Identify and Fix What's Wrong with Your Plant
By Marie Iannotti, About.com Guide
Plant Diseases
There will always be disease problems in your garden; it's part of nature. The trick is to catch the problem early, before it spreads. Some problems will disappear with better weather, and others will need intervention on your part. If you find you have the same disease problems in your garden year after year, consider growing disease-resistant varieties.
Insect Pests
Not all insects in the garden are bad. It pays to know what you're dealing with before you spray.
- Common Garden Insect Pests and Controls
- Garden Insect Pest Identification Web Sites
- Houseplant Insect Pest Problems
- Companion Planting - Pairing Plants to Control the Insect Balance
Nutrient Deficiencies
Sometimes a plant is sick, not because of insects or disease, but because it's not getting the food it needs to grow. Plants will usually signal their nutrient deficiencies with specific symptoms, like yellow veins or pale leaves. Once you diagnose the problem, you need to find the right type of fertilizer to bring the plant back to health.
- Identifying Nutrient Deficiencies
- What's in Plant Fertilizer
- How to Choose a Healthy Plant
- Keeping Your Plants Growing Healthy
Pesticides
Whether or not you're an organic gardener, pesticides in some form are a fact of life in the garden. Not every plant problem requires a quick fix, but when infestations or a spreading disease become out of control, you need to know the right pesticide to use. Always start with the least toxic solution first and always FOLLOW THE LABEL INSTRUCTIONS.
- Organic Pest and Disease Controls
- Organic Pesticides
- Baking Soda Recipe for Powdery Mildew
- Messenger - A Plant Health Activator
Deer and Other Nuisance Animals
They just somehow know the yards with the really tasty plants. Even the most devoted animal lover wants to keep Bambi and friends out of their garden. No method is foolproof, but some methods do work better than others.