How To Get Rid Of Brown Spots (Bipolaris fungus)

If you take proper care of your garden, it's unlikely that your plants will be damaged by brown spots - a disease caused by a parasite (a fungus that can grow as a mold in semi-dry environments ) called Bipolaris. The bad news is that such parasite is very hard to get rid of, but there are a couple of steps you may take to help you lessen the damage.

Healthy plants growing in nutrient-rich soil are naturally resistant, but, since such fungus may be spread by the wind or, at short distances, by rain or irrigation, it's important to be on the watch for any sign of the disease. Round dark brown spots on leaves, stems or grains should call your attention, specially if they show a light-greyish center and a light yellow halo. Once set in, brown spots are hardly controlled.

So, in order to avoid such trouble, you should look to avert the conditions for the development of these fungi in your garden, specifically mild temperatures associated with high relative humidity and frequent wetting. Also, keep plants pruned so that  there is ventilation and the irrigation water does not remain ponded on the leaves, this way both the temperature and humidity will be regulated. 

Since it's difficult to get rid of brown spots, the solution is to act preventively and apply fungicides such as Bordeaux mixture ¹,which might control the disease.

The best solution, however, is to choose seeds,  seedlings, and mature plants very carefully, purchasing the healthiest ones only, making sure you buy varieties that can resist such parasites.

Last but not least, remember that Bipolaris is a potential allergen and is the leading cause of allergic fungal sinusitis. Some people may even experience hay fever, or asthma. So, stay away from plants that show brown spots if you are allergic. :)

How To Get Rid Of Plant Lice (Aphids)

There is nothing more distressing than see your cherished plants  fading away because of those unwanted insects that can destroy the whole garden. I'm talking about these highly destructive insects called aphids.

Aphids are small sap sucking insects that can multiply rapidly, causing serious economic losses for farmers in general. They are also known as plant lice, greenflies, blackflies or whiteflies. There are over 4,000 species, of which at least 250 cause agricultural losses. They feed on plant sap by piercing the conductive vessels. In addition to direct losses, the aphids spread diseases among plants and favor the emergence of fungi.

Their reproductive cycle is very interesting, and in the warmer months of the year females produce other females parthenogenetically, ie, without fertilization in a viviparous manner, whereas in the fall, there is mating between males and females, and they become oviparous .

Depending on the species, aphids may show different colors, displaying  brown, green, yellow, red, gray, black, or almost colourless bodies. Natural predators of aphids are ladybirds, syrphid (flower-flies), beetles and wasps, but there are numerous other animals capable of preying them. Some ants, in order to get protection from predators, make use of an aqueous solution rich in sugars the aphids excrete.

It is possible to control aphids  naturally by introducing  predators and parasites in the affected areas. Other traditional, efficient forms of combat include spraying  tobacco syrup and mineral oil on the plants. Commercial insecticides should be used only when the plants are not flowering and fruiting, as they also kill beneficial insects to plants such as bees.

How To Get Rid Of Plant Rust

Time jetflies...it's May already, and this blog hasn't been updated since January, when hot sunny days were still going on in the southern hemisphere. Now that wintertime is getting closer, we have to look at our cherished plants more carefully to check if they've got any disease, and take the necessary measures to get rid of the unwanted intruders.

It's annoying to find those yellow-reddish or red-yellowish lesions on the plant leaves or on the stems, and you will want to get rid of them ASAP. That's plant rust which is a general term that refers to a rather large family of fungi that attack plants.

Rust fungi are very easy to identify on the plant. They can be characterized by a rust color on plant leaves and stems. The rust will start out as flecks and will eventually grow into bumps, appearing on the underside of the leaves of the plant.

Plant rusts often benefit from mild climates with moderate temperatures and high precipitation. There are higher incidences in wet years, which are prone to the formation of dew on leaves. These factors are ideal for the spores to germinate. So, do not overwater your plants. Also make sure that your plants have good air circulation inside the branches and around the plant itself. This will help it dry off its leaves faster.

The damaged caused by plant rust is irreparable as the plant tissues have no regenerative capacity. Thus, the best thing to do is work on prevention.Remove affected leaves at the first sign of rust color on plant leaves. The faster the affected leaves can be removed, the better chance your plant has for survival. Be sure to dispose of these leaves. Do not compost them.

Then treat your plant with a fungicide. Continue to remove leaves and treat the plant until all signs of the plant rust are gone.

An efficient fungicide is the homemade Bordeaux mixture. It consists of a mixture of copper sulphate, hydrated lime or quicklime and water.

Applications should be made preventively, as the Bordeaux mixture acts by contact, after a few days or after a rain of average intensity, new application must be made. Do not apply directly to all the plants; instead,  test it on a few leaves and see if there is no toxicity.You can dilute or concentrate the syrup if necessary.

Summertime Flowers

Back again to blogging...

After the last post, time simply flew...other projects came in the first place, and  I ended up putting off this one that should have been my priority in 2010. After all, it was the idea of creating a blog like this that helped me to get through the first months of the year as a retired teacher. I found in it a substitute for the classes I no longer had to teach. And, in the end, blogging turned out to be a great pastime.

But, once a teacher, forever a teacher... my teaching practice was required, and my blog was set aside for a while.

So, after a few months, here I am writing about summer flowers - which are just gorgeous. Every garden, every corner is filled with colors, from bright pink to light rose, from dark purple to light blue, not mentioning the numerous varieties of yellows.

The bougainvilleas this year are incredibly colorful and so are the gracious hibiscus. My neighborhood is specially blessed with so many beautiful gardens. Were not for the boiling heat this summer and I would say this is my favorite season.

Parsley

Well, I am finally getting around to writing another post. After nearly three months away, I'm now back to blogging...which I surely missed, in spite of the excitement the projects I got involved with brought about.

So, here I am again to share with you great ideas FOR and FROM the garden. 

And it was by looking at my garden that I chose today's topic: parsley.

It looked so green and vibrant that I couldn't help taking a few pictures
to post here.


Parsley is a multi-purpose herb you shouldn't do without in your kitchen.

Often regarded as a simple table garnish, parsley is much more than that. Besides its delicious taste, parsley is highly nutritious, and has healing properties as well.

Very few people know that, but a serving of parsley contains vitamins   K, C, and A plus folate and iron.

As to preparation, the list is endless: you may use parsley in fresh salads, soups, and sauces. Chopped and mixed with melted butter, it is wonderful over fish or to glaze vegetables. It may also accompany chicken, veal, and other meat if you briefly deep-fry it and serve as vegetable.

You may easily grow parsley as it doesn't require any special care save sunshine, water and good soil...just like any other herb.

Pools And Fountains In The Garden

It’s been 13 days now since the last post but it seems I haven’t written in ages. Over the web, where instant communication is king, time has another dimension. One day or even a few hours away from the online world might appear that you’ve been away for months. It’ s amazing, isn’t it?

Well, such subject could lead us to an interesting discussion about how we spend our time ( or waste it ), how precious time becomes as years go by, how fast it is passing these days… But this isn’t our purpose here. On this blog, you and I address a more permanent stuff, right?

Ok,  before it’s too late, let’s get back to the blog theme and see some ideas to make your garden look prettier this summer. Yeah! Summer is just round the corner, and with it comes heat…

So, you might want to bring relief from the heat by using any form of water source in the garden, especially water in movement. The sound of running water is soothing , ideal for an end-of-workday family gathering.

A garden pool, a splashing fountain or a narrow little brook running through the grounds are some ideas that may be easily implemented.

A pool in the garden highlights the good features of your setting, and it should always be placed in the central part so that its surface will be seen from several points, or at least from the most frequented spot in the garden.

Make sure you choose both the appropriate shape and materials of the coping around the pool. Flagstone, brick and tile are all good depending on the degree of formality of the pool. Sometimes the best solution is no visible coping.

As to fountains, they  can be made with only a small supply of flowing water, and the same water can be used over and over if you install a small motor and pump for an electric pumping system. You might need extra help to do that but it’s all inexpensive while the final effect is awesome and worth your effort.

Three Steps To A Healthy Lawn

Nineteen days from now summertime will be knocking at our doors.  Thinking about packing up and going   somewhere to enjoy vacation with your family? Nice, but before doing that, take some time and  look around your lawn and check (in case you haven’t done it yet ) whether  it needs some maintenance. Oh, you might say, I’ll hire someone to take care of it, it’s so much work, a time-consuming task, I can’t do it myself.

Well, actually, it’s not as hard as you believe. Once you have a few guidelines and tips – and some spare time -  you may easily get a healthy green lawn just in time for the first backyard BBQ of the season.

Let’s see what should be done :

1.       Revive your lawn by fertilizing it properly. Fertilizer is the key to ensuring strong healthy growth of the yard grass which will grow greener and thicker. 

Typically, you want to fertilize two times a year. If you’re less concerned about perfection, in the north you can get away with feeding just once a year: in the spring or fall. In the south, with its longer growing season, you will need to feed twice, spring and fall.

Start in early spring, approximately 30 days before the growing season begins in your area, continuing through the growing season until fall. But be careful, though: don’t use too much fertilizer.

If you’d like to fertilize organically, check out the variety of organic products at your garden center. Or, just rake 1/4 inch of compost atop the soil.

2.       Mow your lawn properly, that is, do not cut too much off the grass top. Instead, set the mower  to a mid-position so you won’t “scalp” the lawn, which can be disastrous. (Check out the post of May 6th)

3.      Also remember to control the weeds by pulling or digging them, being sure to get as much of the root as possible. If you fail to get enough of the root, you will simply be doing a prune job. With dandelions in particular, it’s important to get at least the top inch of the plant’s long, narrow taproot.

With these tips you are ready to take care of your lawn and make it the perfect place for summer gatherings. 

You may want to check out May 6 post for other ideas.