Pana13, this may sound simplistic, but maybe you can cut it back to ground level when the plant is dormant? If the new growth that apears in Spring shows these symptoms again, it's likely that your plant has a disease (FMV or other virus). If it has normal leaves, it means you got rid of the mites.

Timo I am really considering tossing it as even if I cut it down there may be mites in the soil? Just a thought.

Matt, removing the leaves and figs probably would help to be sure you get them all, although avid and forbid 4f seemed to get them even inside of the figs. They are both translaminar, so only one side of the leaf really needs to be coated. The limbs seemed to get coated well with overspray when spraying the leaves, the buds and new leaves should get special attention since fig bud mites are the ones that cause the spotting, and like their name suggests they like the buds. If the terminal buds are closed/not growing removing them might be a good idea also so there would be nowhere for them to hide.

Dormant oils are usually made from petroleum, I've never actually used them but read some people use canola instead.

I used Azatrol for my follow ups, but looking back it probably would not have done much since the spray only works with contact. Watering in neem oil or extracts so it is taken up by the roots and becomes systemic would have been good I bet, but would have costed way too much... And since it is said to be an "antifeedant" that makes pests abandon plants I was worried they might move to new trees and spread viruses even further. I don't think they are really that mobile without people and animals transferring them, it is still a scary thought though. 

Pana, your does have some typical FMV symptoms, some of the leaves do look more like mite symptoms though. I agree that chopping it to the ground could help. If mites just recently transferred the virus it means the below ground parts of the plant are probably not infected yet. If the tree was started from an infected cutting a chop is still a good idea, if it regrows rapidly the tree might grow out of the FMV symptoms enough for you to to get some healthy cuttings and start new plants. Be careful to wash your hands and change your clothes after handling it before you touch the other plants.

Thanks Hoosierbanana but one question? Even if I cut it down could the mites be in the soil and therefore would eventually make its way to the tree when new growth comes out or even to the other trees I have?

There is a chance that they could survive on other types of plants, but they probably would not last long. If there are weeds near it get rid of them, I'd at least spray the container and soil with a soap solution after you chop. It is a little late to be chopping, the regrowth probably won't be hardy, for one plant I would try neem oil when you water for a while and see if it makes any difference... Or chop and see what happens, you could learn something either way. To ease your mind about the mites and your other plants though, you could plant it in the ground someplace if you are not convinced there are no mites and don't want to put it away for winter with the others. Good soil is a good remedy for the virus, or at least a chance for you to make a healthy new plant for a container.

Avid can cause eye damage so goggles are probably the most important safety item, the pre harvest interval seems to be 3 days, re-entry period is 24 hours I believe. I did spray Avid on fruiting trees, later in the season than this, and lived to tell the tale ;) I didn't mess with all the safety stuff either... sunglasses maybe? but I am very careful spraying and always have some water with me to wash off any I get on myself while spraying. The concentrated chemical is obviously the most dangerous to get on your skin or in your eyes.

Forbid has a safer "signal word" on the label, but it is murky about using on food crops since that formulation is labeled for ornamentals and non-bearing fruit trees, the same chemical is sold for fruits and veggies but under different names like Oberon which are only available in jumbo sizes.

Be careful to keep the bottle locked up, latex gloves and a long sleeved shirt/hat should be all you need to keep it off of you. I looked up the pre-harvest interval for abamectin in another formulation and it is actually up to 30 days for onions and only post harvest for caneberries... I've not converted appliation rates either, but using the lower rate would be prudent, maybe hit the bady infested ones again after they dry.
PHI: Crop Group 3-07A (bulb onion sub group) 30 days; Apples, Pears, Grapes 28 days; Potatoes & Celery 14 days; Strawberries 3 days; Crop Group 13-07A (cane berries) post harvest only.

Maybe you ought to try watering in azamax and spraying pyrethrum on the ones that are going to be fruiting and don't look very infested? If you can control them they should not spread much if any FMV. The trees are replaceable anyway, can't clone your daughter ;)

I've never had mites on my figs, but do occasionally on my roses. When I get mites,
I spray the plants thoroughly, and especially under the leaves, where mites hide. One
spray will not do the trick, because it doesn't kill the eggs, so you must spray again
several days later, after the eggs have hatched. I use fertilome, which is a neem oil
product and very inexpensive. Your tree may defoliate, but the leaves will grow back.

I use pyola concentrate.
If you read this article it will explain why I use what I do.
It's good stuff.

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/using-pyola-oil-spray.htm

Doug


.......and it does not defoliate your tree

I would open some of those figs up and see if the brown discoloration is inside from them feeding. From what I gathered in the past couple years after this happened; the necrotic spots are a result of FMV and were amplified by the mites. I still had many trees with necrotic spots on figs last year and I am certain there were no fig bud mites. After some chops/winter kill, and a year of growth there are hardly any spots at all this year. I replaced a couple varieties that were important to me, got a few new ones and I am really back in the game this season. 

After acquiring a better microscope I am now convinced that I do have mites on a few of my plants.  I just purchased some Forbid 4f and am thinking about my plan of attack.  Two of the plants that appear to be affected are growing in-ground and are well isolated (over 10 ft away) from other figs that show no signs of mite activity.  For these, I am wondering whether it is even worth spraying at all as (1) they have had splotchy leaves all season so if fmv is going to be spread it would have already happened, (2) they are large and would require a lot of spray, and (3) the mites should die in our cold weather this winter anyway, correct?  There seems to be some confusion about this last point on the forums.  I had always thought that those of us in the north who are unlucky enough to have mite issues acquired the mites from warmer climates via a contaminated plant and were a 1 season thing if the plants experience lows in the 20's as mine do.  Thoughts?

Hi Steve, I wouldn't be surprised if these mites can survive in colder climates. They overwinter in the buds, so if the buds survive the winter there is a reasonable chance that the mites also survive. Your 2 inground trees could be a good test case to find this out. You can still spray the trees in Spring if necessary. But if you don't want to take the risk of spreading the mites and FMV in your garden, it's probably a good idea to spray the trees as soon as possible.

Timo, that assumes the buds on my figs survive the winter which is an open question!  But, yes, maybe I should go ahead and spray those two and see what happens.  Another thing I could do would be to go ahead and remove all buds when I do my late Fall pruning and subsequent protection.

You need to understand that there are few things here for splotchy leaves.
FMV virus tree
and
FMV fig bud mites bite trees.
and
micro- nutrition deficient due to lower temperature at early spring time or off PH level

All of  them can results of splotchy leaves.

Those FMV fig mites can spread to all fig trees, at least it happen to me, It jumped from trees near 100FT away,  Please get a 60X+ microscope, they are very small and look the same as fig hairs.
Peak season for fig bud mites are June, July, and Aug, If you have those splotchy leaves at that time, make sure check with microscope, highly likely that fig bud mites are there.
Those mites will quickly reduce or disappear at end of August with to cooler weather, it seems that they do not like slightly colder weather.

Due to lots of bees and lady bugs in my garden, I am in Canada, where very hard to buy insecticidal products, I can not even buy Neem oil.

I had tried insecticidal soap, 2% Pure green oil ($C 22/ L), 2% Canola oil ( $C3 /litre), all waste your time and more damages on leaves than mites. ( confirmed with microscope).

One product work for me, it is called " Bug B Gon", it is 500ml of Canola oil with 1 dry daisy flower ( pyrethrum) inside, it does need few application to clear mites.





 

Ricky, I do have a 60x microscope and did see what appeared to be mites on one of the in-ground trees with splotchy leaves.  If I spray and the new leaves are splotch-free then that would strongly suggest mite damage caused the spots.  As you say though it won't be long and the cooling weather will affect their activity as well as slowing fig growth.

I have 6 years old in ground tree bearing many main figs, I do not want to spray it because I do not want to poison myself, it has minor splotchy leaves with  bud mites, Right now, weather get cooler at night and mites number reducing and hard to find them with microscope.

It is very hard to spray a bigger tree and I am hoping someone can tell me how to do it.

Well, I went ahead this morning and sprayed all my figs with Forbid 4f this morning with the exception of my mature ones that are fruiting and the in-ground figs that show no symptoms.  I'll report back with an outcome in a couple weeks.