Moldy leaves? Spots on the foliage? Rotten stems? Just as I suspected. There is a fungus among us.

I know, I know bad joke.

Fungi on your plants can actually be very frustrating and destructive. The good news is, most of the time, it is pretty easy to spot. Look for mold growing on the leaves that can be both colored or white and both fuzzy or flat.

Fungus also includes blights which cause the foliage to wilt or wither. Blights can be more difficult to identify than other fungi because the symptoms that occur can be caused by something else. Common symptoms of blight include spots on fruit or leaves, wilted leaves, rotten stems or rotten fruit. If you suspect that your plant has a fungus, you have a couple of options for treatment.

First you need to find the cause of the problem and correct it. If you don’t find the root of your problem you will continue to get fungi on your plants.

Most of the time, humidity is to blame. While you probably very have little control over humidity you can still take precautions. If you live in a humid area be sure that you water in the morning instead of night. Try not to get the leaves or stem wet when watering. Also be sure to never touch wet foliage and clean all your tools after each use. To prevent any further fungus make sure you have lots of earthworms, use compost and practice crop rotation. Also be sure that your soil is draining properly.

Here are a few remedies to clear up any fungi you may already have:

• Compost Tea
  I love this stuff! The same compost tea you use to fertilize can be spray on foliage to battle both fungi and bacteria.

• Spray plants with a liquid seaweed.

• Neem oil:  This amazing oil does more than combat pests. It is also great for fungi and bacteria.

Good luck and remember the best way to combat fungus is to prevent it.

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