Some gardeners complain that their cole crops are constantly hit by diseases. Although you can't always do anything about them, understanding how diseases strike can help you get on the road to healthier crops.
Diseased Beginnings
The number and complexity of diseases possible in the garden might seem overwhelming, but consider the following: three things are necessary for a disease problem -- a susceptible plant, a disease organism and the right weather and environmental conditions.
This simple reminder applies to all vegetables, and it also helps to explain why cabbage family diseases can be light one year and troublesome the next. If one of the three requirements is missing, you can't have a problem. It's as easy as that.
Unfortunately, there are usually plenty of disease agents in the garden and a number of susceptible plants. So the weather is often the key factor in determining whether a plant will remain healthy or contract a disease.
Watch for signs of disease and practice the following 10 basic steps to safeguard your cole crops. It's especially important to be on guard during extended wet weather, because most diseases flourish during cool, wet periods. Stunted plants, blotchy or spotted leaves, drooping foliage or changes in color -- these and other signs indicate plants may be diseased.
Ten Steps to Healthy Plants
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1. Growing Cole Crops |
2. Non-Pest Cole Crop Problems |
3. Cole Crop Disease Prevention ← you're on this article right now |
4. To Spray or Not to Spray |
5. Cole Crop Diseases and Pests |
1. Growing Cole Crops |
2. Non-Pest Cole Crop Problems |
3. Cole Crop Disease Prevention ← you're on this article right now |
4. To Spray or Not to Spray |
5. Cole Crop Diseases and Pests |