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Fungal Diseases;
Your best strategies against severe outbreaks of fungal diseases are cultural, or management based.
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In cooler months (Autumn through Spring) only water in the mornings, as wet soil and foliage overnight encourages the outbreak of these most common fungi |
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Keep the shadehouse and immediate area tidy, free of decaying plant material and piles of rubbish as these harbour spores that re-infect. |
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Remove any affected plant parts away from the shadehouse. Only put the leaves into a compost heap if it is a 'hot' compost that will sterilise the spores, otherwise dispose of as rubbish. |
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Have the shadehouse open as much as possible to facilitate good ventilation |
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If you have observed any fungal outbreaks in your shadehouse, sterilising equipment between uses will prevent transference of the disease through spores. This is generally considered good practice in any case and is particularly vital in the case of damping off. |
| Is
usually observed in the cooling, humid months of Autumn and sometimes
into winter. Often the presence of this fungus is due to cultural
conditions such as over fertilising and overwatering. Improving aeration,
or air circulation throughout the shadehouse, fertilising and watering
only as required, especially in winter, will usually reduce the infestation
sufficiently to not warrant further action. However, if the outbreak
is severe it can can cause distortion and defoliation and may require
the use of a wettable sulphur based spray. There are a number of commercially
available preparations for powdery mildew at your local garden centre.
The spores are persistent and once you've had this fungus in your shadehouse you will probably see it again under the right conditions. |
 click on the photo for a larger image |
| Also occurs in cooler months and appears as a grey furry growth, leaving brown spots on the leaves. This fungus is spread by spores held on decaying plant material. Keeping your shadehouse tidy and well ventilated is the best preventative for this fungus. Sprays (benomy)are also available if needed. |
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commonly occurs when germinating seeds in trays under heated or sheltered
conditions. This fungus spreads through soil water and can devastate
whole crops if not detected quickly. There are two main forms - 'pre-emergence'
damping off when the seeds rot before sprouting, or the more common
form of 'post emergence' where the seeds sprouts, the shoots emerge,
then rot at soil level and fall over. This disease is not common in Trees for Survival shadehouses as you will be sprouting your seedlings in individual tubes and so the spread is limited. HOWEVER!, using tubes that have not been cleaned, or allowing water to gather in the bottom of boxes can be a source of infection and spread, so again, cultural controls are paramount. |