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Growing healthy vegetables

Quick facts

Using good cultural practices throughout the growing season can reduce many common diseases in the vegetable garden to a tolerable level. 

  • Purchase disease free seeds and transplants. 
  • Plant in a location where no plant of the same family has been grown for 2 to 4 years.
  • Create conditions that favor plant growth and limit fungi and bacteria by using proper plant spacing, staking, mulching and watering.
  • Look for disease problems early in the season.
  • Remove infected plant parts from the garden.

You can manage garden diseases

Green peppers and red tomatoes on brown table cut open to show their seeds

Spots, rots, wilts and other plant problems often appear in the vegetable garden.

Below are a few strategies to keep plant diseases at a tolerable level.

Remember the goal is a good harvest of tasty vegetables. It's okay to tolerate low levels of plant disease.

Start out right

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Managing disease throughout the season

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Michelle Grabowski

Reviewed in 2020

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