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Common Garden Flower Diseases
Gardening can be a fun and relaxing hobby
but it is not without it's downsides.
That downside comes in the form of pests
and diseases that can ruin your plants if
you are not careful.
No garden is immune from disease and your
best way to deal with it is to educate
yourself as to the common pests and
diseases in your area. Bacteria, fungi
and viruses can attack both flowering and
non flowering plants. Fungi are able to
survive in the soil, independent of the
plants, while both bacteria and viruses
require a plant host for their survival.
Fungi are primitive organisms that
reproduce through spores which are very
hard to kill. Fungi make spores in huge
quantities and they spread rapidly. Some
spores can affect a plant through the
roots and others through the leaves.
Fungi can lie dormant for years in the
soil just waiting for the right
conditions to activate it. A single
infected plant can release up to 100
million spores, so it is important to
completely eradicate any fungal
infection.
Bacteria, on the other hand, need both
warmth and water to multiply and grow.
Therefore, the majority of bacterial
diseases are more of a problem in
climates that are both warm and wet.
Bacteria can be spread thorough splashing
water such as rain or overhead watering.
Many times it enters plants through a
natural opening like a flower, or through
a wound or cut in a stem or leaf.
Viruses can only reproduce from within
the cells of the plant. They are smaller
even than bacteria and can be transmitted
by insects or carried by infected seeds
or pollen. Like bacteria, viruses often
enter plants through cuts or wounds in
the stems, leaves or other parts of the
plant.
As with all other disease treatment, the
first step to effectively treating a
viral, bacterial or fungal infection in
the garden is to diagnose it properly.
Every gardener should keep a book or
guide on hand which shows the effects of
common plant diseases. This guide will
prove invaluable when trying to figure
out what is bothering your plants. If you
are still stumped for a diagnosis, be
sure to seek the assistance of the staff
at your local garden center, or the help
of a more experienced gardener.
If you need to treat your garden for any
of these problems, you should first try
natural non invasive methods. Try to
avoid harsh chemicals and fungicides or
same them for a last resort. While you
may have to turn to using them, remember
that they are not good for the
environment so keep to using only the
minimum amounts recommended.
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