I am in North Florida, Zone 8B. I ordered 4 Hardy Chicago figs from Hirt's Gardens about 3 months ago and the figs have grown into small bushes. All 4 Hardy Chicago figs eventual showed salient symptoms of the Fig Mosaic Virus. I also have about 20 other varieties of fig trees with no symptoms of FMV. 2 years ago, I had several olive trees that had viral infections and were not healthy, so I put several handfuls of agricultural sulfur around the base of the trees. Within days, the viral infection began to subside and the trees made healthy recoveries. I decided to change my formula for the fig trees by using the following for 1 gallon of water and poured around the base of the fig tree:

1. 10 pennies (contain cooper and zinc)
2. 1 tablespoon of agricultural sulfur 
3. 1 tablespoon of lime ( counter balances the acidity of the sulfur)

The combination of pennies (copper and zinc), sulfur, and lime makes a ph balanced formula of virus fighting elements necessary for proper health of fig trees. After applying for about 2 week, 3 of the Hardy Chicago Fig trees now have no symptoms of FMV and only 1 fig is showing partial symptoms and still improving. Old pennies contain mostly cooper, but pennies after 1982 contain copper and zinc. It is a good idea to let the 1 gallon formula sit for 1 day, so the pennies will partially dissolve. To make the formula better; add 1 multivitamin tablet to the 1 gallon mixture. The primary virus fighting ingredients are the sulfur, zinc, and copper, but the additional ingredients makes it better. I use the formula around my other fruit trees for prevention of diseases. In addition, pharmaceutical grade sulfur powder bought at pharmacies or online is excellent for prevention of a myriad of human diseases, including viral infections. Intake about a 1/4 teaspoon per day for effectiveness.

Any pictures of before and after?

WOW Wayne,
If you prove this is working you got a very valuable product in your hand and you better bottle it.
Can't wait to see before and after pics...
Good job.

to be honest this just to me like you need to add micro nutrients, copper is known to help fight diseases in plants as one function, as does sulfur.  If you add the right amount of micro nutrients then by this theory you should also not have fmv which would explain when trees in ground show less signs as in ground soils tend to have more of the nutrients already present.

search midliner gardening method, the proper balance of minerals, trace minerals, and nutes make a big difference on how plants preform. The mineral and trace mineral aspect can be applied to organic gardening but typically the midliner gardening method uses synthetic fertilizers.  

Bingo, lol you can tell I'm not an avid "Mittleider" grower but I do believe they are on to something. Thanks for the correction Dave.