Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) can be a real headache for gardeners growing baby sage plants This destructive virus causes yellowing, stunted growth, wilting and even plant death if left uncontrolled As a sage plant lover myself, I know how heartbreaking it can be to see your precious herbs sickened by this nasty pathogen.
The good news is TSWV can be managed if caught early and the right steps are taken In this detailed guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to identify, prevent and treat TSWV on baby sage to protect your crop. Let’s dive in!
What Exactly is Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus?
First things first, what in the world is TSWV? Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus is one of the most destructive pathogens known to impact a wide variety of ornamental flowers and vegetables, like tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and baby sage.
The virus is transmitted by tiny insects called thrips. They pick up the pathogen by feeding on infected plants, then spread it to healthy plants as they munch. Once a plant is infected, the virus replicates and spreads through its tissues, causing significant damage.
TSWV gets its name from the ring-shaped spots it creates on tomato fruits. On baby sage, symptoms include stunted growth, yellowed leaves, wilting, brown spotting, and dieback. If not managed, the virus can kill young sage plants outright.
Now that you know what you’re up against, let’s go over how to identify, prevent and treat TSWV on your precious baby sage crop.
Identifying TSWV on Baby Sage Plants
The first step in managing TSWV is learning how to accurately identify it. Here are the most common symptoms to look out for:
- Stunted or slowed growth
- Leaves yellowing or bronzing
- Dark brown necrotic spots on leaves
- Plant wilting, especially in hot weather
- Distinctive ring patterns on leaves
Baby sage infected with TSWV may exhibit one or more of these symptoms. The earlier you can spot these warning signs, the better chance you have of saving your plant.
It’s also crucial to monitor for the presence of thrips, since they spread the virus from plant to plant. Check the undersides of leaves and inside flowers for the tiny winged pests. Their feeding causes silver streaks and scarring on leaves.
If you see TSWV symptoms and notice thrips on your baby sage, it’s almost certainly the cause. Take action right away to manage the spread before the virus wreaks havoc on your whole crop.
Preventing TSWV Infection in Baby Sage Plants
Prevention is the best medicine when it comes to TSWV. Here are proactive tips to reduce the odds of your baby sage contracting this nasty virus:
Start with Healthy Plants
When buying baby sage seedlings, inspect carefully for signs of disease and pests before purchasing. Start with the healthiest plants from a reputable source.
Control Thrips Populations
Keep thrips numbers low by using insecticidal soaps, neem oil or introducing predator insects like ladybugs or lacewings. Eliminating thrips means less chance of TSWV spread.
Follow Crop Rotation
Avoid planting baby sage in the same spot as TSWV-prone crops like tomatoes, peppers or ornamentals. Crop rotation helps disrupt disease cycles.
Provide Good Growing Conditions
Healthy, vigorous baby sage plants are more resistant to viruses like TSWV. Give your herbs proper sunlight, drainage, nutrients and irrigation.
Remove Weeds
Many weeds can host thrips and even TSWV itself. Keep the garden meticulously weed-free to eliminate alternate virus reservoirs.
Monitor Frequently
Inspect baby sage routinely for symptoms and thrips presence. Early detection allows quicker treatment before TSWV damages plants extensively.
Treating and Managing TSWV Infested Baby Sage
If despite your best efforts TSWV shows up, don’t panic! Here are organic, non-toxic methods to treat infected baby sage plants and prevent the virus from spreading further:
Remove and Destroy Infected Plants
Eliminate any baby sage plants exhibiting TSWV symptoms right away. This prevents them from infecting their neighbors. Discard infected plants in sealed bags so thrips aren’t released.
Apply Organic Fungicide Sprays
Fungicidal soap, neem oil or plant extracts like garlic oil can disrupt TSWV and deter feeding thrips. Target leaf undersides to reach hiding pests. Avoid spraying open flowers attractive to pollinators.
Release Beneficial Insects
Predators like minute pirate bugs, lacewings and predatory mites devour thrips. Releasing them in your garden provides free pest control to stop TSWV spread.
Use Row Covers
Floating row covers act as insect barriers to prevent winged adult thrips from reaching baby sage plants. Drape covers directly over plants, securing the edges with stones, boards or landscape pins.
Improve Growing Conditions
Correct any issues with sunlight, drainage or nutrients to strengthen baby sage against the virus. Healthy, robust plants display greater tolerance.
Clean Tools and Hands
Disinfect gardening tools after use on infected plants. Wash hands thoroughly after handling sick plants to avoid inadvertent TSWV spread.
Protect Your Baby Sage Crop from TSWV
While TSWV is a formidable foe, armed with this knowledge you can defend your baby sage plants from infection. Stop this virus in its tracks through prevention methods, early detection and organic treatments. With vigilant monitoring and quick action, your crop will continue thriving all season long, rewarding you with bountiful, beautiful sage.
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IntroductionCalifornia produces ~95% of the processing tomatoes (
| Plants Other Than Tomato Collected from Fields a | No. Positive/No. Tested b | Symptoms (+/−) |
|---|---|---|
| Crop Plants | ||
| Almond, walnut and other Prunus species | 0/107 | – |
| Common fig tree (Ficus carica) | 0/30 | – |
| Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) | 0/105 | – |
| Pepper (Capsicum annuum) | 306/312 | + |
| Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) | 232/258 | + |
| Radicchio (Cichorium intybus) | 322/336 | + |
| Garden cress (Lepidium sativum) | 21/23 | + |
| Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) | 7/21 | + |
| Cardoon (cardone: Cynara cardunculus) | 9/28 | + |
| Onion (Allium cepa) | 0/72 | – |
| Ornamental and other plant species | ||
| Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) | 1/7 | + |
| Nerium oleander, olive, oak, laurel, sage, cotton etc. | 0/113 | – |
| Weeds | ||
| Rough-seeded buttercup (Ranunculus muricatus) | 130/153 d | + |
| Bermuda buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae) | 0/18 | – |
| London rocket (Sisymbrium irio) | 1/29 | + |
| Bindweed (Convolvulus sp.) | 4/218 | + |
| Burclover (Medicago polymorpha) | 0/24 | – |
| Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) | 5/73 | + |
| Dodder (Cuscuta sp.) | 0/30 | – |
| Common lamb’s quarter (Chenopodium album) | 0/68 | – |
| Malva (Malva neglecta and M. parviflora) | 3/168 | – |
| Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) | 0/28 | – |
| Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) | 8/217 | + |
| Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) | 0/47 | – |
| Wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) | 0/53 | – |
| Sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus) | 15/191 | + |
| Groundcherry (Physalis acutifolia) | 1/36 | + |
| Tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca) | 0/35 | – |
| Barnyard grass (Echinochloa sp.) | 0/39 | – |
| Pineapple weed (Matricaria discoidea) | 5/118 | – |
| Nettle (Urtica sp.) | 0/61 | – |
| Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) | 0/65 | – |
| Fiddleneck (Amsinckia menziesii) | 0/74 | – |
| Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) | 0/57 | – |
| Pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus) | 0/39 | – |
| Curly dock (Rumex crispus) | 0/17 | – |
| Turkey mullein (Eremocarpus setigerus) | 0/14 | – |
| Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) | 0/38 | – |
| Black mustard (Brassica nigra) | 0/87 | – |
| Russian thistle (Salsola tragus) | 0/65 | – |
| Buckhorn plantain (Plantago lanceolata) | 0/16 | – |
| Pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) | 0/5 | – |
| Filaree (Erodium spp.) | 0/48 | – |
| Knotweed (Polygonum aviculare) | 0/23 | – |
| Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) | 0/26 | – |
| Redmaids (Calandrinia ciliate) | 0/24 | – |
| Chickweed (Stellaria media) | 0/43 | – |
| Miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) | 0/37 | – |
| Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) | 3/28 | + |
| Subtotal c | 45/2159 |
| Before Planting |
|
| During the Growing Season |
|
| After Harvest |
|
Batuman, O.; Turini, T.A.; LeStrange, M.; Stoddard, S.; Miyao, G.; Aegerter, B.J.; Chen, L.-F.; McRoberts, N.; Ullman, D.E.; Gilbertson, R.L. Development of an IPM Strategy for Thrips and Tomato spotted wilt virus in Processing Tomatoes in the Central Valley of California. Pathogens 2020, 9, 636. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9080636
Batuman O, Turini TA, LeStrange M, Stoddard S, Miyao G, Aegerter BJ, Chen L-F, McRoberts N, Ullman DE, Gilbertson RL. Development of an IPM Strategy for Thrips and Tomato spotted wilt virus in Processing Tomatoes in the Central Valley of California. Pathogens. 2020; 9(8):636. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9080636
Batuman, Ozgur, Thomas A. Turini, Michelle LeStrange, Scott Stoddard, Gene Miyao, Brenna J. Aegerter, Li-Fang Chen, Neil McRoberts, Diane E. Ullman, and Robert L. Gilbertson. 2020. “Development of an IPM Strategy for Thrips and Tomato spotted wilt virus in Processing Tomatoes in the Central Valley of California” Pathogens 9, no. 8: 636. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9080636 Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details
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Why Are My Tomato Plants DYING? Managing Tomato Wilt Disease
FAQ
How do you get rid of tomato spotted wilt virus?
What are the host plants for tomato spotted wilt?
Is it safe to eat tomatoes with spotted wilt virus?
Can you treat tomato wilt?
What is tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV)?
Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) is a virus that has been documented on multiple farms in each of the last several years in New Hampshire; in some cases, causing significant plant and revenue loss. TSWV is often introduced on asymptomatic plants and then is transmitted by thrips to vegetable seedlings or other plants that were started by seed.
Can Tomato plants get spotted wilt virus?
Figure 1: Tomato spotted wilt virus often causes a ringspot lesion on tomato leaves. Figure 2: In severe cases, tomato fruit may become distorted by infection with tomato spotted wilt virus. The easiest way to avoid having your tomato plants get TSWV is to grow tomato plants and flowers in separate greenhouses.
How do thrips get tomato spotted wilt virus?
And usually, the thrips get the virus from ornamental plants such as flowers which may be grown together with tomato plants. Figure 1: Tomato spotted wilt virus often causes a ringspot lesion on tomato leaves. Figure 2: In severe cases, tomato fruit may become distorted by infection with tomato spotted wilt virus.
Can Tomato spotted wilt be passed through eggs?
Tomato spotted wilt virus cannot be passed from infected females through the eggs. The virus has an extremely wide host range, including many weeds and ornamentals as well as crop hosts. It is one of the few plant viruses with a host range that includes dicots and monocots (e.g., tomatoes and onions).