Would you prefer someone invading in your property without permission? Even, he appears and damages your property.
You will try to do at least two things. It’s entirely possible to catch the non-permissible entity and take measurable steps. You may also arrange tight security so that none can’t enter like him.
Similarly, fungus or fungi are unwanted guests in the garden soil. When they appear, you will see the plants getting affected. This article is about how to get rid of the fungus in garden soil. This information will help you to win over them.
An excellent soil includes these matters:
- Weathered rock (about 40-50%)
- Air (about 25%)
- Water (about 25%)
- Organic matter (5-10%)
- Some necessary organisms
When fungus attacks your garden, the balance of the above matters gets malfunctioned. These soil-borne pathogens ruin everything you expect from the garden.
Fungi in Garden Soil:
A fungus is a collective group of organisms found in soil. They are mostly known for spore formation. They produce spore and feed on the soil, as mentioned above matters. You may neither consider them as plant nor the animals.
Fungus, the eukaryotic organism is classified in Fungi kingdom. They can have a single cell like yeast or multiple cells like a mushroom.
Around 70K fungus species are available around the world. Saprophytic, mutualistic, pathogenic etc. are some common types of fungi those you can see in your garden. Among them, pathogenic fungi are deadlier for the plants in the garden.
Fungus in Soil Identification:
You will see different ambience when fungus spore out the garden. The colour of the plant leaves looks pale, yellowish. Some plants may die due to fungi attacks.
The fungus may spread causalities like root rot problems. They infect the vegetables or fruit plants’ roots and restrict the plants to draw water and other soil matters. Some other issues like stem rot, collar and crown rot, start from the ground where the plant is connected to the soil. In some cases, seedlings die after germination.
In a general sense, you may see tender leaves and fruits spread throughout the ground. The dried leaves may have black spots.
How Fungus Affects Soil:
The fungus affects the soil in these ways:
- Fungus increases soil’s holding capacity of water.
- They may imbalance the amount of mineral content.
- Organic matters decay faster when fungi appear.
- Increased salinity of soil would be a significant issue.
- Plants don’t get the proper amount of nutrient within the right duration of time.
- Visible death patches become available in the lawn garden.
How to Get Rid of Them
Here are a couple of things to do when fungus growing in garden soil:
- You should identify the sick affected plants first. Then dig the soil under the plants and remove the sick plants. Throw them in garbage cans to prevent the fungus from spreading again in healthy plants.
- Always try to eliminate all the garden debris after you collect the crops or vegetables. You can do it at the end of the cyclic season. Then take the soil and transfer the waste to the basket. The fungus may bear again if the dead plants get water or dews in the winter season.
- You may plant the plants in different areas of the garden. As an example, plant tomatoes in such place where you cultivated marigold in the last season. You may pause planting for several months after last season. During these periods, you can plant them in containers.
- You may plant different plants as variations in the same field. Veggie and herb variations would be a great example. It can prevent soil-borne diseases.
- Try to stop using so many fertilizers in the soil. The fungus may feed on the fertilizers. Instead, use organic and natural fertilizers to plant the crops or vegetables.
- Spray water in a proper way. Over-watering or soggy soil is one common reason for planting fungus alongside the targeted plants.
- The last solution can be using soil fungicide treatments. They are the best and durable solutions to kill all the fungus in the garden soil.
Natural Garden Soil Fungus Treatment:
There are several kitchen items supportive of killing the fungus in the garden. You can find and use them easily.
- Cinnamon powder
- Turmeric powder
- Oils: been, clove
- Garlic paste
- Dish soap
- Baking soda
Use of cinnamon powder:
Cinnamon works as good anti-fungal agent. You can quickly get this powder at a low price.
Application:
- Ground the cinnamon powder properly. You can apply two spoons of the powder on each square foot area of the garden.
- If it is a pot of plants or one square foot area, sprinkle two pinches of powder. Then, spread and mix the rest of the powder thoroughly with the soil.
- Keep the area under sunlight directly for at least two days. Avoid watering the soil in these two days. After that, you are ready to plant any plant you desire.
- Follow similar steps in garden soil. Try to mix the powder into three inches deep.
Use of baking soda:
Baking soda is a regular household item. You can apply this in your garden soil to kill fungi instantly.
Application:
- Figure out the affected area where you can see the presence of fungus. Then make a solution of two litres water with one teaspoon baking soda. You can use tap water to avoid wasting water. Add a few drops of any vegetable oil in the solution.
- Spray the water solution in the marked area with sprayer. Avoid spraying too much baking soda solution to prevent heavy acidic nature of the soil.
- If you have a short time, you can sprinkle and mix half or one spoon baking soda into garden soil. Adding some water may help to mix the soda properly.
Use of turmeric powder:
Turmeric powder is also efficient as cinnamon powder. This is a common spice of cooking foods. But it can eliminate many insects and fungus spores.
Application:
- Take a pinch of turmeric powder and sprinkle over the fungally affected area. It will be enough to kill the fungi.
- You can combine turmeric and cinnamon powder together. You should be sure that you are not spreading too much powder.
- Leave the place one day after spraying some water.
Use of neem oil:
Neem oil can be a good fighter against the parasites like fungus. You can purchase the cheap neem oil for treating fungus in garden soil.
Application:
- Make a solution of water and few drops of neem oil. Then spray the solution on affected plants as well as the soil. Avoid spraying a lot than necessary. Excessive oil can burn the soft leaves of the plants.
- Dried neem leaves are also helpful. Press the dry leaves into small pieces and mix it with the soil.
- After spraying or mixing, leave the place under direct sunlight for three days. It will provoke fungus getting any water or nutrients from dry soil.
Use of garlic paste:
A paste of garlic and liquid soap, including vegetable oil, can be another fungicide treatment for garden soil.
Application:
- Collect 8-10 pieces fresh and clean garlic. Then make a soft and smooth paste of this garlic. Mix the paste in water.
- The mixture of garlic and water can be applied in different ways. Either you can leave it for 3-4 days and apply. Or, you can use it after boiling for a couple of minutes.
- Mix a tablespoon dish wash liquid and 3-5 drops of vegetable oil in about two litres of water. Then apply in the infected soil.
- You should spray the liquid solution in the area of plant roots and leaves. Then, wait for 2-3 days to see the result. Apply the whole process again till the last fungus alive in the soil.
Use of clove oil:
The heat of clove oil can kill the fungi from their core. You shouldn’t try to taste the undiluted oil to avoid burning your leaves or tongue.
Application:
- Make a solution of water and few drops of clove oil. Then spray the solution on affected plants as well as the soil. Avoid spraying a lot than necessary.
- After spraying or mixing, leave the place under direct sunlight for three days. It will prevent the fungus from getting any water or nutrients from dry soil.
Use of lemon juice:
Many people love to drink lime juice as it’s good for their health. It can energize you well. You can use lime juice to clean the fungus too.
Application:
- Make lime juice solution and spray on the areas. Lime juice works better plants which grow well in acidic soil.
- Excessive lime juice can kill fungi as well as the veggies and fruit plants too.
Use of inorganic fungicide:
You can look for many commercial fungicides suggested using in garden soil. They are easy to get but may appear costly. Even, some of them may cause harm to the plants as side effects. You should follow the instructions manual of the products before you start applying the fungicide.
Application:
- Buy the finest fungicide to get the best results. Apply a very small amount first to see the changes. If the result is positive, add more to the project.
- Make a solution of one teaspoon fungicide and one-gallon water. Dilute the medicine properly. Keep the density lower of the solution.
- Cover your face with a mask and wear gloves for your safety and health. Spray the solution in small amount avoiding the roots of the plants. Direct contact with the roots may appear harmful.
- Spraying over fruits and vegetables directly may poison the foods. If you want to eat them, wash them rightly.
Final Words:
Fungal attacks bring heavy losses in economic sectors. Many farmers suffer when fungi affect their fields, gardens. Their fields become vulnerable to plant crops or vegetables. So, fungi killing is very important for them.
The same context goes to home or lawn garden. You can’t get a right plant, fruit, flower in the correct quantity of time. So, you should apply soil fungus treatment to get the best outcome.
This article consists of every critical way to get rid of the fungus in garden soil. You would possibly get the benefits after applying them.
Have a great day!