around the home of someone and can they subsequently carry it around other people's gardens?

Of course, if the answer ir yes, the next obvious question is, what can I do to remedy my situation - short of banning my mother in law (NOW THERE IS AN IDEA!!)

Any help would be very much appreciated , thanks.

the vegitator

 

Hi Vegitator I pesonally have never come across this desease in all my growing years, but have heard about it,I believe that white flies to be the carrier of this and transmission is through their feeding habits, so all affected plants should be removed as they lay eggs in soil and you never be rid of them. Try some systemic to safe plants if not too affected.Change soil may be another solution or even needed.
Ask your mother in law lol...

Ladybird

 

I'm definately no expert on viruses its far too compicated, but i have had some exprience of it in marrows. No cure just burn the infected plants, I wouldn't have though a person could spread a plant virus from year to year.
I think it can be spread by composting infected materials and also as Ladybird says, by insects.
I'm not sure that the same virus attacks both cucumbers etc. and tomatos, could well be wrong on that one.
One other thought, a friend years ago had distorted growth on his tomatos, and it turned out to be caused by him storing weedkiller in a sealed container in the greenhouse.

 

why dont you think about having a hydroponic garden in your newly esablished greenhouse, you will be alot better off with it as its mopre efficiant than soil gardening

 

Thank you all for your suggestions though, if my original assumption is correct, I may have to pull up and burn my mother in law - don't know if my better half would approve

TIE

vegie

 

vegie ...you really have got it in for HER ..lol

Ladybird

 

Hello there I am sorry to tell you you do not need your mother in law to breed your viruses for you you can do this all by yourself however it feels better if we can blame someone else.There is not a lot you can do this season just be sure to sterilize all the greenhoue including the soil and all your plant pots before starting again next year. when I had the same trouble I found that I had over crowded the plants. could this be so in your case? your plants do need space and plenty of fresh air movement to keep them healthy at least. I do wish you well kind regards John