Plant Health Maintenance Tips
June 19, 2015
Prevent and Treat Fungal Problems
Late Blight on a Tomato Plant
With the recent wet weather in Pittsburgh, it’s starting to feel like we live in the tropics. Not all of the plants in our area will thrive in wet conditions, and may begin to look sick. Rain and humidity can often lead to a fast occurrence of several fungal pathogens and diseases. A few of the plants that are susceptible to leaf spots are fruit trees, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, tomatoes, peppers, geraniums, rudbeckia, zinnias, astilbe, and coneflowers. Powdery mildew is common on a wide variety of vegetable crops, as well as begonias, phlox, asters, blanket flower, lilacs, bee balm, verbena, and zinnias to name a few.
To keep your plants in the best of health, use Liquid Copper Fungicide by Bonide to both prevent and treat a wide range of plant diseases this growing season. This liquid fungicide can be used to treat powdery mildew, rusts, blacks pot, leaf and fruit spot, downey mildew, fruit rot and late blight. Begin treatment 2 weeks before disease appears or shortly after disease first appears and reapply at 7-10 day intervals as long as needed. Reapply after it rains and remember to spray all plant surfaces, including the underside of the leaves. This product is Organic and is safe to use on edibles, ornamentals, and roses. Our 32 oz. bottle of Copper Fungicide is on sale for $9.99, now through 6/28/15. That’s a $5.00 savings!
Your Plants are Hungry…Feed Them!
When plants don’t have the proper nutrition, they not only start to look bad, but they are more susceptible to pests and disease. Plants with yellow leaves, small or few flowers, and small fruits indicate a starving plant. You’ve already done the hardest work by selecting, buying and planting, so keep everything looking good all season with fertilizer. 
Melanie has been with the family garden center business since 1999, gaining hands-on experience in nearly every aspect–from cashiering and greenhouse production to bookkeeping, perennial buying, marketing, and store management. Now serving as Finance and Marketing Director, she combines her expertise with a passion for growing the business. She and her husband, Russ, have loved seeing how plants, gardening, and beautiful landscapes bring joy to our community.
