Some diseases are simple to deal with but others, such as blight, can destroy an entire crop if you don’t act quickly. Fortunately, the four you are most likely to encounter in the garden are easy to spot and there are prevention and mitigation strategies you can employ.
A. RUST
Appearing as orange-brown patches on foliage, rust tends to affect alliums and broad beans. It won’t kill them but reduces photosynthesis, which in turn reduces yields. Simply cut out the worst affected leaves and remove any rusted debris at the end of the season.
B. POWDERY MILDEW
If you spot a powdery, white residue on plant leaves, remove and compost affected foliage right away. This disease spreads quickly in warm, humid weather and can eventually halt growth so keep a close eye on squash, cucurbits and peas, and apply lactic acid bacteria (LAB).
C. DOWNY MILDEW
This fungal disease produces discoloured areas on the upper leaf with
