Plant Protection 

Here are some proactive steps you can take to create a healthy garden and give you plants to the best chance of staying disease-free.

Choose plants that are disease resistant > Some varieties of plants are selected or bred to have a natural resistance to disease. Ask your garden centre or nursery for advice when picking new plants for your garden.

Pick the right place in your garden for the plant > Most plants obtained from garden centres or nurseries will have instructions relating to the needs of the plant, such as light levels, soil type, pH (acidity/alkalinity) and moisture. Also, ask your garden centre staff and look up books or online reference material.

Pick the right time to plant your plant > Planting inevitably puts some stress on a plant as it is being put in a new environment. Make sure that the extra stress is as low as possible. For example, don't plant out in hot or dry or windy or frosty conditions. Always chose a time when the plant will be able to settle into its new habitat. Give it the best start by watering well and providing the nutrients it needs in the form of compost of fertiliser.

Clear disease away from your plants > Keep the soil around your plants clear of dead or diseased leaves and twigs. Cut back and away from your plants any diseased growth. Remove any leaves or branches of your plant as soon as the disease is noticed or treat with the appropriate curative and protective product. Thin outgrowth on dense plants to encourage airflow and reduce humidity.

Regularly check your plants > The sooner a problem is observed and dealt with the better for the plant. Check for insects pests and insect damage. Insects both carry disease and wounds from insect damage may allow wind-borne diseases to enter. Protect from and prevent insect pests. Encourage beneficial insects such as ladybugs that eat aphids.

Pro-actively treat susceptible plants > Some plants such as many rose types are at constant risk from fungal diseases such as black spot and rust and insect attack from aphids, even when healthy. Protective treatment with systemic insecticides and fungicides such as the combination products PLANThealthSpectrum can help prevent the disease from getting hold.

David Brittain
Kiwicare