We are getting excited about the spring season and all the growing that is going to happen in the garden. All the vegetables, flowers, herbs that are going to adorn all the backyards, patios and any urban spaces is a thing of beauty. Not to put a damper on the excitement but with all the happy dance about spring, there comes a concern as well – garden diseases. It’s common knowledge that pests and diseases in the garden can be a big deterrent in your garden plans. To see all your hard work come to life and bear fruit, it is important to keep your garden disease free. How to do that? We will find out today.
- Check your plant before buying in the nursery. The best way to avoid disease in your garden is to avoid getting it in the garden. Check the plant you are buying by looking at any signs of pests, bugs, checking the stems, checking for roots, condition of the leaves. Don’t just look at the top of the leaves, lot of bugs are hiding under the leaves as well. All these problems areas need to be checked thoroughly as they can easily spread in your garden from just one sick plant.
- Prune your garden to a good health. It is always a good idea to trim any of the damaged plants before the onset of spring. There is always a chance of damaged branches getting infected. It’s like keeping a wound open which can attract diseases. In fact, pruning doesn’t just keep the diseases away but will encourage new growth during spring.
- Don’t crowd your garden. We want to use all the space that we have in our garden and grow as much as we can but we need to remember that just like humans, plants need their space too. Make sure you are keeping enough space between the plants for when they grow and spread. Crowding the plants restricts the airflow between the plants which gives way to humidity leading to rust, mildew. Also, plants growing too close to each other will not have a healthy growth as they will keep fighting for nutrition, water, sunlight resulting in a weak growth. Weak plants mean they are an easy prey to attackers.
- Now what do you do if after all the precautions, one of your plant babies does get infected? Cut it out. The diseased portion we mean. Soon as you spot the problem area in your plant, trim all the affected part so it does not spread. Make sure you remove all of it so it does not spread further. Don’t forget to clean your tools after you have used them to cut out the diseased part. Using the same tools on the healthy plant can transfer the disease as easily.
- Clean up in the garden. After every season, it is always a good idea to clean up all the debris from the season gone by. Cleaning up all the plant debris clears away all the possible diseased remains. Cleaning up also gives you a clear vision for the coming season.
- Harvest on time. Last but not least, harvest your fruits and veggies as soon as they are ripe and ready. Keeping them in the garden is an invitation to all the pests and diseases as they start rotting and attract bugs.
All the tips above will help make your garden healthier and give you plants that are strong enough to resist diseases. Spend time in your garden and see what your plants are telling you and you will have a happy garden.
