Growing vegetable gardens is a popular pastime for many homeowners. It affords them the opportunity to grow their favorite produce, and it can be a rewarding venture. A vegetable garden comes with its fair share of common problems and, fortunately, solutions.
Diseases
According to the University of Illinois Extension, diseases can present a major threat to vegetable gardens. Diseases are spread by one of three means: through insects, the soil or on the vegetable's seed. The University of Illinois Extension recommends the following measures for controlling diseases: purge the planting area of old crop following a harvest, plant disease-resistant variety of vegetables and control insects that may carry diseases.
Herbicides
Carefully use herbicides to control weeds in a vegetable garden. According to the University of Illinois Extension, the improper use of herbicides -- 2,4-D in particular -- has caused extensive damage to home vegetable gardens in recent years. Beans and sweet potatoes are especially prone to suffer in production from contact or excessive residue. If an herbicide is used to control weeds, first identify the weed and use a product designed to treat that weed. Alternatively, add a layer of mulch to reduce the number of weeds that grow in a garden or hand pull in lieu of using chemicals.
Improper Growing Conditions
According to North Carolina State University Extension, improper growing conditions such as bean or pea seedlings dying just after emergence result from fungi that develops in cold, wet soil. To remedy this situation, plant seeds in warm soil. Rot on the end of tomatoes is a common vegetable gardening problem due to insufficient calcium in the fruit. North Carolina State University Extension suggests this occurrence can be reduced with proper mulching, fertilization, an even water supply and liming.
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