What is the best way to manage plant diseases in the landscape?

Managing plant diseases effectively in the landscape requires proactive measures, and regularly inspecting and removing infected plants is a crucial practice. This approach enables gardeners and landscape managers to catch diseases in their early stages, which can prevent the spread to healthy plants. By identifying symptoms early, prompt removal of infected plants can help contain the problem and reduce the overall impact on the landscape.

In contrast, the other methods proposed are not effective disease management strategies. For instance, watering less might seem beneficial in avoiding overly wet conditions that favor some diseases, but insufficient watering could lead to plant stress and encourage other problems. Using contaminated tools directly risks introducing pathogens to healthy plants, exacerbating the disease spread rather than managing it. Ignoring early signs of disease would allow the problem to worsen and spread, ultimately leading to more significant losses in the landscape. Hence, recognizing and acting on early disease symptoms is the most effective method for managing plant diseases.