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Ep. 16 – Main Causes of Plant Diseases

Oliver is sad to see his plants dying. He asks Padma to come and take a better look at his plant, and together they’re trying to find the cause of plant disease 🥀

Main Causes of Plant Diseases
Ting...tung! (doorbell voice) Oliver: A minute… Padma: Hiii... Oliver: Thanks for visiting me, Padma! Please come inside… Padma: Hmm, so this is the ill plant you told before… Oliver: Yes, this is it. But I wonder, how can a plant get sick? Padma: There are six causes, actually…
Extreme Weather (Frost & Heatwave) The weather that changes very quickly in a short period of time such as heatwaves or frost can cause serious problems and put our plants in critical conditions, even the sturdy ones. When the soil freezes or the temperature is getting too hot, the plant’s roots cannot access the water in the soil. If it only happens for less than one hour, your plant might have a chance to survive. But if it takes more than 4 hours, you can just say goodbye to them.
Flood and Drought Waterlogged soil will cause plants to "suffocate" because they cannot absorb oxygen. Therefore, be careful not to overwater them. Drought usually occurs in the summer, when the temperature and light intensity is at the highest point. The body function of a dehydrated plant will be disrupted, and they might dry up and then die because their cells are severely damaged.
Strong Wind Gust The effects of wind on plants can actually be seen quite easily, especially on woody and shrubby plants. Wind will also worsen conditions that occur when extreme weather and drought occur. The louder the wind blow, the more serious the impact on the plants. Therefore, you need to prepare a shield that is strong enough to help the plant survive.
Imbalanced Nutrition and Light Symptoms of under-or over-nutrition are easily visible on the leaves, although the problems may occur elsewhere. To find out the cause, it is necessary to test your soil or growing media conditions. On plants that get light deficiency, their bodies will be abnormally shaped and etiolated. But if the light is too strong, the leaves will show some signs of burning/scorching.
Polluted Soil Common symptoms caused by polluted soil include browning on leaf tips and margins, pale leaf colour, premature leaf fall, and stunted growth. And common soil pollution is caused by extreme pH, minerals poisoning, and chemicals or pesticide/fungicide residues. Although it rarely happens, if the disease gets detected immediately, the plant can still be saved.
Pests and Diseases Pest and disease attacks at a minimum level can still be considered normal, even on healthy plants. That’s why healthy plants will be more resistant to serious kinds of attacks. And the best way to control pests and diseases is through prevention. You must be able to recognise various types of pests and diseases so that more serious problems can be avoided. If necessary, apply first aid as soon as possible to prevent the problem to spread.
Padma: That’s all I can say, Oliver. In your case, it might be a combination of several problems. Oliver: Alright! I got to troubleshoot more then. Thank you so much, Padma! Padma: Awwh, don’t mention it!
Padma: Want to know how you can prevent serious problems in your garden? Oliver: Wait for our next episodes!

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