Garden & Greenhouse July 2019 Issue | Page 18

by Eric Hopper Humidity Control for PATHOGEN PREVENTION in a Greenhouse or Indoor Garden Pathogenic fungi can be very destructive to an in- door garden or greenhouse. Much like pest insects, pathogenic fungi are capable, under the right cir- cumstances, of quickly destroying an otherwise flourishing crop. To effectively defend a garden against such an attack, indoor horticulturists and greenhouse hobbyists should know how to pre- vent, positively identify, and treat the most common fungi pathogens. As with most garden disturbances, prevention is the most powerful defense. However, chances are good that even the most diligent grow- ers will experience a hiccup or two when cultivat- ing plants indoors or in a greenhouse. The two most common fungi pathogens to plague indoor horticulturists and/or greenhouse hobbyists are powdery mildew and botrytis (fruit or flower rot).