Avoid Touching Your Vegetables When Their Leaves Are Wet

Immediately after it rains, early in the morning when the leaves of the plants are covered with dew, or even when you’ve just turned off the sprinkler after watering, it’s best to refrain from working in the vegetable garden … or indeed on plants in general.

That’s because that fungal and bacterial diseases—powdery mildew, blight, rust, etc.—multiply when leaves are wet and if you brush against the plant with your hand, a gardening tool or just the leg of your pants, there is a risk you’ll transfer them from a sick plant to a healthy one.

So, if possible, wait until the foliage has dried out completely before working in the garden.