It can start with a single white patch on a leaf.

Within days, that powdery coating can spread, black spots may appear, the soil can turn mouldy, and a plant that looked perfectly healthy can begin to wilt. In India’s warm, humid weather, fungal infections can move quickly, making early action especially important.

Mumbai-based researcher and entrepreneur Ekta Chaudhary knows plants far beyond the pot and balcony. Before building Garden Up, she spent nearly a decade studying ecology, from soil nutrient dynamics in the forests of southern India to sustainable farming practices among communities in the Himalayas. She later completed her PhD from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

Today, she brings that research experience into everyday gardening, helping people understand what their plants are telling them and how to respond. And when it comes to fungus, here’s what she has to say.

A common problem in Indian gardens

“Fungus, or plural fungi, can negatively affect your plants,” she explains. “There are both good and bad kinds of fungi.”

The harmful ones slowly drain a plant’s strength. “It will make your plant weak; it will make it yellowy and then eventually kill your........

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