Is this Powdery Mildew?

Fig3825 · Sun Jul 31, 2011 12:31 pm

Can anyone confirm whether or not this is Powdery Mildew? If not, what the heck is it? And if it IS, do I try milk solution to try and remedy it?

[img]https://jtnewton.com/Images/Garden/07312011015.jpg[/img]

[img]https://jtnewton.com/Images/Garden/07312011016.jpg[/img][/img]

You can ignore the hole in the first picture. I scattered some fertilizer several weeks ago and a piece landed on the leaf and then it got watered. I didn't see it until it had already burned the leaf...

Francis Barnswallow · Sun Jul 31, 2011 1:33 pm

That's what mine looked like as well. The plant is dead now.

SPierce · Sun Jul 31, 2011 2:01 pm

my pumpkins started looking like that- but mine turned to be a nutrient issue... yours too maybe with the yellowing leaf. spray with milk solution in case, but add some fish emulsion in for some food?

rainbowgardener · Sun Jul 31, 2011 2:09 pm

I'm not sure, possibly early stage of it, before it spreads and gets as powdery. If it is, catching it early is better. Try the milk solution spray on top and bottom of leaves and pour some around as a soil drench as well.

Fig3825 · Sun Jul 31, 2011 2:12 pm

I think what you see as 'yellowing' is actually the sunlight coming through the trees above. I think it's simply lighter and darker. The leaves are not yellowing at all that I can see aside from some of the lower leaves that are now in the shade of the upper leaves.

If one were to apply milk solution, I imagine it's best to do it at dusk or dawn as opposed to midday? Also, how often can you treat with it?

Fig3825 · Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:21 am

So I mixed up some 2% milk this morning with a bit of water. Probably about 25% milk and 75% water. Coated the tops and bottoms of the leaves as best I could. I'm really hoping this works. I have 2 squash nearly mature and another several that are about 3-4" long and growing quite a bit day by day. Either way, it looks like I'll get some squash regardless, but I'd hate to lose the full anticipated harvest due to this stupid mildew. I also noticed that the leaves of this summer squash are really close to my other summer squash plant and one leaf on the newer 'touched' plant has it on it as well, now.

I'll be applying it every morning and checking the results. I should be able to take a picture tonight of the same leaves in an effort to track the progress and effectiveness of the milk solution. Also note, however, that the mildew was allowed to grow on the leaves for another 24-36 hours while this thread was active before I hit it with the milk solution for the first time, so it got worse before I started trying to treat it.

I did some research on it this morning and found that baking soda and water is also a proven method to fight this mildew but I am going to pursue the milk first.

Wish me luck!

rainbowgardener · Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:51 am

every morning seems excessive. Once a week or two should be plenty unless it gets washed off by rain.

Yeah baking soda is another remedy, but you have to pick. They tend to cancel each other out, so you can't use both at the same time. Alternating remedies is often helpful though, so you could do the milk this week and the baking soda next week.

Fig3825 · Mon Aug 01, 2011 12:15 pm

Is there a noticeable reduction, assuming it is powdery mildew, that will be apparent on a daily basis - if it's working? I've only been gardening for a couple years now and I've seen this before, but I wasn't as 'in the game' as I am now... I never treated it in the past and don't really remember what happened - if anything. I've read where people lose an entire plant in a week to this stuff. My squash is presently producing. Will powdery mildew spread to the fruit and ruin it also?

I did notice it jumped plants and is now on one leaf of a touching plant. This was not the case 2 days ago. Spreading fast - so I can see how it could decimate a crop. My fear is that, since it touches an eggplant as well, that it will jump to that one also. And my eggplant is just now starting to form the blossom branch - so it has a way to go to start with the fruit.

gardenvt · Mon Aug 01, 2011 12:34 pm

My cucumber and melon plants look like the plant in your picture I've been treating with the milk solution - once a week - for about a month. It has spread to all of the cucumbers and melons. The cucumber plants aren't producing much but there are a lot of baby melons and I don't want to lose them.

This morning, I mixed up some Serenade (fungicide) this morning and sprayed the plants thoroughly. This product is said to be safe enough that you can spray and harvest on the same day. I believe it is also used in organic gardens.

rainbowgardener · Mon Aug 01, 2011 5:05 pm

Yes, the Serenade is actually a bacteria (bacillus subtilis) that attacks the fungus. It doesn't attack anything else and it is an organic method of treating the fungus.

Fig3825 · Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:20 am

Since it rained yesterday, I decided to pick some of the Serenade up. Treated the plant this morning. We'll see how it goes. I also picked a squash this morning.

This is probably too much worrying, but when I bought it, the nursery that sold it had it sitting in the window with direct sun exposure. I'm hoping that, since it's bacteria, that the spray bottle didn't get too hot sitting there. The bottle looked like it had been there a while... Maybe a long while... I just hope it's still effective. I read the label and it really didn't mention to store out of heat or anything...