Spring is perhaps the busiest time in the garden. Plants are being propagated, re located and pruned. Seeds are sown, and the garden soil is being added to, weeded and tilled in preparation for another years crop. The dream of any gardener is to have colourful blooms, a bountiful crop and a successful season full of learning, enjoyment and memories. With proper planning, discipline and a little cooperation from Mother Nature these dreams will be played out throughout the growing season.

To ensure a glorious and healthy year in the garden it is important to keep nasty diseases and pests away from our plants. With plants on the move from one part of the country to the next, as well as the sharing of plants from one landscape to the next it is easy to see how one's garden could come into contact with any number of plant diseases or pests. Invasive weed seeds can be picked up on our shoes and unsuspectedly transferred from the pathway to the garden. It may be that local puppy that drags the neighbour's borer infested stick around the block and leaves it right at the base of your peach tree is to blame for pest transportation. However introduced borers, a hoard of aphids, and a bought with late blight can be devastating for any tomato grower. With proper prevention and a few simple techniques the risk of disease, pest invasion and weed germination can be reduced.

The following are ten tips to help you prevent disease, pests, and weeds from taking over your garden this spring. It is important to remember that prevention is the key, once infected it may be too late to salvage the damages.

Ten Ways to protect your garden:

1. Keep your plants fed and watered. Stressed plants are a wink link in the garden and are susceptible to pests and disease. By keeping your plants healthy, well fed and not stressed they will be able to tolerate and fight back any problems they encounter. Plant food is not medicine, but a necessary part of any plant program. Regular watering is a must, once a plant shows signs of wilt it is under pressure and its cells are collapsing, it then becomes the perfect target for pests. Water plants deeply and in the early morning, concentrating at the base of the plant, be sure to keep water off the leaves.
2. Remove any heavily diseased or infected plants. If they are absolute keepers and if possible you can gently dig them up then quarantine them into a private area, treat until better. If they are easily replaceable it may be a good idea to destroy the plant and get a new one. The replacement should be planted into a new hole with sterile soil.
3. When cleaning up an infection any damaged leaves, stems, or branches should be burnt or sent out in the garbage. They should never be composted or simply tossed aside, if in doubt throw it out.
4. Clean your tools often. A regular disinfecting of prunes, watering wands and cans, shovels and hand tools is a must. Keep on hand a bucket or spray bottle of a 1/3 bleach & 2/3 water and regularly dip your tools to clean them up. And don't forget to wash those hands and garden gloves; dirty gloves, shoes or hands can easily spread diseases.
5. In the vegetable garden or greenhouse it is a nice idea to have a regular pair of garden shoes. Slip on sloggers or something similar are great as they can be regularly disinfected, are easy to clean and slip on and off easily. Clean feet reduce the spread of disease and weed seeds.
6. Use fresh sterilized soil in your containers, window boxes, hanging baskets and for starting seeds. By starting with fresh soil every season you are off to a clean start. Soil from last year may be contaminated or become infected or infested over the winter. Clean soil will be pathogen free, non-compacted and allow your baby plants to establish faster with a fresh new start.
7. Clean out and disinfect pots and trays. Whether using terracotta or plastic your empty pots should be disinfected, dried and stacked away for the winter. Come spring a simple dip in 1 part bleach to 10 parts water will take care of anything that may have found its way into the potting shed.
8. Never buy or accept any plant that is diseased or infested. Before making a purchase inspect your purchase thoroughly, look under the leaf and at the stem. Take a look around at the similar plants on the bench. Plants should be well watered, pest free and healthy. If all look good then the chances are you are safe, if you notice a problem be sure to politely point it out. You may find the odd weed has rooted into the surface of the plant, be sure to remove this and discard before planting.
9. When planting be sure to inspect the roots for pest larvae or root rot. Healthy roots are white and firm, and are strongly attached to the plant. Any grubs, eggs or insects are a sure sign of having a pest problem. If possible hand remove these and dispose into a plastic bag in the garbage. If heavily infected you may need to safely treat before planting.
10. Be preventative. Regular applications of beneficial insects, compost and fertilizer are easy ways to keep the good working in the garden. If your beneficial bacteria is up, the good insects are happy and plentiful in the garden and your plants are healthy you are well ahead of the game.

Other strategies for disease and pest control involve mulching to reduce weeds, making sure to rotate your veggie crops, and making sure that not 25% of your landscape contains plants from the same family. The 25% rule is important, as some plant diseases are plant specific, by having a large variety pf plants you will reduce your loss to your landscape.

A healthy garden is a productive garden. If you notice any problems, such as spots, insects, or mildew you are unsure about take it to a local professional. Nurseries, master gardeners, or a friend may have just the answer for your problem. Just be sure to take your problem in a sealed plastic bag or glass jar. Bring along a notebook to record the findings and ask for a suitable safe treatment. Happy gardening and here's hoping for a disease and pest free spring.