How to Make a Natural Fungus Fighter Soil Drench

  • 1-2 hours
  • Beginner
  • 0-30
What You'll Need
Cornmeal
Garlic juice
Limes
Compost
Liquid seaweed
Organic apple cider vinegar
Vegetable or citrus oil
Dark molasses
Baking soda
What You'll Need
Cornmeal
Garlic juice
Limes
Compost
Liquid seaweed
Organic apple cider vinegar
Vegetable or citrus oil
Dark molasses
Baking soda

Fungus infection is definitely a concern for gardeners. Approximately 8,000 diseases are caused by fungal infection alone in plants. The most common ones are rust, club root, black rot, black spots, bottom rot, cotton ball, damping off, dry rot, root rot, and yellow spot. Fungi usually thrive in damp and dark places. Even if one plant in your garden gets infected, the infection is bound to spread to other plants and cause considerable damage to your garden within a short period of time. Although the infection can be successfully contained in most cases, it is better to prevent the infection before it spreads.

In order to prevent fungus infection in plants, we should first understand the life cycle of fungi. Spores of fungi are very light and hence travel from one place to another by air. These spores settle on almost anything. Usually, the moist and dark areas of your garden are the thriving ground of such spores. So, it is important to keep the soil well drained to avoid fungal infection. However, if you detect fungal infection in your garden plants, then try some natural methods to help the plants fight the infection.

Homemade Soil Drenches

Soil drench is prepared by adding some external agents to the soil to help the plants fight pests and infections. The following things from your kitchen can be used as effective soil drenches:

  • Cornmeal This soil drench can be easily prepared at home by grinding dried corns. Horticulture cornmeal is easily available in market, but preparing cornmeal at home is a cost-effective option. Add 2 oz of cornmeal to a gallon of water and water your plants. If there is some sort of infection on the plants and not the roots, simply spray the mixture on the plants to get rid of the infection.
  • Garlic Although this soil drench emits that foul odor of garlic, it is a very effective fungicide. Add half a cup of garlic juice to five gallons of water and mix it well. Use this mixture to water plants or spray it on plant body to eliminate fungus infections.
  • Lime Lime soil drench not only removes fungal infections, but also helps in decreasing the pH level of your soil. This particular soil drench is mainly useful for plants that are suffering from clubbed root fungal infection. Squeeze juice of 4 limes in a gallon of water and use it for watering plants. The same mixture can also be used as a spray for removing any other fungal infections on plant body.
  • Garrett Juice Prepare a cup of tea of any natural compost. Strain it and add the following to it – 1 oz liquid seaweed, an ounce of molasses, and 1 oz apple cider vinegar. This concoction not only helps in fighting fungal infections, but also stimulates the root growth of plants.

Fungal infections on leaves or other parts of plants can be eliminated using vinegar fungus fighter concoction. In two gallons of water add six tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar, two tablespoons of vegetable or citrus oil, two tablespoons of dark molasses, and one tablespoon of baking soda. Spray it on affected areas of plant in mornings and evenings. Repeat this procedure for a week to completely eliminate the fungal infections. Cut and remove the infected parts, if needed.