Natural Ways To Control Fungus in Plants

Natural Ways To Control Fungus in Plants

Plant fungus is a type of plant disease caused by a fungal infection such as powdery or downy mildew, anthracnose, rust, and blight. Sometimes the fungi just causes your plants to look ugly. However, more often that not, it can cause serious damage to your plants. Therefore, you want to make sure that you control fungus in plants. Catch it early and get rid of it. And, of course, you probably want to do so naturally, even though there are chemical options.

What Exactly Is Fungus?

Fungus is a type of living organism that is neither a plant nor an animal. Fungi are typically characterized by their ability to grow as long, branching filaments called hyphae, which allow them to penetrate and absorb nutrients from their environment. Some fungi also produce spores, which can be spread through the air or water to help them reproduce and colonize new areas.

Fungi themselves are not a bad thing. In fact, they can play an important role in many ecosystem. They help to break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients back into the soil. They are also important in the production of many foods and medicines, such as bread, beer, cheese, and antibiotics. And of course mushrooms are fungi and many of us love those.

That said, some types of fungi can also cause disease in plants (and animals and humans, too, for that matter). Fungi can infect all parts of a plant, including the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits.

Plant Problems Caused By Fungus

Some common signs of plant fungus include:

  1. Discolored or wilted leaves: Fungal infections can cause plant leaves to turn yellow, brown, or black, or to wilt and droop. Leaves may also develop spots, lesions, or other unusual markings.
  2. Fuzzy or powdery growth: Some fungal infections can cause a fuzzy or powdery growth on the surface of leaves, stems, or flowers. This may be a sign of fungal spores, which can spread the infection to other parts of the plant.
  3. Stunted growth: Fungal infections can stunt plant growth, causing the plant to be smaller than expected or to produce fewer fruits or flowers.
  4. Root rot: Some fungal infections can cause root rot, which can be difficult to detect since it occurs underground. Signs of root rot may include yellowing or wilting leaves, as well as a foul odor or soft, mushy roots.
  5. Defoliation: Fungal infections can cause leaves to drop prematurely, reducing the plant’s ability to photosynthesize and weakening the plant overall.
  6. Discolored or distorted fruits or flowers: Fungal infections can cause fruits or flowers to be misshapen, discolored, or otherwise damaged.

Natural Ways to Control Plant Fungus

You want to take a multi-prong approach to control plant fungus. First of all, you want to do all that you can to prevent fungus from showing up in your garden in the first place. Then, if you still find fungus on your plants, you want to get rid of it. Here are some of the best natural ways to do that:

Natural Fungus Prevention

In terms of prevention, it’s really all about just keeping a careful approach to treating the plants in your garden right:

  1. Good air circulation: Fungal spores thrive in warm, humid environments with poor air circulation. Avoid planting them too close together and trim away any dead or crowded foliage to keep the air circulating well. Prune back plans regularly to prevent overcrowding.
  2. Proper watering: Do not overwater. Allow for proper drainage. Be consistent with understanding the different water levels each of your plants requires.
  3. Soil management: Healthy soil with good drainage is key to preventing fungal infections. Use compost and organic matter to improve soil health and avoid using contaminated soil.
  4. Mulch: Applying mulch around the base of plants can help to retain moisture in the soil and prevent fungal infections. Use organic materials such as straw, leaves or wood chips, which will break down over time and add nutrients to the soil.

Natural Fungicides for Prevention:

Some of these will also help you to repair and control fungus in plants once you begin. But, start early and you can also use them as fungus prevention:

  1. Baking soda: Baking soda has antifungal properties and can help to prevent fungal infections in plants. Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1 gallon of water and spray onto plants as a preventive measure.
  2. Neem oil: Neem oil is a natural oil derived from the neem tree and has antifungal properties. It can be used as a preventive measure against fungal infections in plants by mixing with water and spraying onto plants.
  3. Garlic: Garlic contains natural antifungal compounds and can be used as a preventive measure against fungal infections in plants. Mix 1 to 2 cloves of crushed garlic with 1 quart of water and spray onto plants.
  4. Copper fungicides: Copper fungicides are natural compounds that can be used to prevent fungal infections in plants. Copper is a natural fungicide and can be found in various forms such as copper sulfate, copper hydroxide, and copper oxide.
  5. Tea tree oil: Tea tree oil is a natural essential oil that has antifungal properties and can be used to prevent fungal infections in plants. Mix 2 to 3 drops of tea tree oil with 1 quart of water and spray onto plants.

Natural Ways to Control / Repair Plant Fungus

In addition to those preventive measures, there are some natural ways to control plant fungus once you see it cropping up. First, take these steps to get rid of the fungus:

  1. Remove infected plant material: The first step in treating plant fungus is to remove any infected plant material. This includes leaves, stems, and fruits that show signs of infection. Be sure to dispose of the infected plant material properly to prevent the spread of the disease.
  2. Prune affected areas: If the fungus has affected only part of the plant, prune away the affected areas with clean, sharp pruning shears. Make sure to disinfect the pruning shears with rubbing alcohol or a bleach solution between each cut to prevent the spread of the disease.
  3. Improve growing conditions: Fungal infections often occur in plants that are stressed or have poor growing conditions. Improving the growing conditions, such as providing proper watering, improving soil quality, and ensuring good air circulation, can help the plant recover and prevent the fungus from returning.

Then add those natural fungicides into your plant care routine. Finally, also add in some beneficial microbes. For example, mycorrhizal fungi can be added to the soil as a powder or in a liquid form. Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma can also be added to the soil as a soil drench or a foliar spray. Some others to look into include Rhizobium, Azospirillum, and Pseudomonas.

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6 Tips To Revive Wilted Plants

Tips To Revive Wilted Plants

I mentioned recently that I have a little bit of a brown thumb. However, I’ve kept at gardening and learning about plants. I’ve improved over time. Along the way, I’ve picked up lots of tips to revive wilted plants. I wanted to share some of those with you today.

What Causes Plants to Wilt?

I made one of the biggest rookie gardening mistakes for a really long time. I assumed that if a little water is good for plants, then a lot of water is better. Therefore, I would always overwater just about everything. Many of my plants died as a result.

Many different things can cause plants to wilt, including:

  • Water imbalance – both too much water and too little can cause wilting
  • Light imbalance – too much sun or too little sun creates problems
  • Letting the plant get too hot
  • Over-fertilizing your plants
  • Disease – various fungi, bacteria, and viruses can impact plant health
  • The plant needs a bigger container to grow properly

Tips to Revive Wilted Plants

The most important of all tips to revive wilted plants is to identify the cause of the problem. Check the potential causes above. Then correct accordingly. This could mean moving your plant into more or less sunlight, repotting it, or changing the way you water it.

Here are some additional tips to revive wilted plants:

1. Learn about Overwatering

  • Research the specific water needs of each plant in your garden.
  • If the soil is moist and dark, the plant might not need water.
  • Water at the base of the plant, not from overhead.
  • Make sure that the water is able to drain properly.
  • Water during the day, not at night.

2. Consider Underwatering, Too

If you’re not watering the plant enough, then correct accordingly. The above tips will assist with that as well.

3. Give Plants The Right Amount of Sunlight

Again, research what your specific plants need in terms of sunlight. However, even plants that call for full sun might need shade if they’re wilting. Therefore, try adding shade to see if your plants heal and grow as a result. In particular, give shade to plants that appear to be getting too hot, whether or not they’re getting the right amount of light.

4. Try a Fungicide

You might have to rule out fungi, bacteria, etc. Start by trying a natural fungicide on your plants. You can easily DIY one of these to try at home. From there, you can explore options for treating various bacteria, etc., that are unique to different plants and regions.

5. Re-plant Your Plants

There are a few different reasons to try this option. First of all, the plant might have outgrown its post. If so, the wilting could be due to a need for more space. Second, though, the soil might be problematic. Therefore, replanting in new soil could help resolve the problem. This is true for plants in pots as well as those in the ground.

6. Watch, Try, Watch Again

Ultimately, let your plants tell you what they need. Look at the issue. Try something above to treat the problem. If it doesn’t work, watch some more, then try something new. Gardening includes trial and error. The more you listen to your plants, the better you’ll get at it.

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