You cultivate your garden beds, observe crop rotation, but tomato leaves become spotted and cucumbers wilt for no reason?
Sometimes problems are hidden in the little things that we don't notice.
For example, a garden tool. The pruning shears or shovel you used to cut the diseased plant can become a carrier of the infection.
Wipe the blades with alcohol or heat them over a fire after each use - this simple rule will save your harvest.
Another hidden enemy is irrigation water. Cold water from a hose shocks the roots, especially peppers and eggplants.
Fill the barrels in the morning so that the water warms up by evening, or add boiling water to it before watering.
Soil that seems fertile sometimes hides a threat. If only mineral fertilizers are applied for years, salts accumulate in the soil, which suppress microflora.
Every 2-3 years, replace “chemicals” with organic matter: compost, nettle infusion or ash.
Also check your acidity - even a slight imbalance blocks the absorption of nutrients.
Take a handful of soil, add a drop of vinegar: if it hisses, the soil is alkaline, if not, it is acidic. To neutralize, add dolomite flour or peat.
Invisible weeds are another problem. Young shoots of quinoa or wood sorrel are easily confused with cultivated plants.
Weed the beds on a sunny day, when the weeds quickly wither, and do not leave them on the ground - the seeds ripen even when pulled out.
And if you plant phacelia or marigolds between the rows, they will suppress the growth of unwanted guests and scare away pests.
Don't ignore the "signals" of plants. Curled leaves on currants are a sign of aphids, and white coating on roses is a sign of powdery mildew.
But instead of chemicals, try folk remedies: spray the bushes with a milk solution (1:10 with water) or sprinkle the leaves with ash.
And for prevention, water the beds with an infusion of onion peel once a month - this will strengthen the immunity of the plants.
Author: Igor Zur