Monitoring for Pests and Disease

Pest and disease problems can be challenging in a vegetable garden, and they can quickly damage plants and reduce yields, making it essential you regularly monitor for issues. To minimize the effects, you need to treat problems rapidly.
Signs of Distress
Many different symptoms appear when plants have insect or disease problems, making it hard to figure out what problem you’re facing or even what symptoms to scout for. However, plants most commonly show us distress as stunted growth, or the leaves appear distorted, wilted, or yellowed.
When you see these symptoms in your plant, it’s critical to examine them more closely to determine the exact cause of the problem. You’ll often see specific differences that help pinpoint the issue.
Common Garden Pests and How to Treat Them
Insect pests in your plants are one of the most frustrating aspects of vegetable gardening. You need to constantly be scouting for infestations and treat them quickly once they are found. When left untreated, insect pests can quickly destroy an entire plant or even a large section of your garden.
Some of the most common problems with vegetables include:
 
  • Aphids
  • Spider Mites
  • Scale
  • Japanese beetles
  • Cutworms
  • Leafminers
  • Whiteflies
  • Earwigs
  • Mealybugs
  • Colorado potato beetle
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Monitoring for Pests and Disease
If you spot problems in your garden, the first thing to do is to try to physically remove pests by hand. This is helpful with larger species like cutworms but might be inefficient for smaller bugs. Once you’ve removed what you can, spray your plants with a stream of water to knock as many off as possible. Then apply an insecticidal soap or neem oil, covering the plant
As a last resort, treat your plants with a chemical pesticide and follow label directions, especially if it’s close to harvest.
Common Garden Diseases and How to Treat Them
A long list of fungal, viral, and bacterial diseases affect plants. Some of these diseases are specific to certain plant varieties, and others infect hosts regardless of the plant type.
Some of the most common diseases that wreak havoc on garden plants, and show no preference for species, are:
 
  • Powdery mildew
  • Early blight
  • Late blight
  • Leaf spots
  • Canker
  • Bacterial wilt
  • Fusarium wilt
  • Anthracnose
  • Grey mold/botrytis
  • Viral diseases
  • Root rot
Unfortunately, when it comes to many diseases, there are limited treatment options. Once your plant is infected, the best action is to pull it from the ground and discard it. Some fungal diseases are treated using sulfur- or copper-based fungicides.
Why Is Prevention Better Than Treatment?
Since many diseases are untreatable, and insect infestations can quickly reduce plant yields, it’s essential to try to prevent problems. It’s easier to put preventative measures in place than to scramble to control a situation. Any infestation, even a small one, can significantly impact the plant, even if you don’t see physical symptoms.