Garden Talk: Lis Friemoth and Brian Hudelson

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• Good Fall Cleanup Key To Spring Garden Success

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  If worry-free gardening is on the wish list for spring, now is the time to get started. That’s because a proper fall cleanup is one of the keys to keeping plant diseases at bay, according to a pair of gardening experts.

  Brian Hudelson, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Plant Disease Diagnostics Center, and Lis Friemoth, a provider of concierge horticultural services at the Garden Hoe, said that they think it’s never too early to prepare for spring to ward off plant illnesses.

  “Lots of disease-causing organisms survive in old plant debris, and so, if you can remove that from your yard, you can get a lot of benefit for disease control next year,” said Hudelson.

  Hudelson said he’s seen tar spots on maple leaves this year. Although tar spots are mostly a cosmetic disease, Friemoth said there are a lot of plant diseases we can’t see.

  “It’s a good indicator, if you’re seeing something, there are things out there you’re not seeing,” she said.

  When planning ahead for next year’s garden, Hudelson said rotating where plants grow will help keep diseases away.

  “People often times have problems with leaf blights on tomatoes, and one of the recommendations there is make sure you try and move your vegetables to different areas of your garden every year,” she said.

  Friemoth adds, “Pruning, as we move into winter, is an excellent cultural thing to help increase airflow to get rid of the disease tissue” in our trees and shrubs.”

  Friemoth said she’s also seen a lot of root stress on evergreen trees this year, and the symptoms show themselves on the tree’s needles. For that, she said, it’s important evergreens are getting plenty of water this fall.

  “There’s a lot of cultural controls that we often tend to forget about. Sometimes, the simplest things can help us out an awful lot,” said Friemoth.