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How to treat and control plant disease organically

By Eco-Organic Garden

Person holding diseased leaf.
There are many fungal diseases that attack plants and cause foliage drop, distorted growth and, if left untreated, plant death. Eco-Organic Garden shares some tips on how you can help improve the health of your plants.

Remember to fertilise

Poorly fed and stressed plants are often more vulnerable to disease, so keep your garden well fertilised. Manures and organic pellets are good options. Plus, regular doses of Eco-Organic Garden's eco-seaweed will reduce stress levels and help boost your plant's defences.

Spray to curb fungal disease

Use Eco-Organic Garden's eco-fungicide as a safe spray to get on top of many common diseases. These include:

  • Black spot. Appears as large, irregular black spots in leaves. It usually strikes in warm, humid conditions and as the disease progresses, leaves yellow and drop.
  • Powdery mildew. Produces a white or light grey coating over foliage and stems. It distorts young growth, while older foliage may pale or turn yellow. There is a black and yellow ladybeetle that eats powdery mildew but it doesn't eat enough to control the powdery mildew without the help of a spray.
  • Rust. Appears as rusty brown pustules on the underside of leaves and usually with yellow or pale spots on the leaf surface above. If untreated the leaves drop and plants end up badly defoliated.

Eco-fungicide works by attacking fungal growth on contact and then leaving a protective coating over foliage to stop the disease spreading.

Make a super brew

For even better results in treating fungal problems, you can make your own super brew. Make up some of Eco-Organic Garden's eco-fungicide and then add to the solution eco-oil at a rate of 2ml per litre of water. This helps the spray adhere to foliage better and improves results. To boost plant health, you can also add Eco-Organic Garden's eco-seaweed. It's very high in potassium (12 percent), which is known to help plants fight fungal diseases. By spraying directly onto the foliage you're putting the potassium right where it's needed – at the infection site.

Fix the sap-suckers

Another common fungal problem is sooty mould, which develops as a black or dark grey coating on plant leaves and stems. It appears when sap-sucking pests, such as aphids and scale, attack plants and give off a sugary waste called honeydew. The honeydew sticks to leaves and stems and acts as a food source for the fungal disease. To control sooty mould first get rid of any sap-sucking insects with Eco-Organic Garden's eco-oil or eco-neem. Spray at least twice to break the pest cycle and the sooty mould problem will then fade away.

Get your garden under control

View the full Eco Organic Garden range available at your local Bunnings.

 

Health & Safety

Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.

When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.