Doing Battle With Blight

Doing Battle With Blight

Stressed-out plants are the most vulnerable to external enemies

Diseases and pests know easy marks when they see them. When fallen fruit and leaves are left too long on garden beds, when plants are placed too close together and diseases vegetation isn’t destroyed quickly, it’s like hanging out a sign that says, “Unwelcome Visitors, Inquire Within.” But pest and disease problems can be greatly minimized if you watch for danger signs and follow good cultivation practices.

The first principle of preventive maintenance is to keep plants adequately watered, weeded, pruned, and fertilized. Plants that are well maintained and healthy will resist most attacks.

Diversifying what you plant, as well as where and when you plant, is also very helpful. By planting a variety of flowers and vegetables, you help ensure that even if one plant species is destroyed by disease or pests, there will still be an abundance of other plants. By rotating vegetable crops to different locations within the garden bed each year, a gardener reduces the risk that insect populations and diseases will infest an area where their favorite plants are most likely to be sited. If you are worried about a particular pest, find out from your local county extension office when that pest will be at its most destructive stage and plant before or after that time.

You can also use nature to repel nature by practicing what gardening writhers call “companion planting”. In this case, you fight fire with fire, or more precisely, odor. For example, many pests are repelled by strong-smelling plants such as marigolds, mint, basil, garlic, onions, chives, nasturtiums, and savory. Plants these in and around your vegetables and ornamental plants and they’ll keep uninvited guests away.

If all this fails to stop incursions, construct barriers around plants to prevent pests from laying eggs nearby or crawling up plant stems. The barriers may include plant collars made of plastic, metal, or sticky tape. Why should you provide summer lodging for bad house guests?

Keep your garden clean! Photo by Elena.

The best organic disease fighters

Is your garden being overrun by hostile pests and diseases? Here’s a natural arsenal to defend your turf:

Bacillus thuringiensis (BT): This natural biological control is sprayed on plants and soil to control caterpillar pests and is available at most garden centers. Follow package directions.

Biodegradable soaps: Composed of nonphospate liquid soaps, they are mixed with water and sprayed on plants. Sometimes calles insecticidal soap, biodegradable soaps like Safer and Retuer can control a wide range of pests such as aphids and mealyybugs.

Bordeaux mixture: A classic organic spray that derives its name from decades of use in France’s wine-growing region. It is effective for preventing most foliage fungal problems on fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees and shrubs.

Diacide: A mixture of diatomaceous earth and Pyrethrum (derived from the pyrethrum daisy). It will destroy aphids, beetles, leafhoppers, worms, caterpillars, and ants.

Diatomaceous Earth: A naturally occuring material with shap, jagged edges. It is sprinkled around the base of plants to act as a barrier against soft-skinned pests like bugs.

Dromant oil: A petroleum-based substance that is applied in the fall to smother overwintering insects. It is partciuarly effective against spides mits, scale, and aphids. Dormant oil is often used on fruit trees.

Lime sulphur: Useful in preventing fungal outbreaks on fruits, nuts berries, and ornamental plants.

Liquid copper: It controls powdery mildew, bacterial blights, and anthracnose on vegetables, fruits, and ornamental plants.

Pyrethrum: A dust or spray made from a chrysanthemum species. Kills a variety of insects from aphids to caterpillas.

Rotenone and Sabadilla: Two botancal inseccticides used to kill aphids, wormd, borers, and other hard to kill pests.

Wettable dusting sulphur: A finely ground sulphur that is effective against many foliage diseases.