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How to Identify, Control, and Prevent Mosaic Viruses

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Learn About the Various Types of Mosaic Viruses

Catherine Boeckmann
Pest Type
Plant Diseases
Plants Affected
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Ever looked at your beautiful vegetables or flowers and noticed strange splotches or stunted growth? The culprit might be a mosaic virus!  These nasty plant diseases can infect various greenery, but fear not!  This guide will equip you with the knowledge to identify, control, and prevent mosaic viruses, keeping your garden thriving!

What Are Mosaic Viruses?

Mosaic viruses affect more than 150 types of plants, including many fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The disease is characterized by leaves mottled with yellow, white, and light or dark green spots and streaks (in other words, a 鈥渕osaic鈥 of these colors). Some of the most commonly infected plants include tomatoes, squashes, cauliflower, and cucumbers, but many more are susceptible.

Types of Mosaic Viruses

There are many mosaic viruses that commonly affect plants in the vegetable garden, including:

  • Bean Common Mosaic Virus (BCMV) and Bean Yellow Mosaic Virus (BYMV) are the primary mosaic viruses that affect beans of all types. Aphids typically spread them, but BCMV is also seed-borne, so do not save seeds from infected plants. 
  • Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) is one of the most common mosaic viruses and tends to be spread by aphids. As can be inferred from its name, cucumber mosaic virus often affects cucumbers, but it is also a common problem for many other garden plants, including other cucurbits (melons, squashes), nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes), and leafy greens (lettuce, spinach).
  • Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) spreads through seeds and direct contact, and the best way to avoid it is to grow resistant varieties. 
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Identification

How to Identify Mosaic Viruses and Damage

Viral diseases are difficult to identify because symptoms vary from plant to plant and may also vary depending on the age of the plant and its growing conditions. However, the most common ways of identifying mosaic viruses are listed below.

  • The leaves are mottled with yellow, white, and light and dark green spots, which appear to be elevated. This gives the leaves a blister-like appearance.
  • Plants are often stunted, or they grow poorly.
  • Plants may have other deformities, and their leaves may be crinkled or wavy. 
  • Cucumber mosaic virus: Infected plants are stunted and often exhibit 鈥渟hoestring syndrome,鈥 a characteristic malformation in which the edges of the leaves fail to develop, with the leaf veins developing as long, narrow strips. Tomatoes are small and misshapen.
  • Tobacco mosaic virus: Infected plants have mottled, yellowed leaves and twisted or deformed young growth.
cucumber mosaic virus on spinach leaves
Cucumber mosaic virus causes severe damage and discoloration to a spinach plant.
Photo Credit: University of California. 
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Control and Prevention

How to Control Mosaic Viruses

Once plants are infected, there is no cure for mosaic viruses. Because of this, prevention is key! However, if plants in your garden do show symptoms of having mosaic viruses, here’s how to minimize the damage:

  • Remove all infected plants and destroy them. Do NOT put them in the compost pile, as the virus may persist in infected plant matter. Burn infected plants or throw them out with the garbage.
  • Monitor the rest of your plants closely, especially those that are located near infected plants.
  • Disinfect gardening tools after every use. Keep a bottle of a weak bleach solution or other antiviral disinfectant to wipe your tools down with.

How to Prevent Mosaic Viruses

  • Plant virus-resistant varieties in your garden. Resistant varieties of tomatoes have yet to be developed for cucumber mosaic virus, but tomatoes that are resistant to tobacco mosaic virus may have some slight resistance to cucumber mosaic virus as well.
  • Mosaic viruses are mostly spread by insects, especially aphids and leafhoppers. You can try covering your plants with a floating row cover, or aluminum foil mulches to prevent these insects from infecting your plants. Look at our other tips for controlling aphids.
  • Control your weeds. Some types may serve as hosts for the disease, and when aphids and other insects feed on these plants, they will spread the viruses to your garden plants.
  • To avoid seed-borne mosaic viruses, soak the seeds of susceptible plants in a 10% bleach solution before planting.
Plant Disease
About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it鈥檚 not surprising that she and The Old Farmer鈥檚 蜜桃恋人 found each other. She leads digital content for the 蜜桃恋人 website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
 

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Comments

I have had some of the same issues-my seedlings did great until just recently some of them are srarting to spot and some look chewed on
I know that fertilizing seedlings when too young can damage or kill the plants, so I mixed organic potting mix with equal parts organic topsoil and some peat moss and perlite. I avoided buying kinds containing fertilizer. since it can be difficult to distinguish between fungi, bacteria, insect infestation (my eyes aren't too good anymore) I chose to treat with Neem oil. you can get it many places (lowes,home depot) and isn't expensive. Dilute 0.5 Tbsp per qt H2O and spray on plants.
Neem is made from vegetable matter
I hope this helps

It's better to wait until the weather is warmer to put any of the warm weather veggies outside. It's too early to put tomatoes and cucumbers outside in zone 3. You can plant peas, spinach, kale etc. in the garden now. They don't mind a few cold nights and days. For aphid control check out our pests page at almanac.com/topics/gardening/pests-and-problems. Don't fertilize young seedlings too much. Wait until they are transplanted outdoors.

ananda (not verified)

9 years 7 months ago

So im a first time gardener and I was reading the posts here about all the viruses and thing that affect plants. My question is should I end up with any of these an not know it and consume the veggies or fruit will it harm me ir my family?

LaTha (not verified)

10 years 2 months ago

My tomato plants first turned yellow and then wilted and now have purple coloring on them and some leaves have holes. The zinnia and sunflower in the adjacent pot also seems to have been infected. However, the tomatoes are very small but do ripen. My question is: Is it safe to eat the tomatoes from this plant (assuming it is infected based on above responses) if thoroughly washed and cooked in heat?

Thanks!

Helen Setterfield (not verified)

10 years 3 months ago

After removing infected plants, what about the soil in raised planter beds? Does mosaic virus overwinter in the soil to infect the following year as well? Is there any preventative that is effective?

Care of the soil is the most important part of gardening and the best way to prevent pests and diseases (although your plants may succumb to something, despite your best efforts).
With all plant residue removed, apply compost or aged manure in fall, plant a cover crop, and and practice rotatation and companion planting next year. Planting resistant varieties can also help.
For additional advice, see the response immediately below this one.

elizabeth b (not verified)

10 years 3 months ago

All of our squash and zucchini plants have mosaic virus. Is it ok to plant more in the same soil or do we need to start fresh?

First, you should remove and destroy the infected plants. Though you can plant in the same soil, you may want to consider planting elsewhere as any pests that were feeding on your plants will be carrying the virus and can spread it again. Mosaic viruses are mostly spread by insects, especially aphids and leafhoppers. You can try covering your plants with a floating row cover or aluminum foil mulches to prevent these insects from infecting your plants.

Marie Martinez (not verified)

10 years 3 months ago

I have a Bonnie Golieth tomato plant that was doing great until 2-3 weeks ago. The leaves are curling upward and some leaves are turning a little brown. It isn't growing any taller or bushier, but I don't see any bugs. I have no tomatoes or flowers on the bush now. What's happening?