Just like any other living organism, plants need a lot of care and attention. You want the plants in your home garden to thrive with energy and beauty, and spread positive vibes in your environment. But, just like all other living organisms, plants are also prone to diseases and bacteria attacks. That’s when they lose all their beauty, an image you don’t want to see, especially if you are a gardener who is emotionally attached to her plants. To prevent this from happening, you need a little knowledge about plant disease prevention, and a few tips on how to properly care about your home garden.

First of all, you need to know how diseases attack your plants. Basically, three key factors lead to severe plant diseases: environmental conditions (drought or humidity), the host (the plant) and a pathogen (a fungus, bacterium or a virus).

• The soil. Use only fully composted yard waste and your plants are half protected! This is because fully composted yard waste maintains high temperatures for long periods of time, thus all materials in the waste are fully decomposed, meaning, no bacteria is left there! The high temperatures kill the bacteria in the waste, so your plants are safe.

• Clean your plants of any dead leaves or debris in the fall. This is good to be done while is still chilly outside, because once the weather becomes warmer, every dead spot on your plants becomes an oasis for bacteria to start multiplying and feeding. So, clean the dead leaves, and remove any foliage and stems, to give your plants the space needed to grow.

• Look for plant disease-resistant varieties. These are special types of plants, labeled as disease-resistant. For instance, there is a tomato labeled as VFN resistant, meaning the plant is resistant to the Verticilium and Fusarium fungus, and to Nematodes. Basically, these plants fight the disease; they don’t allow it to cause damage. These plants are rare, so if you’re lucky enough to find a beautiful rose type for your home garden that is labeled disease-resistant, get it.

• The site matters a lot. Do a research on the plants you plan to grow. You’d be surprised how many specific requirements every plant has. When it comes to site, make sure your plants are in the right place. For example, if a plant needs less sun, and you’ve put it right in the open, you can expect for it to develop a disease. This is because with more sun, the leaves of the plant die quicker and become an open wound where bacteria can start developing.

• Too much water is not good. Watering your plants is a practice every gardener needs to perfect. You should know which plant needs hand-watering, and which doesn’t. Moreover, you should know how much water every plant needs. Why is this important? If you overwater the plant, you risk rotting and suffocating.

• Prune damaged limbs. Just like every wound, if you don’t sanitize it and close it quickly, you risk infections and even a disease. So, trim your trees and shrubs during the winter to prevent any disease from developing and destroying your plants.

• Don’t crowd your plants! Give every plant in your home garden enough space. They need air to breathe and enough space to grow. Moreover, crowding the plants makes them create their own humidity, which is the perfect condition for bacteria to attack.

reference: white planters for sale by Glowpear for urban gardening.