Powdery mildew can be a real threat to the health of your garden. It can get in unnoticed, spread quickly, affect production, and it can be difficult to get rid of. There are numerous products on the market that are sold under the claim that they treat powdery mildew, but products don’t always fulfill their purpose and they can add unnecessary costs to your garden. Instead, treat powdery mildew with a simple and inexpensive homemade recipe and a few easy precautions.
Recipe
- 2 ounces of whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- Just a little dish soap to make it stick
- 8 ounces water
Since the recipe does include milk it will spoil, so you should keep it in your refrigerator and only make a small amount at a time and as needed.
Precautions
- At the first sign of powdery mildew prune the affected plants if possible to allow for better air flow. Prune plants nearby to allow for more sunlight to hit the affected plant and to reduce the spread.
- Apply the above liquid treatment by spraying it on all parts of the plant as soon as possible. Do this while the sun is out.
- If a plant is too badly affected to be treated it must be removed so that it does not contaminate the surrounding plants. When removing a plant that cannot be treated, be careful not to yank on or shake the plant which will spread the mildew. Cut the plant in pieces with garden shears and place the pieces in a garbage bag so that it can be thrown away and not composted. Composting powdery mildew will not kill it can could further spread the mildew through your garden.
- Consider reducing water to the area of your garden that you see powdery mildew in, or watering earlier in the day so that the leaves do not remain wet for extended periods.
Don’t let powdery mildew get you down. Act fast and it shouldn’t be more than you can handle.
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