Home Garden Disease Control Begins This Fall

North Dakota State University Agriculture Communication
Dept. 7070
Morrill 7, P.O. Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050

PP-737 (Revised), Reviewed July 1996

H. Arthur Lamey, Extension Plant Pathologist
Cynthia Ash, Diagnostician

Vegetables
Apples
Other Fruits
Ornamentals
Lawns
Trees and Shrubs
Disposal of Plant Refuse
Fall Application of Lime Sulfur
Checklist of Fall Activities
When the autumn leaves have fallen from the trees and frost has killed the tomato vines, most homeowners are ready to forget about plant diseases until next summer. Actually this is the perfect time to start controlling next year's diseases. A little work in autumn can prevent a lot of trouble next summer! Why is this so? A fall cleanup of the yard and garden removes plant refuse on which many plant disease organisms (called pathogens) survive the winter. This cleanup, called fall sanitation, reduces the number of pathogens next spring, so it will take longer for pathogen populations to build up to damaging levels. A general cleanup of dead leaves and annual plants is needed. Here are some specific suggestions that are especially important.