How does Verticillium wilt spread to plants?
Written by
Kiana Okafor
Reviewed by
Prof. Martin Thorne, Ph.D.Microscopic soil particles called microsclerotia, which cling to the roots, your tools, or your boots, can allow Verticillium wilt to spread. I have traced infestations back to shared garden tools and plants from a contaminated nursery. The pathogen enters your vascular system quietly through wounds you have made during planting or through drought stress.
Soil & Debris Transfer
- Microsclerotia survive 30+ years in soil fragments
- Transported via tillers, shovels, or footwear
- Infected nursery plants introduce fungus to new areas
Prevention Protocols
- Pressure-wash tools after field work
- Quarantine new plants 30 days before planting
- Avoid working wet soil to minimize root damage
When the porosity is reduced, water runoff will carry microsclerotia down the slope to contaminate lower fields. One client had their whole slope contaminated from just a strawberry patch! My recommendation was to raise beds with drainage channels and gravel walkways to isolate contaminated areas. In trials, water flow reduction led to 90% fewer outbreaks.
Root-to-root transmission takes place through natural grafts from tree to tree. Japanese maples often share root systems deep underground. A trencher was used to cut any roots that connect trees and slow the transmission in an urban park setting. Mark the infection zones with bright survey flags to minimize any disturbances to the contaminated soil.
Unknowingly, humans can introduce Verticillium into your garden on your boots and tractor tires. Establish disinfection stations, which include bleach foot baths, at the entryway of the garden. A client with a blueberry farm sprays a 5% peroxide solution on all of the tractor tires before operating in the field. This procedure does cut down the infections by 75% throughout three seasons. Sometimes, simple barriers can protect us from microscopic threats.
Read the full article: Verticillium Wilt Treatment: Complete Management Guide
