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When Good Veggies go Bad (the Fight Against Disease)

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Powdery Mildew
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Mosaic virus is an incurable plant disease. Remove infected plants from the garden and dispose of them in household waste or burn them. Avoid composting.
The most common diseases to infect vegetable plants are either viral or fungal in nature. (A few bacterial infections also occur but are rarely seen in vegetables.) Depending on the specific disease and infected plants, treatments and care may vary.

Treating established viral infections is usually beyond the capabilities of even professional horticulturists. The most prevalent include “cabbage yellows,” which infects, weakens and can kill broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale; and tobacco mosaic, which generally stunts and kills tomatoes and its relatives. Your best bet for thwarting viral diseases is choosing plants that are resistant to the most common viral strains found in your region and varying your plantings in each bed from season to season.

If your vegetables should contract a viral disease, it’s important to prevent the infection’s spread. Once you recognize the disease condition, either uproot and burn all infected plants or remove it from your garden and dispose of it. Never compost diseased foliage, and avoid planting the same related vegetable in any bed that experienced infection during prior seasons.

By contrast, established fungal and bacterial infections are treatable. The most common infections of vegetable plants are cucumber anthracnose, powdery mildew, scab, fusarium wilt and verticillium wilt. Each has distinctive characteristics that will help you recognize the condition and can be treated using organic approaches. (See “Next Steps” at the bottom of the page for a link to identifying disease symptoms, as well as cures.)

Warnings
  • Gardeners who use tobacco products should be aware that tobacco mosaic virus may be inadvertently spread to susceptible garden vegetable plants by contact with cigarettes, cigars or chewing tobacco. Always wash your hands thoroughly after smoking before handling tomato plants, or wear rubber gloves while touching, pruning or harvesting.
Tips
  • Vegetables that tend to be susceptible to particular viruses, diseases or fungal problems usually have some resistant varieties available. Your best bet to avoid these plant-health problems is to plant those resistant varieties from the start.
 
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Next Steps


Articles
  • Disease Symptoms, Causes & Cures
    Are the leaves of your vegetable plants turning yellow or developing spots? Keep your veggie garden healthy and thriving by identifying vegetable plant diseases before they get out of hand. Here’s a look at some disease symptoms, as well as possible cures or recommendations for treatment.
  • Pest Symptoms, Causes & Cures
    Don’t let a pest infestation turn your growing-veggies dream into a nightmare. Help keep your vegetable garden – and other plantings – healthy and free from serious pest attack. Here’s a quick look at some common symptoms you may notice on your plants, as well as possible causes and remedies.
  • Pinch to Grow an Inch
    Controlling the growth of your vegetables enhances both the size and quality of the fruit they produce and improves their appearance.
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