Viruses and funguses are among the worst gardening concerns, and were often to blame.
It starts as a sunken spot and slowly turns into ascomycete as it develops spores.
There are also various blights that might affect your potatoes, tomatoes, annuals, or perennials.
There are plenty of diseases, Cowden told Lifehacker.
As you water with a hose or sprinkler overhead, the soil tends to splash upincluding pathogensonto your plants.
In addition to avoiding overhead watering, she advises trying mulch to help curb any splashing.
We should also rotate our plants.
Allow the dew to burn off in the sun before doing any harvesting or pruning.
Cleanliness around your garden is also important.
She sprays the entire trellis and lets it dry before storing it for winter.
Even here in Minnesotas -20-degree winters, spores can overwinter, she says.
Overcrowding is another common mistake.
Spacing them out will eliminate another easy vector of disease transmission around your garden.
Lastly, Cowden emphasized how important it is to start with healthy plants.
While the discount shelf of your local nursery may appeal to you, verify to grab healthy vegetable plants.
With your summer vegetables, you only get one shot for this year, Cowden says.
Tool and hand hygiene is important, so be vigilant about cleaning your tools and hands.
There are times I let it go a little too far, Cowden confesses.
But she takes a different tune on cucumbers and melonsanything in the cucurbit family.
Its not worth wasting the space.
