Clean Pruning Equipment & Plant Disease Control

This is a very important step that is over looked, in the maintenance of plants. Cleaning your equipment is very important. Plant disease can spread very easily from plant to plant. Use a 10% Bleach to 90% water solution to sanitize your pruning equipment. If you have a plant that is diseased, make sure you sanitize your equipment before you begin pruning a healthy plant, or treat the disease before pruning.
There are different disease types in plants: internal, foliar, and root. Disease can be from fungal, bacteria, and virus. Fungal is the most common disease, and is very treatable with different types of fungicide. If it is an internal disease if must be treated with a systemic fungicide. The plant will translocate the product internally to the root system, the vascular system, and foliar. If the disease is a foliar it can be treated with a contact fungicide, which will only cures foliar disease. Most organic products will only treat foliar diseases.
Bacteria disease is a less common problem, but can occur. Bacteria disease is difficult to identify and needs to be treated with a bactericide product. Viruses are very uncommon but do occur, and is untreated able.
Again, to avoid the spread of disease just clean your clean your equipment, and treat disease before they get out of control. Identify the disease, and treat with the correct product.

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