If gardeners and gardeners knew how easy it is to prepare remedies for powdery mildew, they would defeat the disease. We will show you how to get rid of it. Powdery mildew is familiar to many gardeners. This fungal disease that plagues plants is caused by microscopic fungi. There are several types of them, each of which affects a specific crop or group of plants.
Classification and manifestation of powdery mildew
These microorganisms infect the following cultures:
- Uncinula necator leads to the appearance of powdery mildew on grapes, this type of disease is called powdery mildew;
- Uncinula necator leads to the appearance of powdery mildew on grapes, this type of disease is called powdery mildew;
- Erysiphe graminis affects grain crops;
- Sphaerotheca mors annoys gooseberries;
- Erysiphe communis causes powdery mildew on sugar beets;
- Sphaerotheca pannosa (form "peach") - respectively, on a peach.
Roses, pumpkin and other crops can also be affected.
To recognize that this is powdery mildew, the photo will certainly help you. It can be seen that the surface of the leaves attacked by the fungus is covered with a white coating. This is the mycelium of a harmful fungus. It can also be located on young shoots, petioles, fruits, stalks. They seem to be sprinkled with flour, hence the name of the disease.
Usually, the fungus first attacks the leaves located closer to the ground, and then gradually damages the entire plant. In this case, the fruits crack and rot.
Prevention of powdery mildew
Plants that are susceptible to this disease should be planted in open, windy areas. A thickened planting contributes to the appearance and development of powdery mildew. Nitrogen fertilization should not be plentiful, as well as excessive spring rejuvenating pruning, this weakens the plants.
Potash and phosphate fertilizers will help crops grow strong and resist this and other diseases. Pruning should be, but not excessive. It is necessary to regularly cut out poorly fruiting, old and dry branches so that the air circulates well inside the bush, and, for example, plant roses in a sunny, dry place.
You also need to monitor the fertility of the soil. To increase this indicator, for example, under grapes, gooseberries, it is not recommended to remove the litter. It is better to put nightshade tops under them: tomatoes, potatoes, peppers. It must be watered abundantly with a solution of EM (effective microorganisms) drugs. These microorganisms will absorb the organic residues of the proposed plants along with harmful fungi. EOs can be purchased or made from yeast, kombucha, or dairy products.
Powdery mildew on gooseberries
In another way, gooseberry powdery mildew is called spheroteka, this is the scientific name. The whole bush suffers from the disease: leaves, ovaries, shoots, berries.
At first, the bush is covered with a white bloom, but gradually the color of the mycelium changes and turns brown. The shoots of the diseased plant are bent, the fruits are poorly poured, and the leaves are deformed, curling.
Since the spores of the fungus are activated 2 times per season (spring and summer), it is recommended to process the gooseberry three times. The first time - before flowering, the second - immediately after it, the third - before the autumn leaf fall. Spraying should be very generous so that the powdery mildew repellent wets every centimeter of the bush and the soil under it well. It is necessary to process in dry, calm weather, preferably in the evening to prevent sunburn.
Non-chemical means of controlling powdery mildew
It is better to defeat powdery mildew on gooseberries, grapes, pumpkin seeds, peaches, raspberries and other crops, the fruits of which are used for food, without the use of "chemistry". Natural preparations are also effective and safer for humans. Here is some of them:
- If your milk is sour, yogurt or kefir is spoiled, do not pour them out. An excellent remedy can be prepared on the basis of such fermented milk products. The lactic acid bacteria contained in them have a negative effect on the powdery mildew fungus, and they do not harm the plants. First you need to separate the fermented milk whey. To do this, you can immediately carefully drain it or put cheesecloth in a colander and drain through it. Then 1 part of whey is diluted with 10 parts of cold water, mixed and sprayed on the plants.
- Here is another similar recipe, but you will need kefir or sour milk for it. For 1 liter of any of these products, 9 liters of water is taken, everything is mixed and processed. Spray three times - after 3 days, and the fungal disease will not appear on your favorite plants.
- Powdery mildew can also be defeated with plain water. But the treatment should be carried out in early spring, before bud break and before the snow melts. Boil water, pour it into a watering can. By this time, the water will have a temperature of around + 80 ° C. This is what you need to thoroughly pour over the bushes. This remedy helps not only against diseases, but also against pests hibernating on the bush.
- All 3 times - before, after flowering and after leaf fall, plants can be treated with a mullein. It is also a good remedy for powdery mildew. Take a third of a bucket of fresh manure, top up the container almost to the top with cold, leave for 3 days. In this case, you need to periodically mix the contents of the bucket.
- After this time, strain the infusion and dilute with water in a ratio of 1:10. Spray the plants. Only fresh infusion should be used for each treatment.
- Onion peels will also help defeat the disease. It will take 100 g of flakes, they are poured with 5 liters of boiling water and kept for 2 days. Spray before, after flowering and after leaf fall.
- Garden weeds left over from weeding will also help against powdery mildew. Grind them, chopping them into small pieces, fill half of the bucket with them, top it up with hot water. Insist 5-7 days, then strain and spray.
- A good remedy that powdery mildew also dislikes can be made with baking soda and soap. Take 1 tbsp. l. baking soda and 25 g of grated laundry soap. Pour all this with 5 liters of hot water, stir, cool and process.
- If you have soda ash, you need 25 grams. Dissolve it in 100 g of hot water, add 5 liters of water, add 5 g of liquid soap, stir. Like baking soda, the treatment with this agent is carried out 2 times - before and after flowering.
- Powdery mildew will also be defeated with ash. Take 500 g of this product, pour 5 liters of water, leave for a week, stirring occasionally. After this period, carefully drain the infusion, leaving a sediment. You can use this or another recipe. For the second, add 150 g of ash in 5 liters of water, bring to a boil, boil for half an hour. Cool, drain the sediment. Spray it with them.
Mineral fertilizers in the fight against powdery mildew
For ornamental plants, you can use them. But they will not harm the fruit either, but, on the contrary, will act simultaneously as a foliar feeding.
Fruit plants after flowering, and ornamental plants in mid or late May, spray with a solution consisting of 25 g of ammonium nitrate and 5 liters of water.
Biological products will also help against powdery mildew. Take 75 g of Trichodermin or Gaupsin. Dissolve in 5 liters of water and process. Fitosporin is also an excellent biological agent. It is taken 50–75 g, diluted in 5 liters of water.
A product made from fertilizers and microelements will also help. In 5 liters of water, add 10 g of superphosphate, 15 g of urea, 25 g of potassium chloride, 2 g of potassium permanganate. Spray fruit plants after flowering, and ornamental plants in mid-May, early and late June.
Powdery mildew chemical control
Powdery mildew does not like the following preparations. But they belong to chemical means of struggle. It:
- "Topaz";
- Topsin-M;
- copper sulfate with a concentration of 3-5%;
- a suspension of colloidal sulfur with a concentration of 1%;
- Bayleton;
- "Sulfaride".
Identification of powdery mildew on some crops and recommendations
If on phlox leaves are covered with a white bloom, and on roses buds and leaves, then this is powdery mildew. Recommendations for phlox: planting resistant varieties, applying a minimum of nitrogen fertilizers. For roses - planting at a sufficient distance from each other and from other crops.
Flower bed begonia can also be affected by this disease. In her, it manifests itself in the form of white spots on the leaves. Landing in partial shade will help to avoid this. Lilacs, on the other hand, need to be placed in a sunny area. Her powdery mildew covers flowers and leaves with its bloom. To prevent this disease from having zinnias, like lilacs, it must be planted in fertilized fertile soil, and also resistant varieties must be chosen.
Powdery mildew on cucumbers appears as a white coating on flowers and leaves. To avoid this, it is necessary to avoid high soil moisture and it is necessary to mulch it with straw. It is better to mulch raspberries with compost, and the same recommendation for soil moisture. In this culture, powdery mildew manifests itself in the form of deformation of the lower and upper sides of the leaves.
Powdery mildew-resistant apple varieties will help prevent the appearance of this disease, which manifests itself on this crop as white spots on the leaves, branches and fruits.
Compliance with simple recommendations will help keep the plants on your site in order, admire the decorative ones and get excellent yields from fruit crops!
For more information on methods of dealing with powdery mildew and methods of plant prevention, see this video:
