Purple top phytoplasma disease.

MidwestGorilla219

Well-Known Member
Last year some of my plants caught a strange disease which the top growth was dark purple which eventually turned black with leaves twisting and curling looking very sick. I pulled them up last year fearing the disease would spread. Well it looks like all my plants have it this year. I'm pretty sure it comes from potato purple top disease which is a phytoplasma disease caused by leafhoppers. I started my plants indoors and used plenty of neem oil since they were young. I also used insecticidal soap and dusted my plants with diatomaceous earth as much as I could but all my plants still caught this disease.

Has anyone else ever dealt with this before? I will provide pictures when I get a chance, guerilla grow in an illegal state makes me a bit nervous posting pictures. I don't think there's a cure for this from what I have read online. Perhaps some strains are more susceptible than others? Maybe someone knows how to cure this disease. Any help or just sharing your experience with this disease would be appreciated.
 

MidwestGorilla219

Well-Known Member
i dealt with that last year here in Michigan i tried everything and never got rid of it but i ended up topping my plants and just let them grow and my plants turned out fine just grew a little slower
View attachment 4591142
Thanks, I'm going to give that a try while it's still early. I'm on the Indiana/Michigan border. I know several other people who are dealing with the same thing. Your picture is exactly what is happening, thanks for posting.
 

jimihendrix1

Well-Known Member
Bump an old thread. We've had it for the last 8 years, and has destroyed thousands of plants.

I think Ive figured it out, with some help from a forum member at THC Farmer.

The problem is a Virus. Often times carried by Leafhoppers.

The cure is Daconil. Daconil kills 75 different plant Viruses/Bacteria ect. Has to be applied every 14 days.
 

jimihendrix1

Well-Known Member
Update.

The guy that said Daconil was misquoted, and was answering another question on the same thread.

He says what he was told was to use Chelated Potassium ( $$$$$$$ ) and Chelated Silicon. And it wont work for every plant. Its a virus related to tobacco mosiac virus, and there is no cure. All you can really do is try and make the plant as healthy as possible

Topping does nothing. The virus is systemic Its in every cell of the plant. Also this shit spreads like wildfire. If you touch an infected plant, and then touch another, its likely you will spread the virus. We have tried topping early on, with no success.
 

thumper60

Well-Known Member
Update.

The guy that said Daconil was misquoted, and was answering another question on the same thread.

He says what he was told was to use Chelated Potassium ( $$$$$$$ ) and Chelated Silicon. And it wont work for every plant. Its a virus related to tobacco mosiac virus, and there is no cure. All you can really do is try and make the plant as healthy as possible

Topping does nothing. The virus is systemic Its in every cell of the plant. Also this shit spreads like wildfire. If you touch an infected plant, and then touch another, its likely you will spread the virus. We have tried topping early on, with no success.
I have seen this couple times over the yrs just a top here an there i just cut it out an carry on. never seen it spread.
 

thumper60

Well-Known Member
Ive seen it in over 3000 plants in 8 years. It spreads like wildfire. Pretty sure the virus comes from Leafhoppers/Plant Hoppers.
I agree on the tri color leafhoppers spreading shit around, but myself the purple tips here an there never seemed to hurt my plants.There must be a couple things that cause the purple tips its hard to pin down. But ya if your losses are that much that sucks!
 

GTG

Well-Known Member
I had it in some of my plants last summer. I cut a lot away and finally just gave up and decided to let the plants with the coloration just grow. It ended up clearing up in most of the plants on its own. It may have hurt yield a little, not really sure, but I just grow for myself and had grown more than enough so it didn't matter. Didn't effect the quality of the buds either.
 

SwankDank

Well-Known Member
this year i got rid of all the grass in my garden and put mulch down and I noticed a huge decrease in leaf hoppers and only one or two branches on one plant has gotten the phytoplasma. usually all my plants get it around the whole plant. I really think it is leafhoppers that cause this
 
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