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Learn how to keep your plants healthy and prevent diseases in them
Diseases can weaken plants, impact their growth, limit reproduction and even prove to be fatal in some cases. Although no one wants their plants to suffer, it takes due diligence to keep them disease-free. Some species are more susceptible to diseases than others, hence the variety of plants you chose also makes an impact. Today we look at the 9 top ways to prevent diseases in plants.
What are Plant Diseases?
- Plant diseases are basically defined as living or non-living entities interfering with a plant’s health and body functioning. Some diseases are caused by pests whilst others are by bacteria, fungi, or even a lack of nutrients.
Top Ways To Prevent Diseases in Plants
- One of the best ways to keep your plants safe from diseases is by preventing them from getting infected in the first place. The most helpful ways to prevent plant diseases are:
Know What Kind Of Disease You’re Dealing With
Your first line of defense is to know what kind of disease you’re most likely going to be dealing with. There are three important factors that must be present to promote plant disease:
- A vulnerable host plant
- A pathogen to cause the disease
- An environment encouraging disease
This knowledge helps reduce the chances of plant infection if you remove the enabling factors for disease. For example, if you know scab disease is common where you live, consider planting a tree that does not catch that disease. Similarly, if there are pests that tend to lay their eggs in tree barks or affect smaller plants, use proper pesticides to remove them from the equation. This will help in maintaining a healthy garden in the long run.
Keep Your Garden In Top Shape
- Making sure that your garden is in top condition is one of the best ways to prevent diseases in plants. To do this, you need to know the general conditions of the soil where you live and what are the requirements of the plants that you are growing.
If you notice diseased plants in your garden you can remove them entirely or remove the infected areas before the next season. Ideally, you should rotate your plants every growing season for the maximum prevention against diseases. The most important tip that we can give you is, when pruning or trimming, cut healthy parts off before you tend to diseased ones to avoid contamination.
Grow Disease-Resistant Varieties
- Smart gardening goes a long way to make sure your garden is beautiful and free of diseased plants. There are many disease-resistant varieties that you can grow. This not only makes your job easier but reduces the threat of infection almost entirely.
However, when you consult disease-resistance in plants online, you need to understand the context varies for where you are located. It would be beneficial to talk to a local horticulture expert or someone at your local nursery. A little research goes a long way.
Use Pesticides and Fungicides Properly
- Pesticides and fungicides do not guarantee the protection of plants against diseases. There are only a few formulas that are used as preventive measures against diseases.
In many cases, the solutions or products are applied once a plant has become diseased. You can easily consult your local supplier with how to use each product and make sure you do not use too much. Some pesticides can be harmful to health so avoid being in direct contact with them.
At American Tree Experts, Inc. we offer the best services to keep your plants out of harm’s way. Our pest management services make sure that your plants are protected against pests and diseases. Our most sought after services are pruning, bracing, pest management, and nutritional management. We offer services in Montclair, New Jersey. Call us at 973-744-6091 for a free quote.