9 Miracle Plants to Battle Fungal Diseases in Your Garden + DIY Antifungal Sprays

Whether it’s powdery mildew on your roses or blight on your tomatoes, fungi can be a real headache for gardeners. They spread quickly, ruin the appearance of your plants, and can even kill them if left untreated. Chemical fungicides might seem like an easy fix, but they often come with unwanted side effects for your plants, soil, and the environment.

But the good news is Nature’s got your back with some amazing plants that double as natural fungicides. Macerating and fermenting plants is an age-old technique that taps into their natural antifungal properties. By soaking plant materials in cold water, you can extract powerful compounds that fungi despise.

Although they have a shorter shelf life, they work wonders in a pinch and can be prepared with minimal effort.

So, let’s dive in and explore some of these amazing fungicidal plants and discover various recipes to help your plants fight off fungal or cryptogamic diseases.

1: Garlic against downy mildew, rust and powdery mildew

Fungi like downy mildew, rust, and powdery mildew can make it seem like you’re losing the battle. But don’t worry, garlic is here to save the day.

Garlic isn’t just for warding off vampires or spicing up your spaghetti. It’s a fantastic ally against a variety of fungal diseases. Peach leaf curl, botrytis, moniliosis, sooty mold—you name it, garlic can combat it. The secret? Garlic decoction. Sounds fancy, but it’s super simple to make!

Garlic Decoction Recipe

Here’s how you whip up this magical potion:

• Gather Your Ingredients: Grab around ten cloves of garlic. No need to be precise—close enough works!
• Chop, Chop: Roughly chop those cloves. No need to be a master chef; just give them a rough chop.
• Heat It Up: Toss the chopped garlic into 1.3 gallons of water. Yes, that’s a lot of water, but your plants will thank you. Heat this mixture for about 20 minutes.
• Cool Down: Once it’s done heating, let it cool. Take a break, have a cup of tea!
• Filter: After it’s cooled, filter the mixture. A simple kitchen strainer will do the trick.
• Spray Away: Pour the pure garlic decoction into a spray bottle and give your plants a good misting.

Why It Works

Garlic contains sulfur and other compounds that act as natural fungicides. When you spray this decoction on your plants, you’re giving them a protective shield against those nasty fungal invaders.

A Quick Tip

Remember to spray in the early morning or late afternoon. This helps prevent leaf burn and gives the garlic concoction time to work its magic without the sun’s interference.

2: Wormwood: Your Garden’s Ally Against Rust and Leek Moth

Wormwood, also known as Artemisia absinthium, isn’t just for making absinthe. It’s a powerhouse in the garden, acting as a natural defense against insects and fungal diseases like rust and leek moth.

Absinthe Purin Recipe

Here’s how you can make your own wormwood purin to protect your plants:

1. Gather Your Ingredients: You’ll need about 2 pounds of fresh wormwood (absinthe). No need to be exact—close is good enough!
2. Rough Chop: Give the wormwood a rough chop. Precision isn’t necessary; just break it down a bit.
3. Macerate: Place the chopped wormwood in 2.6 gallons of water. Stir the mixture once a day to keep things moving.
4. Wait: Let the mixture sit and macerate for about 2 weeks. This allows the beneficial compounds to infuse into the water.
5. Filter: After 2 weeks, filter the solution using a simple strainer to remove the plant material.
6. Spray: Use the pure filtered solution to spray on your plants. This helps combat rust and other fungal diseases.

Why It Works

Wormwood contains natural compounds that are effective against both insects and fungal diseases. By macerating the plant, you extract these potent substances, creating a natural, eco-friendly spray to protect your garden.

3: Burdock: Your Garden’s Defender Against Downy Mildew

Burdock isn’t just a wild plant—it’s a garden hero with stimulating and fungicidal properties that can help combat fungal diseases like downy mildew. Here’s how to prepare burdock manure to treat your plants:

Burdock Tea Recipe

1. Harvest Your Burdock: Gather about 2 pounds of fresh burdock. Precision isn’t crucial; just aim for around this amount.
2. Macerate: Place the burdock in 2.6 gallons of water. Stir the mixture daily to keep it active.
3. Fermentation: Let the mixture ferment for about 2 weeks. This process extracts the beneficial properties from the burdock.
4. Filter: Once fermentation is complete, usually after 2 weeks, filter the liquid to remove the plant material.
5. Dilute: Take 1.25 cups of the filtered burdock solution and dilute it in 1.3 gallons of water.
6. Spray: Spray this diluted mixture on the leaves of plants susceptible to downy mildew.

Why It Works

Burdock contains natural fungicidal compounds that help fight fungal infections. By creating this manure, you harness these properties in a potent solution that can protect your plants from downy mildew.

4: Nasturtium: A Natural Remedy for Powdery Mildew and Cankers

Nasturtium, known for protecting other plants from aphids, also boasts sulfur compounds with fungicidal properties. These compounds help in inhibiting the growth of fungi, making nasturtium an effective natural remedy for powdery mildew and cankers on fruit trees.

Nasturtium Infusion Recipe

1. Gather Your Ingredients: You’ll need about 7 ounces (200 grams) of fresh nasturtium leaves.
2. Infuse: Place the nasturtium leaves in 1 gallon (4 liters) of hot (but not boiling) water. The high temperature helps extract the sulfur compounds without degrading them.
3. Cool Down: Let the mixture cool completely. This allows more active ingredients to dissolve into the water.
4. Filter: Once cooled, filter the infusion using a simple kitchen strainer to remove the plant material.
5. Spray: Pour the pure infusion into a spray bottle and apply it to the affected areas of your plants.

6: Horsetail: A Natural Defense Against Cryptogamic Diseases

Horsetail, or Equisetum arvense, is a plant with impressive benefits, both stimulating and fungicidal. Horsetail tea can be used to treat various fungal diseases, including powdery mildew, downy mildew, scab, peach leaf curl, and raspberry bacteriosis. Another option is a horsetail decoction, which is quicker to make and suitable for mild attacks of cryptogamic diseases such as powdery mildew, scab, moniliosis, rust, botrytis, damping off, and peach leaf curl. The decoction is effective on fruit trees and vegetables.

Horsetail Manure Recipe

1. Gather Your Ingredients: You’ll need about 2 pounds (1 kg) of fresh horsetail.
2. Chop: Roughly chop the horsetail plants.
3. Macerate: Place the chopped horsetail in 2.6 gallons (10 liters) of water. Let the mixture ferment.
4. Fermentation: When fermentation is finished (usually after about 2 weeks), filter the mixture.
5. Dilute: Dilute the filtered solution to 10% by mixing 1 part manure with 9 parts water.
6. Spray: Spray this diluted mixture on the plants to be treated.

Horsetail Decoction Recipe

1. Gather Your Ingredients: Harvest about 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of fresh horsetail.
2. Chop: Roughly chop the horsetail plants.
3. Boil: Boil the chopped horsetail in 1 quart (1 liter) of water for 30 minutes.
4. Cool and Filter: Let the mixture cool and then filter it.
5. Dilute: Dilute the solution to 10% by mixing 1 part decoction with 9 parts water (e.g., 1 liter of decoction with 9 liters of water).
6. Spray: Spray this diluted solution on plants lightly affected by cryptogamic diseases. The horsetail decoction can be kept for up to 2 weeks.

Why It Works

Horsetail contains silica and other compounds that strengthen plant cell walls and have antifungal properties. These compounds help to inhibit the growth and spread of fungal diseases.

6: Horseradish: A Natural Solution for Moniliosis

Horseradish, or Armoracia rusticana, is a root known for its use as a spicy condiment, often referred to as “German mustard.” It contains sulfur compounds that give it strong antifungal properties, making it effective against cryptogamic diseases like moniliosis in fruit trees.

Horseradish Infusion Recipe

1. Gather Your Ingredients: Harvest about 150 grams (5.3 ounces) of fresh horseradish leaves and roots.
2. Chop: Roughly chop the horseradish leaves and roots.
3. Boil: Place the chopped horseradish in 1.3 gallons (5 liters) of water. Bring the mixture to a boil for a few minutes.
4. Cool and Filter: Let the mixture cool completely. Then, filter it using a simple kitchen strainer to remove the plant material.
5. Spray: Pour the pure horseradish infusion into a spray bottle and apply it to the parts of the plants affected by moniliosis.

Why It Works

Horseradish contains sulfur compounds that are known for their antifungal properties. These compounds help to inhibit the growth and spread of fungal diseases like moniliosis.

7: Sage: A Natural Remedy for Downy Mildew

Officinal sage, or Salvia officinalis, is not just an aromatic herb for the kitchen. It also has potent fungicidal properties, making it a great choice for organic gardening. Sage manure can be used to treat late blight on potatoes and tomatoes.

Sage Manure Recipe

1. Gather Your Ingredients: You’ll need about 2 pounds (1 kg) of fresh sage leaves and flowers.
2. Macerate: Place the sage in 2.6 gallons (10 liters) of water. Let the mixture macerate for about 2 weeks, stirring occasionally.
3. Filter: After the maceration period, filter the solution using a simple strainer to remove the plant material.
4. Dilute: Dilute 2 liters (0.5 gallons) of the sage manure in 8 liters (2.1 gallons) of water.
5. Spray: Pour the diluted solution into a spray bottle and apply it to potatoes or tomatoes affected by late blight.

Why It Works

Sage contains compounds like thujone and camphor, which have antifungal properties. These compounds help inhibit the growth and spread of fungi, effectively treating late blight.

8: Wild Thyme: A Natural Defense Against Cryptogamic Diseases

Wild thyme, or Thymus serpyllum, is an aromatic plant that grows in scrubland and offers impressive benefits for strengthening plants and treating fungal diseases. Use it as an infusion to combat a variety of cryptogamic diseases such as mildew, powdery mildew, rust, scab, and moniliosis.

Wild Thyme Infusion Recipe

1. Gather Your Ingredients: Harvest about 150 grams (5.3 ounces) of fresh wild thyme flowers.
2. Infuse: Place the wild thyme flowers in 1 liter (about 1 quart) of water. Bring the water to a boil, then let it cool completely.
3. Filter: Once the preparation is cold, filter the infusion using a simple kitchen strainer to remove the plant material.
4. Dilute: Dilute the infusion at the rate of 60 ml (about 2 ounces) of infusion per 1 liter (about 1 quart) of water.
5. Spray: Pour the diluted solution into a spray bottle and apply it to the plants affected by mildew, powdery mildew, rust, scab, or moniliosis.

Why It Works

Wild thyme contains essential oils and compounds like thymol and carvacrol, which have strong antifungal and antimicrobial properties. These substances help inhibit the growth and spread of fungal pathogens.

9: Tansy: A Natural Remedy for Rust and Mildew

Tansy, or Tanacetum vulgare, is a plant known for its powerful insecticidal and antifungal properties. It can be used as a decoction to combat cryptogamic diseases like rust and mildew.

Tansy Decoction Recipe

1. Gather Your Ingredients: You’ll need 25 grams (about 0.9 ounces) of dried tansy flowers.
2. Boil: Place the dried tansy flowers in 1 liter (about 1 quart) of water and boil for 20 minutes.
3. Cool and Filter: After boiling, let the mixture cool completely. Then, filter the liquid using a kitchen strainer to remove the plant material.
4. Spray: Pour the filtered decoction into a spray bottle and apply it to the plants you need to treat. Use caution, as this liquid also has powerful insecticidal properties.