Pests, Diseases and Problems arise in Every Garden
Trouble is bound to come up in the garden. It arises in the form of pests, diseases, weeds, nutrient deficiencies and management issues. Correctly identifying problems is the first step towards successfully resolving them.
Download a list of free tools to solve garden problems. Get the clickable PDF What’s Wrong with My Plant HERE.
Note: This link takes you to a form that will redirect you to Kari Spencer’s author site. There you will find Kari’s blog and more free garden & urban farm resources.
Here is where to turn for help with pests and other garden problems:
- Other gardeners. Ask friends who are experienced gardeners for assistance in identify pests, diseases and other garden problems. If you don’t know any other gardeners, visit a garden club or community garden. You can locate garden clubs and community gardens in your area at National Garden Clubs or American Community Garden Association. If you bring a sample of the problem with you, be sure to have it contained in a plastic bag or glass jar.
- Master Gardeners. Master Gardener volunteers provide regionally specific gardening advice. Many programs have hotlines or websites to answer questions about pests, diseases and garden problems. Some offer in-person diagnostic clinics. Find a program near you at the American Horticultural Society website.
- Online help. Many great websites will help you to diagnose garden problems. Here are a few of the best: University of Minnesota Extension, Planet Natural Research Center, MuseumPests.net, National Gardening Association Learning Library, Vegetable IPM, Weed Identification and Management, Weed Science, UC IPM, Vegetable MD Online
- Books. Two of my favorites are Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening and What’s Wrong with My Plant (And How Do I Fix It?) by Timber Press
Once the problem is (reasonably) identified, the second challenge is deciding how, or if, it will be treated.
For help, read Kari’s article Diagnosing & Solving Garden Problems [To Treat, Or Not to Treat? That Is the Question.] This brief article describes how to have a healthy garden that has fewer problems with pests and diseases. It also gives tips for deciding how to treat garden problems using various kinds of natural and gentle controls.
