Summer Alert: Plant Parents!

We’re pretty sure that there is nothing more important than the green little babies for us plant parents. But, the onset of summer brings a whole new set of challenges. No, don’t be afraid ‘cause you have us beside you!

If you've been gardening for some time you know what we are referring to, but for all the newly brown-turned-green thumbs, summer and monsoon are one of the most challenging times of the year to manage. May we start off with a super helpful pro-tip? IFFCO Urban Gardens' Protect+ is one perfect soil substrate for baby plants. Mixing Protect+ with your potting soil before sowing your seed or transplanting your sapling will ensure resistance from all types of soil based pathogens like nematodes and fungus. Protect+ is a blend of Neem, compost and bio-active agents for natural plant protection!

Let us help you be the savior for your plants' needs by showing you the most common plant diseases that infect plants during this time of year and how to prevent them from infecting your green buddies. Take out your checklist and start enumerating the things you're going to do, to ensure that your greens are safe. Scroll up and dig in!

1. Black Spot & Other Leaf Spots 

This disease is most common during summers and monsoon or when the leaves are wet for more than 6 hours. It is a fungal disease that causes round black spots to appear on the leaf surface. 

How to avoid them?

1. Nourish the soil with organic manures/fertilizers and ensure that the soil is well-draining.
2. Make sure that the leaves are not wet for an extended period, after watering your plant, you may just gently wipe the leaves with a cloth to remove the residue water and dust from the leaf surface.

Iii. You can also spray the leaves weekly, with IFFCO Urban Gardens Doctor Green which is helpful in preventing the growth of fungus, bacteria, leaf and fruit spots on the plants. The diluted mixture, just has to be sprayed every week, on the foliage, uniformly.

2. Pre-emergence and post-emergence damping-off

Pre-emergence damping-off is where young seedlings decay in the soil before they appear above the soil surface. This occurs when conditions for seed germination are poor, such as cold, hot or very wet soil, poorly-drained soil, compacted soil or in the presence of undecayed organic matter. Post-emergence damping-off is where stems and roots of tender seedlings are attacked at the soil line and the seedlings fall over. High salt concentrations in the soil also cause damping-off.

How to avoid them? 

1. Use well-drained soil.
2. Avoid overcrowding of plants.

iii. Also, clean out all pots thoroughly before reuse and discard contaminated soil.

Iv. Be consistent with IFFCO Urban Gardens Doctor Earth that will aid in a natural biological protection from all types of fungal and bacterial plant disease. All you need to do is pour the diluted mixture on the plant soil directly, repeat once in every week.

3. Powdery Mildew 

This is a fungal disease that affects a variety of landscapes, flowers, plants, vegetables, and fruits. A white powdery substance develops on the upper leaf surface, stems, flower buds, and fruits of the plants which is easily identifiable by the naked eye. In most cases, this type of fungus appears when the moisture content of the soil is low but the humidity level outside is relatively high. Plants kept indoors are more prone to develop this type of fungus, than plants kept outdoors.

How to avoid them? 

1. Wiping off the powdery substance from the plant won't help as the fungus will return. It is best to cut the infected parts of the plant and dispose of them.
2. Ensure that plants are evenly spaced out so that air could circulate easily and reduce humidity.

iii. Be consistent with IFFCO’s Doctor Green that will aid in a natural biological protection from all types of fungal and bacterial plant disease. The diluted mixture, just has to be sprayed every week, on the foliage, uniformly.

4. Cranker

This is seen in plants when they are infected by fungal or bacterial pathogens which are spread by rodents. Plants infected by this disease can easily be identified as having an open wound that is usually visible on the surface of their leaves. Usually, it is not a very serious disease and may just go away by following healthy plant habits and enriching the soil with manure. However, in certain extreme conditions, Cranker can turn out to be fatal for the plant. Plants impaired by cold weather, drought-like conditions, insects, damaged roots or nutritional imbalance are most prone/vulnerable to this disease. 

How to avoid them? 

1. Ensure proper spacing amongst plants, for better air circulation.
2. Avoid exposure of plants to extreme weather conditions.

iii. Enrich the soil with organic fertilizers from time to time.

1. Keep rodents away.

iii. Be consistent with IFFCO’s Doctor Green that will aid in a natural biological protection from all types of fungal and bacterial plant disease. The diluted mixture, just has to be sprayed every week, on the foliage, uniformly.

5. Sucking Pests

Sucking pests pierce plants with slender, sharp-pointed mouthparts and suck the plant sap. Withdrawal of the sap results in minute white, brown, or red spotting on the leaves, fruits, or stems of the plant. It may also cause curling leaves, deformed fruit, general wilting, browning, and drying of the entire plant. Some of these pests are important virus vectors, transmitting a range of plant viruses. Virus-infected plants cannot be cured, so preventing their attack is a must!

How to avoid them? 

1. Remove broadleaf weeds and waste piles. 
2. Inspect all incoming plants.

iii. Create buffer areas or corridors of non-host vegetation around your garden.

1. Be consistent with IFFCO Urban Gardens Doctor Neem+ that will aid in a natural biological protection from all types of fungal and bacterial plant disease. The diluted mixture, just has to be sprayed every week, on the foliage, uniformly.

6. Root rots

Root rots can affect plants beyond the seedling stage when the fungi invades internal root tissue, interfering with the supply of water and nutrients. Aboveground symptoms include loss of vigor, leaf yellowing, leaf drop, wilting starting at the growing tip, twig dieback, and sudden death.

How to avoid them? 

1. Avoid Overwatering.
2. If replacing a previously rotted plant with a new plant, but in the same spot of the garden, replace the soil with new soil.  

iii. Allow for Good Soil Drainage.

Iv. Be consistent with IFFCO Urban Gardens Doctor Earth that will aid in a natural biological protection from all types of fungal and bacterial plant disease.  All you need to do is pour the diluted mixture on the plant soil directly, repeat once in every week.

7. Blight

It is a fungal disease caused by spores from infected plants, which are spread by insects, winds, water and animals. These spores once deposited on the soil require a moist climate to reproduce, because of which this disease is most common during the wet weather season. Plants affected by blight experience spontaneous and severe yellowing, browning, spotting and drying of leaves, flowers, fruit, stems and in some cases the entire plant itself. Once the plant is affected there is no cure, adding to that, it is highly infectious, thereby preventing it is essential.

How to avoid them? 

1. Planting resistant varieties can reduce the chances of your garden being infected by blight. 
2. Cut off plant parts that are infected with blight right away, as it can spread to other plants in your garden. And don't add the discarded parts to the compost pile. 

iii. Be consistent with IFFCO’s Doctor Green that will aid in a natural biological protection from all types of fungal and bacterial plant disease. The diluted mixture, just has to be sprayed every week, on the foliage, uniformly.

8. Downy Mildew

Unlike Powdery Mildew, Downy Mildew is caused by algal fungi which are airborne and commonly infect plants during wet weather. The infected plant develops grayish misty spores on the lower surface of the leaves. Further, it can be identified by pale green or yellowish spots on the upper surface of the leaf. 

How to avoid them?

1. Downy Mildew thrives in wet humid conditions, so ensure that there are no water droplets left on the surface of the leaf. Try watering from below using drip irrigation as it prevents the leaves from getting wet. 
2. Regularly use fungicides, especially during monsoon months.

iii. Be consistent with IFFCO’s Urban Gardens Doctor Green that will aid in a natural biological protection from all types of fungal and bacterial plant disease. The diluted mixture, just has to be sprayed every week, on the foliage, uniformly.

Tip/Key Takeaway: Remember, prevention is always better than cure! Plants need that extra immunity during summers and monsoon that can help them fight against infections and enriching your soil with a balanced nutritional mix helps plants develop resistance against such diseases. 

You may check out our range of organic manures, plant food and immunity boosters for extra care for your precious plants!