How to Get Rid of Powdery Mildew on Your Plants
One of the best parts of gardening in the summer is watching your plants grow throughout the season. But if one day you look at your garden and notice white round spots on the leaves, or that they look like they’ve been floured, you may be dealing with powdery mildew.
In fact, powdery mildew is not something you want to mess with because not only can it harm the plant, but it can also spread to other plants in your garden and infect them. Here’s what you need to know about powdery mildew and how to get rid of it.
What is powdery mildew?
Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that makes plants look like they’ve been dusted with flour or baby powder. The white powder starts in round spots, then eventually spreads to the entire leaf, sometimes including the underside of the leaf. Due to powdery mildew, leaves and buds are deformed, twisted, broken or turn yellow and dry out.
How to prevent the spread of powdery mildew
The key to getting rid of powdery mildew is to do it as soon as you see it. Unfortunately, once a fungus takes over a plant and takes root on its leaves, there is little you can do to save that plant. That being said, you can (and should) do everything you can to prevent it from spreading to other plants in your garden.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac , this involves removing all infected leaves, stems, and fruits from the plant and then either throwing them in the trash or burning them. Do not throw cuttings into the woods or compost heap, as this can further spread the fungus. And when you’re done pruning, take the time to sterilize your scissors with rubbing alcohol so you don’t infect other plants.
How to get rid of powdery mildew
As we mentioned, the most important part is getting powdery mildew in early, so you’re more likely to get rid of it. Here are a few methods courtesy of Farmers’ Almanac :
Spray plants with water
Mold spores cannot tolerate rain or water because they cannot germinate or grow if the leaves of the plant are wet. So spraying your plants with water at least once a week (which you probably do anyway) can help prevent powdery mildew.
DIY sprays
Many experienced gardeners have their favorite folk remedies for getting rid of powdery mildew. Since some of them contain ingredients like vinegar and baking soda that can burn your plants, test the sprays on a small area first before covering the entire garden. Here are some of them:
- 1 tablespoon baking soda + 1 tablespoon cooking oil + 1 teaspoon dish soap + 1 gallon water
- 4 tablespoons baking soda + 2 tablespoons Murphy oil soap + 1 gallon water
- 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar + 1 gallon of water
- 1 part milk to 10 parts water
- 1 cup mouthwash + 3 cups water
neem oil
Neem oil is an organic fungicide that you can buy separately and mix with water as directed, or pre-mix as a spray. Follow the instructions on the label to rid your garden of powdery mildew.