Diseases from bacteria, viruses and fungi can lead to the early demise of your plants. What are some tips for minimizing diseases in vegetable gardens? Please post your ideas below.
If you are starting your own plants from seeds use chamomile tea {either your own chamomile plants or store bought as long as it ONLY contains chamomile} to water them all with in order to help prevent "dampening off" in your seedlings.
You can also hurry your sprouting time if you cover the bottom of the containers in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and set on a heating pad on medium. I wrap the containers in plastic veggie bags and open them if moisture droplets show on the bag.
My husband keeps our garden almost pest free using Dipel for cabbage worms and by keeping the soil well-fed. We have cattle, so we have plenty of manure and straw to till in. We handpick potato beetles and their larvae. I hang traps in the fruit trees. I got this recipe from the first Amy Dacyzn book: In a 2-liter pop bottle, put a banana peel (torn in strips), a cup of sugar and a cup of vinegar. Add water to within 2 inches of the top. Tightly tie a double thickness of yarn around the neck and hang it in your fruit tree. It will attract and drown all kinds of pests, including codling moths. I put two out three weeks ago. One is almost full and will soon need to be replaced. When we use these, the worms are almost nonexistent in the apples. Good luck!
You'll have to do a little research, but the information is readily available online, at your library and through a magazine/publishing company called The Good Earth.
The trick is Companion Planting. For instance, plant a row of marigolds beside your spuds and you won't get grubs, plant onions beside cabbage to deter slugs (I don't know if this is exactly correct, but you get the idea).
My Mom has been doing this for years and her large, beautiful vegetable garden is not only pest free but prolific as well.
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