mosaic virus in butternut squash?

[bluebellParticipant]

I have been away for a couple of days and have come back to find one of my butternuts looks as if it has mosaic virus. Can they get it? I thought it was spread by green fly and we dont have any in the house. Could it be something else? What should I do I do? It is currently on a window sill with other squash and cucumbers.

[charlesModerator]

 Your squash plant probably does have the CMV virus if leaves are mottled, pale in parts, perhaps a little blistered or stunted. Not worth keeping the plant, I would compost it as I don’t think the virus persists in soil, being brought to plant leaves by aphids mostly, or via unhealthy seed, probably the case for your plant – are the others healthy?

Cucumber mosaic virus is common to other vegetables besides all cucurbits, including lettuce and spinach, also to groundsel and chickweed. I have noticed it sometimes but it rarely spreads to become a major problem here. Viruses are tricky, with no remedy once plants are infected and then you think "maybe they all will succumb’, but fortunately not, especially when… soil is healthy. I have a friend who is RHS judge and whenever looking around my gardens she comments on all the diseases, most of which I have not noticed, and she seems to ignore the good bits. My idea is to be mildly aware of disease and to work keenly for health.

[bluebellParticipant]

Thanks Charles. Im still not sure it is mosaic as a new leaf has grown without it, so Im wondering if it could be that it perhaps got scorched or similar? The plant is growing well. The leaf is mottled but not blistered and the main veins on the leaf are still a nice green. The pictures I have been able to find on line are more light ar=nd dark green random patches, where as this was a dry brown and in a fairly disticnt pattern.

[Eileen44Participant]

Hi Charles
I hope the yellow mottling isn't CMV on this newly planted Kuri squash (photo attached). If it is could I simply remove the affected leaf or do I have to ditch the plant? 
I have had problems with the  peat free compost that I have grown this squash in and I wondered if maybe the yellow spots could be down to magnesium deficiency. (desperately clutching at a lot of straws!)
What do you think?

[charlesModerator]

No worries here Eileen, your plant’s new leaves are healthy and once your plant establishes the yellow leaves will soon be a memory. I have some Kuri (Stormy Hall Seeds, they came up!) exactly the same, planted three weeks ago and now making lots of new, green leaves. Tey sat there looking a bit yellow for ten days so just be patient and leave the yellow leaves on, they are not infectious between plants from what I see here.

[Eileen44Participant]

Thank you, Charles. My son brought the Kuri seeds back from a trip to Holland and all the info on the packet was in Dutch. I looked up Stormy hall seeds which I didn’t know about although I do know of the Camphill community. On the Stormy Hall home page the introductory statement about biodynamic growing and sourcing seeds in Europe is signed by Hans Steenbergen. Is he Dutch? Maybe our Kuri seeds are related?
As a beginner gardener I find your forum so useful and encouraging and the new image uploading facility is great addition.

[charlesModerator]

Thanks Eileen, glad you like it and it is good to hear about everyone’s growing.

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