white fuzzyness on the edges of leaves

[raaychill]

my squash and pumpkins have a growwing white fuzz on some leaves. the other leaves on the same plants look more than ok, but it is spreding, and one pumpkin leaf fuzzed away when i touched it.... i have a friend with a different type of garden, he says to spray a 1-4 milk-water mix and spray it on the leaves, but it isnt working..... what should i do?

[Jo Green]

Your squash and pumpkins have developed a common disease known as powdery mildew which needs to be treated with a fungicide in the late afternoon. By applying in the late afternoon it will not interrupt the insect pollination that is necessary for growth. You will want to do this as soon as possible because the mildew can cause the leaves to die prematurely which will interfere with proper ripening. Also the powdery mildew will spread throughout your pumpkin patch making treatment difficult. Milky spore is a safe and natural powder. Powdery mildew also develops in humidity, so as another preventative, be sure to water in the early morning so the sun can dry the leaves.

[raaychill]

thanx, i'll try it.... i think it's on my corn now too. the plants are all still very small, they have only been in the ground for less than a month... maybe a month... the peas are the only thing i started in the ground rather than germinating in the window, but they look great.... now i am rambling
thanks again!

[raaychill]

so i tried fungicide just 2 days ago, but its getting worse. i pulled out close to half of my squash plants because they were coated in white fuzz. i really need the rest to survive!!!

the fungicide i got was supposed to be added to water then fed to the plants, i saw one that was a spray on, but it said it was for tomatoes, kale and something else that im not concerned with, the one i got was the only one that specifically said squash and pumpkins, does it really matter? i have a feeling that a spray on would do better, i just don't want to waste money on the wrong thing

[Kisal]

Go to a good garden store and ask for some help. I don't know what stores you have over there. If you're willing to spring for a long-distance phone call, I recommend Gray's Garden Centers in the Eugene/Springfield area. They really know their stuff. I would suggest the Lane County Extension Service, but I believe they have closed down temporarily.

[Jess]

Hi raaychill

Copied this for you. Though it might be of some help.

[Powdery mildew can be prevented, and it can be controlled once it appears, but it can't be cured. The key to preventing it is planting mildew-resistant or mildew- tolerant varieties. Resistant varieties get less mildew than susceptible varieties; tolerant varieties may get some mildew, but it shouldn't affect the performance of the plant. Prevention also includes siting plants where they will have good air circulation, and exposing as much leaf surface as possible to direct sunlight, which inhibits spore germination.

To control minor infestations, pick off affected plant parts and either compost them in a hot compost pile or bag them tightly and put them in the trash. Research studies in 1999 and 2003 on infected zucchini and winter wheat (respectively) indicated that spraying cow's milk slowed the spread of the disease. To try this at home, mix 1 part milk with 9 parts water and spray the stems and tops of leaves with the solution. Reapply after rain. Spraying leaves with baking soda (1 teaspoon in 1 quart water) raises the pH, creating an inhospitable environment for powdery mildew. ]

[raaychill]

thanks for that tip, i tried the milk thing before i even joined this site, but i will try baking soda next, cause the milk didnt work, let cha know how it does!

[petalfuzz]

Have you googled what pics of powdery mildew look like? Cause I have it on my pumpkin vines and it isn't "fuzzy".

I'm trying to control it with a combo milk + baking soda mixture but the vines can't grow more leaves faster than the fungus is claiming them. They may not make it, but I continue to persist...

[raaychill]

it looks a lot like the pics im seeing, but the one difference is that in the pics it's spreckly and my plants have it growing from the outside edges towards the middle.
the milk definitely worked on the pumpkins, but my butternut squash are fading fast.

i had an epiphany today: i think part of the reason they are struggling is because of the coconut rind little planter thingys that i started the seeds in is too thick for the roots to get thru. i had some other ones started in peat moss containers, they are now growing wildly around the edge of the yard due to room issues, but they look amazing! and they are twice the size of these other guys.... could the mildew have stunted their growth? or maybe the roots are too restricted to let the plant grow big and healthy and fight it off....?

i would just get rid of the ones growing in the box and settle on the "wild" ones, but its where the dogs pee, and near the path that the bears use at night to destroy the garbage.... i don't think they will last either.... at least the peas are looking healthy