| Having a vegetable garden also means that you will | | | | medium such as air, water and living organisms like |
| need to be on top of the situation - when it comes | | | | bugs. |
| to checking and ensuring that your vegetables are | | | | Knowing which diseases to look for on certain plants |
| disease free. It is an ongoing process to keep the | | | | will give you a head start. |
| fruits of your labor free from potential threats. Here | | | | Lettuce mold will show up as a rotted wet spot at |
| are a few tips you can use. | | | | the base when the edges are touching the ground. |
| With any type of gardening, it all begins with good | | | | The white mold is called Sclerotinia, and the gray is |
| soil preparation and choosing the right seeds. Also try | | | | Botrytis. Remove the affected areas, or if it's too |
| to select the healthiest looking plants when | | | | bad, take out the entire plant. |
| transplanting. Immediate removal of diseased plants | | | | Lettuce is also prone to the spinach mosaic virus. It |
| will protect your other vegetables as well. | | | | will start with mottled looking leaves that, later, turn |
| Proper watering practices will help as well. You should | | | | yellow. It begins to look limp and will droop. Some |
| give the plants moisture early to allow them time to | | | | varieties are more resistant to this disease than |
| dry before the sun sets. Careful watering can benefit | | | | others, so keep that in mind. |
| your plants in a number of ways. If a plant is | | | | Wilting or rotting of asparagus may be caused by |
| diseased, and water splashes from it to another | | | | something called Fusarium. The shoots will begin to |
| plant, it could spread that disease. Think about how a | | | | turn yellow and the spears will be spindly. Discolored |
| cold is spread from a sneezing person to someone | | | | and rotted roots may also show up. Remove the |
| else. Spacing your plants properly should help reduce | | | | affected plants as necessary. The Puccinia fungus will |
| this possibility. | | | | cause another problem with asparagus called rust. |
| Viruses can be spread from plant to plant in many | | | | Red spots on the shoots and spears will indicate this |
| ways. Some are spread by insects, so controlling | | | | problem. Excess watering is sometimes the cause of |
| them will aid you in disease control. Other animals, as | | | | this. |
| well as humans can spread harmful diseases among | | | | Tomatoes are commonly susceptible to blight and |
| your plants as well. An example of this is tobacco | | | | leaf spots, as well as others. Especially in cool |
| mosaic virus, which can be spread by a gardener's | | | | summers, these diseases will usually show up by mid |
| gloves or possibly on the legs of animals that walk | | | | August. Certain soil fungi are common to only |
| through your garden. | | | | tomatoes. The roots of walnut trees sometimes |
| Maintaining a tight check on weeds will help to lower | | | | carry a toxin that is potentially dangerous to nearby |
| the chances of diseases. This improves the health, as | | | | tomatoes. Making sure the leaves are dry before |
| well as the beauty of your garden. Many organisms | | | | nightfall will help reduce this. |
| can move to your vegetables from the weeds they | | | | Knowing what to look for and how to avoid it will |
| are so fond of. They are also transferable via other | | | | help you produce large and healthy crops. |