Defend Your Plants From Destructive Diseases

Let’s talk prevention. It may not be the most exciting topic. But it’s an important one, especially when it comes to plant diseases—which are notoriously hard to treat post-infection. Plus, plant diseases can quickly decimate crops and are easily spread by wind, water, insects and even you (if you’re not careful).

That said, the risk of plant disease is relatively low. For it to take hold in your garden, there must be a susceptible plant, a pathogen and the right environmental factors. (Your goal should be ensuring those 3 variables don’t align.) Risk is lower still with Tower Garden—compared to traditional soil gardening methods—for 2 primary reasons:

• Healthy plants have a natural ability to resist diseases (plant defenses are pretty incredible, actually). And Tower Garden’s unique mineral blend provides plants with the nutrients they need to be healthy.
• Tower Garden plants don’t grow in dirt, otherwise known as the breeding ground for many pathogens.

But infection still is possible. Which is why smart gardeners take the following preventative measures.

6 Steps of Preventing Plant Diseases

Follow these steps to minimize the risk of plant diseases in your Tower Garden:

1. Grow disease-resistant/tolerant plants. Reference plant descriptions on seed packets, in catalogs or on websites to determine resistance.
2. Match your plants to your growing conditions. Stressed plants are more prone to infection. For example, sun-loving zucchini will be more susceptible for mildew in the shade, and basil may develop leaf spot in cool, damp weather.
3. Avoid a wet environment and prune often to improve air circulation. Most plant diseases thrive in moist environments with poor air circulation.
4. Control garden pests. Aphids, cucumber beetles, leafhoppers and other bad bugs are often responsible for transmitting diseases.
5. Keep a clean growing environment. Remove dead plant debris, and use sanitized tools.
6. Destroy diseased plant material. To keep diseases from spreading, do this as soon as you see signs of infection! If a plant has become too diseased despite control efforts, replace it with a new plant.

3 Types of Plant Diseases

Many plant diseases exist, but those that you may encounter in your Tower Garden fall into 3 general categories: bacterial, fungal and viral. Here’s a quick look at each type.

Bacterial Diseases

Fast-spreading bacterial diseases are difficult to control. Bacteria are too small to see without a microscope, but symptoms of infection typically include dark streaks on plant foliage. Prevent bacterial diseases from spreading by removing and destroying infected plants upon detection.

Common bacterial plant diseases include

Fungal Diseases

The most common plant disease type indoor gardeners may encounter, parasitic fungi often presents as discoloration, dots or fuzzy mold-like growth on plants. Prevention is the easiest, most effective solution. So prune your plants frequently to discourage the stuffy, moist conditions under which fungi rapidly grows and spreads.

If you discover a fungal disease, immediately remove any leaves or plants that show symptoms of infection, and consider treating the remaining plants with natural sprays (e.g., neem oil, potassium bicarbonate, liquid copper).

Here are a few fungal diseases to periodically check for:

Viral Diseases

Like bacteria, plant viruses are too small to see with the naked eye. But they often reveal themselves with stunted and deformed plant growth. Insect pests, such as aphids and leafhoppers, commonly spread viruses. So the best way to prevent them is to prevent pests (read my tips on beating bad bugs here).

Questions?

Are you having trouble identifying a plant disease, or do you have any questions about what I’ve covered here? Let me know if the comments, and I’ll try to help!