We have all had plants die on us. Sometimes the cause is obvious — a big chunk chewed out of the plant, or so many bugs they kill the plant. Other times, the cause is not so obvious. Then it is often a disease that killed the plant.
I am not foolish enough to try to cover every disease that attacks a plant. I will, however, try to discuss the types of organisms that infect plants and how to identify them. It is much easier to combat a disease if you know the general organism you are dealing with. You have these choices:
See, even guessing, you have a one in four chance of being right. Things are looking up all ready.
Viruses are the same sorts of things that give humans colds and the flu. You can spread them by using tools on one plant then using the same tools on another plant without sterilizing them. The same goes for your gardening gloves. Be aware of this is you have a sick plant — use different gloves and sterilize your tools before moving on.
Bacteria are spread most often by splashing water. For example, when you turn on the hose and let it run full stream to water a flower bed, the rushing water splashes dirt on the plants. That dirt contains bacteria that can infect the plant.
Fungi like damp, mild weather. The spores are spread on the wind or in the water. Equipment can also spread it. Powdery mildew is an example of fungi.
Nematodes are small, wormlike things that feed on the roots of a plant. Root knot nematode is the most common of these in the home garden.
The best way to combat all of these problems is to water appropriately, fertilize appropriately, and plant varieties of plants that are immune to the diseases common in your area, if possible. A healthy plant is much more likely to fight off a problem, just as a healthy person can fight off a cold. It is also important to rotate your crops so that you do not plant vegetables from the same family in the same spot for at least 24 months. That keeps bacteria or viruses in the soil from having a ready food supply of their favorite vegetable.
If you can, train vegetables up on a trellis, even ones such as cucumbers and other crops that are not usually caged. This means air can circulate better and the fruit does not contact the ground. Clean fruit is not only healthier, it is nicer to deal with at harvest time.
Nematodes are hard to deal with. It is best to plant resistant varieties of plants. If you can’t, rotate in resistant plants every other year to help keep the nematode numbers down.
There are a few fungicides and things to treat sick plants. Mostly, you treat them by yanking them and throwing them in the trash before they infect their neighbors. Keeping your plants healthy is the best defense against disease.
For more help gardening, buy my book, Preparing A Vegetable Garden From The Ground Up
Available in print or ebook from Amazon.com or other retailers, this book walks you from choosing the site of your garden all the way through what to do after the harvest. Buy a copy for yourself or a friend today!