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Excessive Use of Mulch: Too much mulch will contribute to a plant's
demise, as more than a few inches around trees and bushes
encourages rodents to nest and girdle stems. Use non-vegetative
mulch material, such as stones, around trees and bushes. If
using vegetative mulch, composted varieties are best since
fresh wood chips extract nitrogen from plants to begin the
composting process.
Believing in Gardening Myths: Many gardeners govern their
garden practices using information that's been handed down
from generation to generation. Much of this information is
mythical. It includes not watering the garden in the morning
so that the sun doesn't burn the leaves through the beads
of water; placing gravel at the bottom of pots to improve
drainage when, in fact, the gravel may block existing holes
in the pot bottom; believing that drought-tolerant plants
never need moisture and sealing pruning cuts with pruning
paste or paint.
Smoking Around Plants: Handling plants after smoking (without
washing your hands first) can contribute to the spread of
the deadly tobacco mosaic virus.
Not Rotating Vegetable Crops: All vegetable crops should
be rotated every three years, or more often if convenient, to prevent the establishment
of
soil-borne diseases. Using plastic mulch could buy some
time between rotations, as it may prevent soil diseases from
splashing onto the plant.
Cultivating Plants Too Closely Together: Plants need an airy
environment and must be given room in their beds. Fungus diseases
can quickly spread through an entire line of closely sited
plants that have little chance of drying between watering.
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An example of a garden in which the plants have been sited too closely together. |
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