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Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > Mary Lane, cuttings and FMV
 
 


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Gina

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 

Mary Lane was a variety I wanted to try - it was on the Richard Watts list for doing well on the Pacific coast. And I was able to buy some cuttings. Turns out these have just horrible FMV, and as they broke dormancy are seriously deformed and stunted. So much so I've considered just tossing them. But one has rooted (the upper right corner), and now that it's grown more, the FMV seems to be less severe, though still present. Time will tell.

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rafed

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Gina,

My Madeleine Des Deux had a severe FMV problem. Couple years ago I chopped it down to about two or three inches. It grew back last Summer with some good results.

This year it seems it's looking much better than ever.

I think a little time and TLC and a good dose of fertilizer and your plants will come through. Don't give up on your babies.
Chivas

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
For me it seems like a tree that has fmv responds well to higher fertilizer, of course no going all out at once, maybe try 10 percent higher each time to see and play it safe.  I only have had 2 trees that I tried it on so far, black maderia and VdB.
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bullet08

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 

all my cuttings this year are from UCD. they are loaded with FMV. every single one of them shows FMV. believe it or not Black Madeira shows the least sign of FMV at this moment.

 

some  leaves are just full of spots, some leaves are misshaped. one of the leaves actually has what looks like a horn. maybe i'll call that one figicorn.

 

i have seen misshaped leaves on my VdB and they tend to go away as the season gets on its way. so, i'll keep on rooting them and see what comes out of them.

 

pete

 

 
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Pete
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"don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill
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***** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. *****
***** and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...*****
DesertDance

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
My VdB has it too (from UCD), but it doesn't seem to affect it any.  Maybe my trees think they are dying so they produce like crazy?  They live on and grow madly, spots and all!  I just consider them freckles!  It is sunny here, you know!  107 degrees predicted today.  My Panachee, also from UCD doesn't show a sign of it.
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hoosierbanana

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
The one with roots is growing out of it already. The 2 newest leaves appear to be fine. I believe it is actually hard to transmit because the virus is contained with in the cell of the plant, rather than the sap. So only this certain type of mite is able to spread it. I have a feeling the mite lives in Cali since all UCD trees seem to be infected. If that is the only variety you have showing FMV I would segregate it or give it away to friends who are not neighbors. If I ever see the virus spread to a clean variety all my infected trees will be history.
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satellitehead

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 

FMV becomes less noticeable as plants mature.  Fertilizer can help, but whatever you do, DO NOT fertilize young cuttings ... unless you want to stunt, defoliate or flat-out kill them.  It's live giving crack cocaine to an infant.
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Jason
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Gina

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 

I keep reading how some plants grow out of FMV (becomes less noticeable), and am hoping that happens to mine - the ones that have 'it'. I was just shocked to see FMV so bad on the poor little Mary Lanes that were struggling to root. It probably makes it more difficult in general to get cuttings to even root. If the shoots are struggling to grow, surely the roots must be too.

 

As to fertilizing, I'll go slow and use common sense. I've already given some of my rooted babies a wee bit of watered down mineral nutrition and they have definitely perked up. Better light has helped as well. My rooting mix is only half perlite, but it's so sterile. It's good at aerating soil, but not very good in terms of encouraging good growth.
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noss

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Just like people, plants have different strengths and resistances to viruses and diseases.  Some fig trees seem to be like highly bred animals and are more delicately constructed and susceptible to illness.

Has anyone had a plain old Celeste, or BT that had FMV?  If so, how did it respond and grow?  Did it die, or did it shrug it off?

As for fertilizing--Someone had a post, I think it was Al, and said that if the fertilizer is used according to directions, it won't hurt young plants.

Makes sense to me.

I think fertilizer can be given too late in a season, to a young plant, or even older plant and it will remain tender too long and that part will be killed back over the winter.

After reading the post, by Al, (I think) I did put some weak MG liquid fertilizer on some very small trees and they just ate it up and started growing.  I added some MG continuous release all-purpose fertilizer and all my trees seem to love it.  They have good foliage and fruit.  It seems like a good balanced fertilizer.  We'll see.

I cupped up the little cuttings that rooted in perlite and Ultimate potting Mix, which has food in it.  The babies seem to like it.  Time will tell.

noss
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Gina

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 

Quote:
As for fertilizing--Someone had a post, I think it was Al, and said that if the
fertilizer is used according to directions, it won't hurt young plants.

 

The general recommendation for MG is 1 T per gallon of water. I would never use fertilizer that strong on newly rooted cuttings even if it was recommended. But that's me. When I gave my cuttings a wee bit the other day, it was a fraction of that. I think 1 tsp/2 gallons (1/6 strength). But it was their first time so I was being extra cautious. But using fertilizer that weak allows me to apply it quite often - and if that is too much (it wasn't), I'd only get a bit of damage, not death. It's less risky to start weak and work your way up -  especially since these are my first rooted fig cuttings ever. :)
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satellitehead

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 

Quote:
Originally Posted by noss

As for fertilizing--Someone had a post, I think it was Al, and said that if the fertilizer is used according to directions, it won't hurt young plants.

 

I highly question this and firmly disagree.

 

As someone who made the mistake of fertilizing first-year trees at just 1/2 recommended strength of Miracle Gro and watched as several trees completely defoliated themselves after all of the leaves wilted, after which the trees struggled for weeks to recover.  I have definitely not had this experience of 'use the directions', although I urge anyone using liquid fertilizer to read the label with regards to when to fertilizer, whether to water before, etc.  I know there are others on this forum who have had the same experience as I have, they've spoken about it.  Several members have shocked their plants from using less than recommended dosage and following all given instructions.

 

For my trees (the first time) It took weeks to recover, and it took diluting down to 1/4 the recommended strength and watering the plants heavily prior to using diluted fertilizer was critical to get them to only wilt a little.   I can't urge people enough to think twice about fertilizing in the first year for your potted plants.  Stick with potting material that contains slow release fertilizer instead.  Just my two cents...

 
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Jason
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noss

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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
I've still not had any adverse effects with my little trees, but have been watching them carefully.

We've obviously had two different experiences with MG.  I didn't put a lot of liquid MG on each plant.  They seem to be doing well with the continuous release fertilzer.  I don't think that's the same as timed release, is it, Jason?

My very young trees live under the carport where they only get morning and afternoon sun at a slant and not for too long.  Perhaps that makes the difference for me.

We also have to take into consideration where we live, the climate.  Up North, the sun's rays are at more of a slant than as you get farther down South.  When we drove to NJ to visit Mike's mother, we noticed the sun's rays were weaker the farther North we got.  Coming back, when we hit I-10 W, it was like I could feel each ray piercing my skin like needles and that was through the glass and that was in April.

It would probably be better to err on the side of caution.

I'm sorry your trees had an adverse reaction to the fertilizer and glad they recovered.

noss
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Dieseler

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
I always fertilize my less than year old fig plants with no problems .
Chivas

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Posted Reply with quote  #14 
I use fish fertilizer, at recomended strength about 1 month before leaving their 4 inch pots into the gallons, I haven't had even a slight burn on any of the cuttings.
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Posted Reply with quote  #15 
I used 1/2 strength mg on my rooted cuttings with no ill effects. This year i went with full strength still no ill effects follow the directions and all is well. I do stop the fertilizer as the fall arrives to allow slowing of new growth. But I agree with Al the new fine hair like roots are the ones that take up the fertilizer and they are the first to grow so why would it damage the roots. I do water my trees first then go back and give the mg fertilizer on damp soil but that is the way I have done liquid fertilizer for years.
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rcantor

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Posted Reply with quote  #16 
1T/Gal is for plants growing in the ground.  Potted plants are supposed to get the smaller scoop in 1 gal which is something like 1/4 tsp.  I fertilize and pot  my plants as soon as they have roots.
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scott_ga

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Posted Reply with quote  #17 
I'm on the over fertilize side of the fence although these cuttings look so affected even I wouldn't be fertilizing them much until they grow some decent leaves and instead emphasize good drainage and proper exposure to sunlight. I believe in sprinkling a small amount of 10-10-10 and adding a little magnesium sulfate (once a season) once the cuttings are about 14 inches tall with a decent set of leaves. I think FMV seems to affect the transmission of nutrients from the roots to the leaves and the amount of available heat/sunlight surely has an affect. In this UCD Mary Lane, the new leaves of branches growing in the shade still show some signs of mosaic, but the upper new leaves in direct sunlight show no signs of infection. Just my 2 cents.

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Gina

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Posted Reply with quote  #18 

Here is the Mary Lane rooted cutting from the photo in the first post of this thread. It is the largest cutting in the upper right. The others did not make it. Well, one is still alive... but it's still only some gnarled green leaves, and it would surprise me if it could do much more than that. As mentioned, these were the absolute sickest of all the cuttings I tried. Glad I got at least one to survive. Thus far.

 

This fig is now in a gallon pot and getting several hours of full sun a day. All morning till about 3 pm.

 

I'm hoping mine eventually will look like scott ga's. :)

 

 

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rafed

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Posted Reply with quote  #19 
Gina,

Your plant is looking good. A little TLC and it will outgrow the FMV.
I would suggest you clip off the bottom/older leaves. Looks like you can take off at least three or four of the older and sick leaves. Take them off but leave the stem on the plant. It will eventually fall off in a few days.

Other than that I see a nice plant. It will be very fine.
nypd5229

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Posted Reply with quote  #20 
Here's my 3 year old Marylane. Had fmv for the first 2 years but seems to have little to none this year. Had fruit last year and they were good.
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Gina

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Posted Reply with quote  #21 
Nice photos, Dominick. Thanks.

Here is the sole surviving MaryLane from my initial cuttings, photo taken today. The photo in post 19 of this thread is the same plant, just over a month later. It is in a gallon pot with homemade mix and sunk slightly into the ground. It gets water most days, and occasionally a dash of miraclegro/ammonium sulfate that is watered in.

The ML is in the center, within the white oval. Click to enlarge.

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rcantor

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Posted Reply with quote  #22 
That's a fine looking plant.  Ammonium sulfate acidifies the soil.  If those roots are headed down into clay under your pots that's probably OK but if it's not clay it may be too acidic.  figs like a more neutral environment.  I'll try to remember to add a photo of mine - You'll be very happy about yours  :)
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