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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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How to Grow Tomato Plants: The Complete Guide
How to Grow Watermelon Plants: The Complete Guide
How to Grow Zucchini & Summer Squash Plants: The Complete Guide

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

Curled leaves are indeed a symptom of some tomato viruses, however, you would probably be seeing yellow-green mosaic patterns on the leaves or more mottled leaves, not just brown tips. What's the weather like? Leaf curl and slowed growth also happens in very hot, dry weather with high heat; the plant curls its leaves to conserve moisture. If it's a virus, there's not much you can do. If it's weather and environmental, give it even moisture, cool it down with mulch and perhaps a shade cloth, avoid over fertilization, and do not prune it.
 

sandandsun (not verified)

10 years 4 months ago

I am seeing mottling in a few (out of roughly 30) of my sunflowers. My question is, would mosaic virus only show up on a few of the leaves or be consistent throughout the entire plant? The plant looks otherwise very healthy and growing well. Have I just caught it early? I do not want to risk the rest of my garden. Thank you!

Mottling is certainly one of the manifestations of mosaic virus. As noted above, there is no fix, so you would be best to destroy the stricken plants. If possible, you should consider planting virus resistant varieties in future and, of course, maintain good soil and growing environment.

Lisa A. Brown (not verified)

10 years 4 months ago

I am growing organic squash and zucchini on my deck in pots planted in organic potting soil. They have become infected with a mosaic virus. I know I must throw away the plants, but should I also throw away the soil? I do not want any future plants to become infected. How should I dispose of the soil if I need to get rid of it? I don't want to spread a virus to the plants in my garden.

Mickey Reeves (not verified)

10 years 4 months ago

My tomato plants started out great, and one started turning yellow at the bottom. Over a period of about two weeks it gradually spread up to the top. Adjacent plants started the same cycle. Got a lot of green tomatoes, but some have blossom end rot. The affected plants look awful. It appears to be affecting my whole crop in different stages. Is it a virus? Can I save them?

Mickey, You are not alone (though that may not be much consolation). We just answered this question. See right below.

Jane H. (not verified)

10 years 4 months ago

Our tomato plant leaves are turning yellow from the bottom up. Why?

When the tomato plant turns yellow and starts dying from the bottom up, the plant usually has a fungal disease: either early blight or leaf spot. Often, these diseases are due to too much water from rain or overhead watering. Only water at the base of the plant. Keep leaves dry. Water in the morning. Also, make sure the plants are not crowded and have good air circulation. Ideally, there should be enough room that you could walk around each tomato plant (not that you would). Mulch your tomato plants to control moisture. Be sure to cage or stake well to keep leaves off the ground. Clean up all debris. It can be helpful to provide a fungicide spray weekly, before rain, or at onset of disease before it's too late.
Copper-based fungicides are considered organic. Speak to a local nursery for brands approved in your area.

atonya (not verified)

10 years 4 months ago

I have pumpkin plants and I noticed that my plants have white spots and there looking like the leafs are turning white i and on one of my pumpkin plants I had black and moldy looking stems I pull thises up but what is wrong with my pumpkin??

Hi, Atonya,
It soulnd like powdery mildew, an air-borne disease. You can purchase organic suphur and make a tea with it, them spritz the plant/s; that should kill the mildew.
Several sources suggest that if your plant has established fruit (pumpkins)鈥攖hat they are growing鈥 they have a good chance to mature, even if all of the leaves turn black and wither.
In future, consider getting mildew-tolerant/resistant varieties. Quite a few, but not all, cultivars are listed here: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/planting_time_and_powdery_mildew_control_important_for_pumpkin_yield