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Powdery mildew in the Indian home garden is one of the most infuriating problems you are ever likely to experience. One morning your rose bush or bottle gourd vine looks healthy, and the next week it looks as if someone has tossed white talcum powder over the leaves. If ignored, the leaves curl, turn brittle, yellow or brown, and fall off, stunting the growth and destroying your harvest. Luckily, controlling powdery mildew does not require harsh industrial chemicals. With a few kitchen remedies, common-sense precautions, and timely action, you can eliminate it from your plants and keep them healthy through all Indian seasons. What Causes It? Unlike most fungal diseases, which thrive on prolonged rains, powdery mildew thrives on: Days that are dry and warm, but nights that are cool and humid. Hence, October to March (the post-monsoon and winter period) is the most favoured time to witness an outbreak. Poor air circulation due to crowded terrace pots, tight corn...

There's few things more heartbreaking than seeing your favorite potted plant wilt, shed leaves, and go downhill. Often the first instinct is to grab the water can and give the plant a good drink, thinking the plant is suffering from drought stress. But too often this additional water results in killing the plant that's already suffering from root rot -- one of the most common plant diseases Whether your plant lives or dies in an empty pot depends on how early you can spot the disease. This guide will walk you through what root rot is, signs to look for, step-by-step instructions on rehabilitating an infected plant, and how to prevent it from happening in the future. What is root rot, really? Root rot is a condition where the root system of a plant decays, loses its ability to absorb water and nutrients, and fails altogether. This most commonly occurs when the root system is constantly submerged in waterlogged soil. Roots require oxygen just as much as wa...

For an urban gardener, nothing is more horrifying than seeing healthy green leaves turn to sickly yellow. Yellow spots on plant leaves are usually a result of chlorosis — a process wherein the leaf loses its green pigment, chlorophyll. Gardening in a climate as extreme as India is not easy. Between 40C+ summers, monsoon downpours, hard water, and heavy red/black clay nursery soil, yellow leaves are a distress signal from plants that something is wrong. 1. Watering: Over or Under? Watering is the leading culprit in plant yellowing; it is estimated to be the reason for over 70% of wilting/fading foliage in potted plants.  A. Overwatering and Root Suffocation The roots need oxygen as much as they need water. Left in waterlogged conditions, the roots cannot perform their function of transporting water and nutrients to the rest of the plant. This results in drooping and yellow leaves on the lower and middle stems. Why does this happe...