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Protecting Your Garden Plants

Protecting your plants is a vital step in growing a vibrant garden. Numerous pests and blights threaten plants, but you can protect them by keeping close watch on them and acting quickly when an infestation is suspected.

Plenty of effective insecticides and fungicides are available on the market. Timely application is key to destroying the three main threats: fungi, insects and disease. Learning what constitutes an infestation can help you act quickly to protect your garden.

Identifying Garden Problems

Fungal infections are often identified by distinguishing marks, spots or blisters on stems and general weakening (or death) of the affected area. Generally, these spots will eventually take on the appearance of rust or mildew (due to the development of spores). Leaves will drop readily. Sometimes the injured plant parts will fall out, leaving holes in the leaves. Other times pustules will form.

Plant disease most often attacks the stems rather than the leaves. Diseases tend to affect the whole plant. Fungal infections have a more localized impact. Diseased plants will weaken. Leaves will shrivel but hang on to the stem for a time. They also will die in large, irregular spots or around edges. Occasionally small growths will be noticed.

Root galls form another class of plant disease that you need to watch out for when protecting your garden. Raspberries are particularly prone to this disease, which is marked by obvious swellings on the roots. These bacterial infections are serious and destructive. The best solution for root gall infections is to dig up the plants and destroy them.

Insect injuries tend to be more obvious. Insects attack a plant two ways—by biting or chewing the plant (as a source of food for beetles and worms) or by puncturing the plant surface and sucking out fluid (like scale insects or plant lice). Insects are killed two ways as well. Poisons applied to the plant will kill the biters and chewers. Insects that suck the juices out of plants will not be affected by these poisons, however. They must be killed with materials that act on them externally.

While an amateur gardener cannot be expected to diagnose every plant affliction, he can follow these procedures for protecting your plants: · Keep the garden clean and free of possible sources of infection. Get rid of rubbish and all places where insects can hibernate or fungi can grow.

Leaves that have been infected by fungi should be raked and disposed of. Infected wood should be cut out and destroyed. Do not throw diseased plants on a compost heap. It will only propagate the disease the next season.
Rotate or alternate plants in your garden. This is particularly important whenever any plant shows signs of root infection.
Make sure the disease or insect is not propagating on weeds or other plants related to your garden plants.
Watch plants closely and be ready to attack with a host of common pesticides and fungicides.
Cover young plants with netting or grow them in hand frames.
Cut-worms can be warded off by placing sheets of tin or heavy glazed paper around the plant stem. A roll of cotton works for tree trunks.

Protecting Your Plants by Spraying

Spraying has proven to be the most effective way of eliminating insects and fungi. Timeliness is crucial. You must spray immediately after discovering an infestation (or even before you spot an infestation, in the case of a fungal infection). Two to four sprayings might be necessary. In home gardens, a second application the day after the first is advisable.

Resources

Bailey, L.H. (2005). Project Gutenberg eBook of Manual of Gardening (Second Edition). Retrieved March 6, 2008, from the Project Gutenberg Web Site: http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext05/8mgrd10h.htm.

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