How to Control Powdery Mildew, the Easy Way!

Powdery mildew. You've probably had it plague one of your plants at some point or another during your years of gardening.  

Powdery mildew is one of the most widespread and easily identifiable plant fungal diseases. From vegetable gardens to rose gardens, ornamental trees and shrubs, almost no type of plant is immune.

You’ve probably seen it many times. White or gray powdery spots appear, most of the time covering the entire leaf surface. It’s also found on plant stems, flowers and even fruit. Fortunately, the symptoms of powdery mildew are usually worse than the actual damage. Rarely is it fatal to the plant.  Advanced stages can cause plant foliage to yellow, curl or turn brown and eventually cause the plant to stop producing leaves or flowers. Most of the time, it's just an unsightly nuisance. 

Conditions that favor mildew formation include dry foliage, high humidity, low light and moderate temperatures.  Here's some things you can do to help curb powdery mildew from ruining your plants.

 

*Make sure your plants have good air circulation around them

*Place plants where they will get 6+ hours of sunlight each day

*Grow disease resistant varieties

*Avoid over fertilization. New growth is more susceptible. Try using slow release fertilizers.

 

Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate), is possibly the best known of the home-made, organic solutions for powdery mildew.  Most effective when applied in the early stages or before an outbreak occurs.

There's no CURE for Powdery Mildew, but you can control it.  Try adding a tsp. or so to a spray bottle and add water. When the weather is dry, spray your water and baking soda mixture onto the leaves that are affected.  Repeat when it rains.  The ph level will create an unsuitable environment for the mildew spores to reproduce and spread.

3 comments

Rachel

Thank you sounds like good info
I will give it a try

Sujit Chaudhuri

Very nice & helpful tip

Sujit Chaudhuri

Very nice & helpful tip

Leave a comment

All comments are moderated before being published

BECOME A BRAND AMBASSADOR! Join the affiliate team

Earn a 25% commission from every sale you refer. Learn More ◆ Affiate Program Registration

Already have an affiliate account?
Login/Affiliate Dashboard

FEATURED POSTS

VIEW ALL BLOG POSTS
Your Guide to Gardening Through all 4 Seasons

Your Guide to Gardening Through all 4 Seasons

As the weather becomes consistently cold (in late October and early November, in the upper Midwest), you can work at preparing your garden for winter. There are several aspects to winter preparation.
How to Deal with Squash Bugs

How to Deal with Squash Bugs

Squash bugs can destroy crops and are quite the nuisance. Check your squash plants daily for signs of squash bugs and their eggs.   What to look...
How to Save 🍅 Tomato Seeds

How to Save 🍅 Tomato Seeds

There are several ways that you can save your heirloom tomato seeds, but here are two of the most popular techniques.  Fermentation Method: Choos...
How To Tell When 🍆 Eggplant Is Ripe

How To Tell When 🍆 Eggplant Is Ripe

Eggplant is a versatile fruit often used in Italian dishes such as ratatouille, caponata, and lasagna. Eggplant easily absorbs the flavors of wh...
Start these NOW for a fall garden!

Start these NOW for a fall garden!

Summer will soon be over but having a thriving vegetable garden doesn't have to end when summer does. With a little bit of planning, and p...
How Many Plants a 12″ Container?

How Many Plants a 12″ Container?

Here is a suggested number of plants that will grow successfully in a 12″ container. It would be a waste of money and time to start more seeds...
Why Won't My Root Veggies Grow?

Why Won't My Root Veggies Grow?

You’ve put in all the work, planted your root veggies with care and all season you’ve been eyeing their gorgeous leafy green tops and waited with a...
Seed Planting & Spacing Guide (printable)

Seed Planting & Spacing Guide (printable)

← GO BACK TO GROW GUIDES Here is a cheat sheet you can save to reference all of the planting and spacing specs for each of your seeds. Click on the...

SHOP OUR ENTIRE SEED CATALOG

Browse through hundreds of different varieties

📙 SEED CATALOG {A - Z}
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

ENTER THE SEED SHOP ❱

YOU RECENTLY VIEWED