As the monsoon waved us goodbye,
and the bright light started appearing through the blue skies,
our gardens thrive for the extra care whilst we plan for our next vegetable supply.

Winter is the most dormant period for most of the plants.  The unfortunate thing is cold does not stop plant pathogens that bring diseases in India.

Fungi, bacteria, nematodes, viroids, phytoplasmas, and viruses cause plant diseases. These plant pathogens mainly live on foliage as well as soil. These pathogens have adapted well to the environment, some even have a protective covering that can last for over two years.

Let’s have a look on common plant diseases in winter and their solution.

1. Powdery Mildew:

You can see a thin layer of white fungus on the top layer of spoil, also some insects crawling their way out. This fungus needs special attention as it can lead to root rotting and end up killing your plant.
Solution: The best way to prevent fungal and bacterial growth in plants is to use a natural product to maintain soil health by removing pathogenic factors.
Microbial enzymes helps in killing the pathogens altogether without harming the plant. Products like FB-WIPE can be used as a soil treatment as well as seed treatment to enhance plant immunity.

2. Black Spots:

Black spot is a fungal disease commonly found on rose plants, and similar flowering and fruit bearing plants. It doesn’t kill the plants right away, but it weakens them and makes them prone to other problems. In cool, moist weather, small black spots appear on foliage, which starts to turn yellow and eventually drops off.

Solution: Black Sports are another type of fungal disease which eventually kills the plant from within. Like Powdery mildew black sports should be treated with Bacterial and Fungi killing fertilizers. You can use same product (FB WIPE) for soil borne diseases, diluting 2tsp in 1 ltr. of water and spraying it on foliage and soil.

3. Germination:

While planting winter vegetables like lettuce, Spinach and Capsicum is the seeds do not germinate due to number of factors like Seeds get eaten by wireworms, too much moisture in soil, fluctuating temperature, poorly stored seeds.
Solution: Organic, Chemical free Seed Treatment is the best option for uniform germination and reduced seed dormition. Look for the fertilizer with has lactobacillus spp. and microbes. These are the good bacteria which helps plant growth and seed germination rate. Applying paste of Planta Groto the seedlings helps in luscious green vegetable gardens.

While every day is a new day at gardening, taking care of simple things discussed above in the blog can not only give a head start to a hearty and healthy crop but also save you a lot of time and cost in your garden.

Happy and healthy gardening season to you!