Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi, this is my first post to your forum - I've been growing veg in the back garden for the last couple of years and this is the first year that I've made a dedicated effort and I am learning by experience! My partner and I built a couple of raised beds this spring and in the largest we have planted 2 green courgettes, a yellow courgette and a pumpkin. The bed is around 80 cm high, 2m long and 60cm deep. The bed is filled with a mix of 1/3 top soil and 2/3 compost from a specialist supplier. All the plants are well established and we have been cropping 3 to 4 fruit each day from the courgettes, and there is one fruit on the pumpkin that is now around 15cm diameter.
The yellow courgette has suddenly started producing erractic fruits which are pitted with green mottling, and the new leaves are yellower and brittle to touch rather than leathery. I've never had problems before and having looked up images/articles today I am convinced it is CMV. I understand I need to remove the plant and destroy it, but what precautions/treatment can I give to the remaining courgettes and pumpkins to prevent this? I haven't seen any aphids on the plant but have an organic liquid treatment for pests I can give them, I don't want to use chemical treatments unless I have to and the remaining plants are thriving at present.
Any help and advice would be appreciated! Melanie

I'm a novice grower but in my gardening texts it just says to remove infected plants to stop the spread and there's not much else you can do. If there aren't any aphids, I don't see any reason to treat the plants. Just keep an eye out for them and squish any before larger colonies can build up.

Good luck!

Michelle

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Updated 20th August 2008

If you think the plant is that bad then remove and destroy. Better to get rid of one than loose the lot. Im no expert but I always thought that CMV was more of a greenhouse problem than out in the garden??

Ian

I have no idea if it's greenhouse or outdoors, but looking at photos I think it definitely is CMV! I have now taken the plant out - I thought only a small amount was damaged but when I started to cut it back I realised that nearly every new leaf and fruit was showing signs. Fingers crossed the others are ok, I have given them a good dose of an organic bug deterrent and put in a french marigold too! Thanks for your help - It was a real eye opener, so far I had always managed to stick things in the ground and grow them but I'm now realising that its so much more than that!