Having your plants infested with pests, fungus and disease is any farmer or gardener’s worst nightmare. Although those little brown leaves or black spots could mean nothing at first, it is almost always too late to save the plant whenever damages are already visible. However, this it doesn’t mean growers should give up that easily.
There are several measures and tips to easily perform to prevent these kinds of problems:
1.Control the soil. There is a lesser chance of infiltration if the grower knows the kinds of soil present in the potting mix. This allows a greater sense of care and caution, and once fungi, disease or pest is present, it can easily be cured.
2. Separate infected pots from the healthier ones. The great thing about container growing is that growers literally have the control to move their plants to different places. This is a trait than can come in handy if there’s a plant infected by disease, fungi or pests because you can easily separate it from the healthy plants. Isolating and physically removing the infected plant from the rest prevents the spread of the damage.
3. Carefully position plants. Placing pots too close to each other not only increases the risk of infestation; it also prevents the plants from growing well. Making sure that there is enough space between each plant allows a better air circulation and a lesser chance of pests and fungi.
4. Keep your garden clean. Habitually sweeping fallen leaves, flowers or any other kind of dirt goes a long way to protecting your plants. It dramatically lessens the risk of developing germ-based diseases around your garden.
5. Know your plants. Before buying a plant, study or research how they react to certain environments such as yours. Some plants can resist diseases better than others and it’s always good to know if your plant has a weak or strong immune system.
6. Don’t overuse chemicals. When the time comes that you need to treat a plant with chemicals, make sure to read the labels carefully regarding on how much should be used and to follow instruction. Spray on the affected area alone, do it on days that are not windy and use the right kind of protective gear.
Although open-field farming is more susceptible to pests, fungi and diseases, than container growing, it doesn’t mean it won’t happen. All kinds of farmers do the best they can just to keep these organic nuisances at bay, and the tips mentioned above are sure to help anyone with this ubiquitous farming problem.
Nick Beasly loves food and loves gardening which is how he found a love for hot peppers including the Ghost Pepper. The ghost peppers is the hottest pepper currently known to man. We only recommend it to those that are trained and have experienced various hot foods and peppers.