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Plant Diseases
See more in Pests and Disease
Plant diseases are unfortunately very common but there is a lot that you can do to minimize their effects in your garden.
Most diseases of plants spread more rapidly in wet and damp conditions. Therefore, be careful not to transfer disease from one plant to another when working in damp weather or when plants have just been watered.
Any diseased parts of a plant should be cut off right away and disposed of in the garbage. Do not put it into your compost. Many fungi and other nasties can survive composting and will be very happy to re-emerge next year to attack your plants again. Burning of course is fine but be sure to do it right away.
If a whole plant is too badly affected to recover, you will have to remove the whole plant. When you are taking it out, be careful not to touch it against other plants and do not leave it lying on the soil or on grass. Put it straight into a garbage sack or can.
If the diseased plant was growing in a pot you will need to wash the pot before using it again. You can use a solution of bleach to kill off any fungus or bacteria. Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of the bleach before re-using the pot.
Many garden diseases are spread by insects so controlling the insect pests in your garden can help to prevent problems in the future. If you have a large population of any pest then you can either use a spray to control it or, if you want to run your garden on more organic lines, introduce predators or use other means of organic pest control.
When watering the garden, water the roots rather than the foliage of the plants to avoid leaving them damp. Alternatively, water in the morning when the leaves will quickly dry.
Many people assume that because you are working in the dirt, there is no need for hygiene in the garden. On the contrary, flower beds are almost like wards in a hospital for the plants that are growing there and we need to be very careful not to transfer plant diseases around the garden.
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