In plant life, as in human, there are some diseases which are difficult to eradicate, hence the adage “prevention is better than cure” comes to the fore.  Plant infections – “pathogens” – come in viral, bacterial or fungal form, but many can be prevented by following some basic sanitary procedures.  These procedures, one suspects, might not be dissimilar to those found in an NHS Health and Safety hospital manual:

· Dispose of all diseased plants, including any remaining infected debris: in our hospitals we would expect a highly contaminated patient to be segregated.
· Thoroughly disinfect the gardening tools that you use to remove infected branches: no hospital surgeon would use unsterilized implements on his patient.
· When planting seeds or cuttings, use only clean pots or containers: a hospital patient would expect to be given a clean bed with fresh bedlinen.
· Allow plenty of space between plants, to give them enough air/breeze: hospitals are the breeding ground for infections, where due to the inevitably high proportion of patients, bugs can spread easily if there is over-crowding.
· Nip the plant disease in its bud: the earlier a human disease is caught, the better the chance of treating it successfully.

To learn how to grow healthy plants – and treat unhealthy ones – why not embark on one of ADL’s many horticultural courses…

· Advanced Diploma in Plant Science – VSC004
· RHS Certificate II – Principles of Garden Planning, Establishment & Maintenance – VHT039
· Advanced Certificate in Horticulture  – VHT002
· Advanced Certificate in Horticulture (Crops) – VHT002
For more information on Horticulture and other relevant courses, please click here…
Available through correspondence, on-Line or USB at ADL.