Planning Ahead for Prevention
Prevention is the best medicine!
Armed with information and attention, we can recognize and stop potential issues before they take root.
Be vigilant
Though chances are lower that disease or pests will find their way to your indoor garden, it can be more difficult to control the situation indoors once a problem arrives. Be vigilant checking for pests, diseased or weakened plants.
Rule of Thumb
If you see a plant with any sign of infection or insect infestation on it, remove the infected plant part and dispose of it. Be ruthless! If the infection has taken over the entire plant, remove the whole plant if you can.
Before starting your indoor garden, inspect all plants you may already have in your classroom and discard any that are diseased.
Before starting your indoor garden, inspect all plants you may already have in your classroom and discard any that are diseased.
Keep your plant stress levels low – this means maintaining adequate soil moisture, consistent light intensity and sufficient fertilization. When plants are grown under stressful conditions (such as low light and excess water), soil-borne pathogens are more likely to develop.
Keep air flowing through the leaf canopy by using your oscillating fan.
Don’t handle plants when they are wet.
Ensure your pots are clean and sterilized each year before bringing them into the classroom.
Buy or make your own sticky traps immediately upon planting into your Earthboxes as an early warning sign for pest issues. Download instructions for making sticky traps here.
First Steps in Problem Solving
Planned for prevention, but still ran into an issue? Not to worry – use this as a learning opportunity for yourself and your students!