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Step 1
Start with good soil. Experienced gardeners will tell you, "Don't plant a 10 dollar plant in a 10 cent hole." Build the health of your soil with abundant amounts of compost and humus. Don't bother double-digging; let the earthworms do the work for you.
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Step 2
Choose your plant cultivars carefully. Some landscape plants are renowned for their ability to break out in large splotches of powdery mildew or black spot. If your love for hybrid tea roses and zinnias is not dampened by the threat of disease, look for resistant varieties like "Kardinal" rose or zinnia "Profusion Series."
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Step 3
Buy healthy plants. Avoid plants that have discolored leaves or leaf drop. If possible, take the plant from the container and examine the root ball. Root bound plants are susceptible to stress.
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Step 4
Practice crop rotation. For vegetable gardeners, crop rotation is the practice of shifting different families of vegetables to different sites in the garden every year. This prevents the buildup of diseases in the soil. If your garden is too small for crop rotation, select a different cultivar from year to year.
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Step 5
Keep the garden tidy. Remove leaves and fruit that drop to the ground. Compost healthy garden waste, but discard diseased leaves and stems.
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Step 6
Use water wisely. Mulch your plants generously to avoid the need for frequent watering. Install soaker hoses or drip irrigation to deliver water to the plants roots where it's needed. Overhead watering encourages the growth and spread of plant diseases.
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Step 7
Check your garden and landscape daily. A 5-minute walk-through will alert you to developing disease problems before they get out of hand.
