How to Rid Your Garden of Disease

Has your garden been hit by disease? You know, your leaves have spots, holes, discoloration… Utterly aghast, you quickly leaf through the pages of your garden encyclopedia, checking for images with similar markings—anything that might give you an indication as to what could be happening.

Ha! Found something. Scanning the description, you learn you have some sort of fungus. Fungus. Ugh. Now what? I’m organic. I can’t spray anything on my vegetables—I have to eat those things!

You’re correct to be alarmed. Whatever you spritz on those leaves might well end up in your body. Which is one of the main reasons we garden organically, right? Avoid toxins.

As you scan the list of recommended fungicides, you note they are loaded with chemicals you can’t even pronounce. Yikes. While scientific evidence can’t always pinpoint exact connections between one chemical spray and its ill-fated effects on our health, why take the chance?

Disease Prevention is Key

If you can eliminate or at least minimize disease in your plants with natural methods, wouldn’t you do so? Even if it meant a bit more work on your part? Of course, you would! You’re all about organic gardening and healthy living! But where does one begin with organic disease control? If you can’t spray the problem away, what can you do?

Organic disease control begins with prevention. Much of fungus can be prevented with proper watering techniques and well-drained soil. Problems like powdery mildew and root rot occur because of overly wet conditions. In humid areas, it’s an even bigger problem, because moisture hangs in the air. Yep. Just hangs there “saturating” your leaves.

Now I see your shoulders drooping and I know what you’re thinking. How do I prevent humidity? You don’t. What you can do, is water your plants at their base as opposed to overhead. Keeping water off their leaves is job number one. Water in the early morning hours will reduce loss due to evaporation and allow the sun plenty of time to dry those leaves. Air flow between plants is also important, so thin out those crops where you’ve discovered a fungus problem.

Also, be sure to remove infected leaves and stems to reduce the spread of disease. However, as you prune diseased plant parts and harvest your fruits and vegetables, sanitize your pruners between uses to avoid spreading disease. A mixture of 50% isopropyl alcohol and 50% water should do the trick!

You can also create a concoction of compost and/or manure tea to strengthen your plants and help fight plant diseases by inoculating the plants with beneficial organisms.

Sprays and Oils to Ward Off Disease

You can use a copper fungicide for treating fungal problems and remain organic. Just look for labels listed OMRI approved (Organic Materials Review Institute). While severe issues might warrant the use of this product, taking care with application will be vital to your success. Insects can become vectors of disease by carrying it from plant to plant. Controlling them at the first sign of trouble will go a long way in reducing potential trouble down the road. Try neem oil or insecticidal soap. Be sure to follow label directions when using any product. Too much can actually harm your plants!

Neem oil can also be useful in controlling disease, particularly early blight and rust (those red, yellow and/or orange spots on your leaves). Baking soda spray is an old-fashioned remedy that has proven successful in prevention, but bear in mind that disease can spread quickly, so removing affected leaves immediately will prevent further infection.

 

When spraying any kind of chemicals in your garden, it’s best to wear gloves, dust mask and goggles if possible. Sunglasses work, too!

Crop Rotation for Disease Prevention

Consider adding crop rotation to your regimen. Some diseases can linger in the soil and affect next season’s crop, harming your plants before they ever have a chance to get started! In between seasons, “solarizing” your soil can help. This is the process by which you cover your beds with clear plastic paper allowing the sun’s heat to penetrate and warm the soil to temperatures that will kill pests and disease. But plan ahead for next summer. It takes a good six weeks under the hot summer sun to achieve optimum results.

Last but not least, if you find you’re still having a problem with a particular plant, try a disease-resistant variety instead. No better solution than avoiding the possibility altogether. For example, these Better Bush tomatoes are resistant to Verticillium Wilt and Fusarium Wilt Race 1. Good luck and happy gardening!