How do I know if my plant is affected by viruses?

Plant affected by virus

The virus They are microorganisms that, although they are not seen with the naked eye, can cause significant damage to plants to the point that, if measures are not taken, they become so weak that in the end they cannot resist infection and dry out.

The problem is that there is no treatment that is really effective, but fortunately, can be prevented doing a few very simple things that I will now explain to you 🙂.

Symptoms of virosis in plants

Plant affected by virus

Image - CIMMYT

How to know that our plant is being attacked by viruses? Well, it is not easy. The symptoms you may have are similar to those of other diseases, but We may suspect that you are in trouble if:

  • The leaves do not grow correctly, they develop malformations and / or rolled up on themselves.
  • The plants are stunted, with the stems much thinner than they should be.
  • They have dwarfism, that is, they do not reach the size they should.
  • Yellowish spots known as mosaics appear.
  • The petals are variegated, with areas without color.

Treatment and / or prevention

Pruning tools

The best way to treat an affected plant is by removing it to prevent it from spreading to the others. Nothing can be done to save it, since there is no product that removes viruses. So, if we take this into account, what we can (and should) do is take a series of measures in order to prevent infections, which are:

  • Disinfect pruning tools before and after use.
  • Remove wild herbs. These microorganisms can survive each other for quite a long time.
  • Treat pests as soon as they appear, especially the aphids since they are one of the main transmitters of viruses.
  • Acquire healthy plants. Although it is the case that we finally find one that we have been looking for for a long time, if it has pests or it looks weak we should not buy it because it could infect those we have at home.

With these tips, your plants can be safe 🙂.


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