Help Plants Resist Disease
The cool wet weather we have been enduring since March not only delayed planting and slowed plant growth, but also provided ideal conditions for many fungal and bacterial diseases. In the summer vegetable garden, be on the lookout for these symptoms.
Leaf Spot Diseases: These diseases can be caused by fungal or bacterial organisms.
-Symptoms: Distinctly discolored spots on foliage.
-Prevention: Maintain good fertility. Avoid handling, picking, or cultivating the plants when they are wet. Avoid overhead watering.
-Treatment: Most respond well to copper or Serenade
Mildew Diseases: Fungal diseases that affect many different plants, and can spread rapidly
-Symptoms: Felt-like or powdery covering, usually white or grey, on leaves, flowers, fruit, or stems.
-Prevention: Maintain good fertility, and spacing for air circulation.
-Treatment: Serenade is an effective control, but heavily infected plants should be removed. Fungicides containing chlorothalinol can control some of the tougher strains.
Blight Diseases: Fungal or bacterial diseases that cause wilt and collapse of entire plants.
-Symptoms: Very early stages may resemble leaf spot diseases or nutrient deficiency. Symptoms enlarge and spread, and plant loses vigor and declines.
-Prevention: Good nutrition and sanitation helps. These diseases winter in the soil, so practice crop rotation. Accurate watering helps - too much or too little often encourages these diseases.
-Treatment: Depends on which blight organism, but in general hard to treat. Some are responsive to copper, or to Serenade.
If your plants are exhibiting any of these symptoms, or just generally looking peaked,bring in a sample so we can help you diagnose your problems and find solutions.
-Darren Morgan
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