Question about virus

[katrina]

I think my first question to you would be why did you test them? Are there suspicious blemishes? Poor growth? Deformed/malformed/flowers? Color-break in the flowers?

I go w/the assumption that I likely have virus in the collection somewhere so I act accordingly and follow strict hygiene protocol. I've read enough articles that all say unless you are testing the minute a plant arrives and you have tested negative...it's best to assume you do have virus somewhere in the collection. So, with that in mind...I only test plants that do one of the above things and have created suspicion in my mind. Of all the plants that I've tested, only a few have ever tested positive.

The ones that tested positive were destroyed. And I would do the same thing w/any plant that tests positive if it's not growing well, bad flowers, or bad foliage. Even if it's rare.

I've never had a rare plant test positive so I don't know for sure how I respond but I suspect I would still destroy it...mainly because there must be something going on that prompted me to test it. If it's not growing well or the flowers are bad then, in my mind, there is no reason to keep it. What's the point in keeping a rare plant if it's ugly? Well, that's the way I look at it.

So...that was the long way of getting to...why did you test it? If it's got a flower problem or growing badly then I wouldn't want it any way. I figure there is no sense in taking up valuable space w/something doesn't look good and that could potentially infect other plants? If it's easily replaced then I would want to use the $6 toward a healthy new plant and save the tests for the next suspicious one.

That's just my opinion and if you talk to others you will likely get a variety of different opinions on the subject. In the end, you do what you're comfortable doing but if you opt to show the plant at a show or meeting then you really should let people know it's tested positive. Some folks are hyper-paranoid about virus and they won't want to even have their plants in the same room. Plus, even though transmission is highly unlikely in those settings...there is still a small chance and you wouldn't want to be responsible for that w/out having informed the others of the situation.