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JUNE 18 2021 / LAWN
Powdery mildew can put some serious hurt on your plants, reducing their ability to flower, and produce fruits and vegetables. But don’t despair, with a little help you can fight this scourge and return your plants to good health.
Typically, powdery mildew begins with small, circular white spots on the lower leaves of plants. Those little blotches can grow in number and begin to look like dust or flour covering portions of those leaves. As the disease progresses, infected leaves can become dwarfed and curled.
In some cases, leaves will turn yellow or brown and die. That’s because the fungi extract nutrients from the host plant, resulting in the latter’s general decline.
Caused by several species of fungi, powdery mildew can infect over 50,000 different varieties of trees and shrubs, as well as flowering and produce-yielding plants. However, one species of fungus doesn’t necessarily infect different types of plants, meaning, for instance, that what impacts oak trees won’t jump to zinnias. Powdery mildew is most seen in crape myrtles, gardenias, and camellias.
First, prevention is preferable. To protect your plants, know that powdery mildew thrives in warm, humid conditions, and it can affect both outdoor and indoor plants, including those growing in a greenhouse.
So, grow susceptible species in sunny areas and take care not to over water, as powdery mildew thrives in shady, humid areas. Also, keeping plants healthy, through proper soil treatments and/or fertilizer helps prevent disease of all kinds.
Look out for your insect populations, too, as insects can be vectors of transmission for powdery mildew spores. (More about taking care to not harm pollinators below.) Powdery mildew spores can also spread via the wind or contaminated garden tools.
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If it’s already in place, one of the best ways to combat powdery mildew is to cut back contaminated parts of plants, and burn or bag the waste. For the parts of the plant that aren’t cut back, treatment with fungicide to kill the spores is recommended. So as not to adversely affect pollinators, spray those fungicides late in the evening.
Fungicides and other treatments are most effective when mildew is first noticed, so it’s important to be vigilant. Keep an eye out for these fuzzy, white spots on leaves and stems. If plants become too heavily infected, they will have to be removed, so it’s best to catch powdery mildew when it can still be treated.
Because there are so many species of fungi, treatment with fungicides can be tricky. However, Waynes Lawn Professionals can help select and apply the best remedies for each plant.
You don’t have to do it alone. Contact us today or call 866.WAYNES1!