# Lifestyles & Discussion > Freedom Living >  powdery mildew in my garden

## angelatc

I planted my zucchini too close and they now have powdery mildew.  REading up, it seems like a 10/90 milk/water spray might be the key.  anybody else had any luck battling it?

on the bright side....my first batch of peas and a cucumber are on the menu tonight. woot...

we didn't have the money to do this garden properly - we didn't enhance the soil at all.  i'm getting so much out of it that i shudder to think what production would have been like if i had planted in decent soil.

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## Brian4Liberty

I've had that on an Apple tree and Tomatillo plant. Hasta la vista plants. Tried several things, nothing worked.

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## angelatc

my tomatos are disease free so far.  it's just the squash.  I read a thing that said some researchers in brazil were having luck with milk. so i tried that.  if it works i'll let you know.

on a seperate note - how do i know when my beets are ready? i planted them in mid may, and they were already plants about 6" high.  the little plastic thingy says they will be ready in 50 - 60 days, so that's coming up.

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## dannno

You can try a milk/water solution and that should help in the short term, but for the long term I recommend giving your plants a good spray of water every day. White powdery mildew, believe it or not, thrives in dry conditions.

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## dannno

I'd do milk/water (or vinegar/water) today, and then water for 3 or 4 days, if it's still around do one more treatment of the milk or vinegar water and continue with the water spray each day.

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## angelatc

> I'd do milk/water (or vinegar/water) today, and then water for 3 or 4 days, if it's still around do one more treatment of the milk or vinegar water and continue with the water spray each day.


vinegar water sounds promising, too.  anything to change the ph.

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## donnay

Garlic oil is great to get rid of the mildew.  Garlic is a very effective anti-fungicide.

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## presence

*Baking* *Soda* Recipe for Controlling *Powdery* *Mildew* on Plants *Powdery* *mildew* and other fungus diseases of plants have long been successfully controlled with a mixture of *baking* *soda*, water and and oil or soap to help it spread.
 	                                 gardening.about.com/od/gardenproblems/qt/PowderyMildew.htm                            
   
*Baking* *Soda* Spray for *Powdery* *Mildew* - Organic *Powdery* *Mildew* ...             	                 1 tablespoon of *baking* *soda*; 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil; 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid; ... *Baking* *Soda* Spray for *Powdery* *Mildew* - Organic *Powdery* *Mildew* Control; Organic Gardening. Advertise on About.com; Our Story; News; SiteMap; All Topics; Reprints;
 	                                 organicgardening.about.com/od/diseases/qt/bakingsodaspray.htm                            


   
Controlling or Eliminating *Powdery* *Mildew* - Growing A Greener ... *Powdery* *mildew* is one of the most widespread and easily identifiable plant fungal diseases. ... *Baking* *Soda* (sodium bicarbonate) -This is possibly the best known of the home-made, organic solutions for *powdery* *mildew*.
 	                                 growingagreenerworld.com/controlling-or-eliminating-powdery-mildew/                            


   
How to use *baking* *soda* for *powdery* *mildew* - by Karen Bledsoe ...             	                 Midsummer humidity can bring on the ugly gray fuzz of *powdery* *mildew* on your roses and perennials. While perennials that are watered well are some..., Karen Bledsoe
 	                                 helium.com/items/937597-how-to-use-baking-soda-for...                            


   
RNZIH - Horticulture Pages - Control of *powdery* *mildew*             	                 Control of *powdery* *mildew* ... *Powdery* *mildew*. *Baking* *soda*, sulphur or milk!
 	                                 rnzih.org.nz/pages/powdery-mildew.htm                            


   
*Powdery* *Mildew* | Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County             	                 It's the rare gardener who hasn't had to deal with *powdery* *mildew* (PM). With many different species, ... *Baking* *soda* solutions can use salad oil as a spreader-sticker, or horticultural oil (which adds eradicant capabilities). The ...
 	                                 mastergardeners.org/publications/powderyMildew.html                            


   
Good Earth Organic ROSE Care - *Mildew* and Blackspot Control ...             	                 Solution #1 - The Cornell *Baking* *Soda* Formula (for *Powdery* *Mildew* AND Blackspot) 4 teaspoons: *baking* *soda*:  2 tablespoons: horticultural oil such as SunSpray brand UltraFine  Year-Round Pesticidal Oil: 1 gallon: water: Mix well then pour into a  no-clog type hose-end sprayer.
 	                                 organicrosecare.org/articles/recipe_mildew_control.php                            


 
 
*Powdery* *Mildews* - Colorado State University Extension *Powdery* *mildew* is one of the most widespread and easily recognized plant diseases. ... Applications of one tablespoon *baking* *soda* plus 2.5 tablespoons of Sunspray oil in 1 gallon of water are still experimental. Use it at your own risk.
 	                                 ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/02902.html                            


   
Use of *Baking* *Soda* as a Fungicide             	                 We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us.
 	                                 attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/bakingsoda.html                            




How to Treat *Powdery* *Mildew* on Vegetables and Tomatoes Using ...             	                 How to use *baking* *soda* to treat *powdery* *mildew* on your cucumbers, squashes and zucchinni. It can also be used to battle early blight and leaf spot. I am using it for this ...
 	                                 youtube.com/watch?v=wBgjMEescIE                            


   
Home remedies for *powdery* *mildew* - Growing for Market *Powdery* *mildew* is a common summer problem on many types of vegetables and cut flowers. But most *powdery* *mildew* can be avoided or cured with inexpensive, ... *Baking* *soda* has a few drawbacks: First, it must be sprayed every week to protect new growth on the plant.
 	                                 growingformarket.com/articles/powdery-mildew-solutions                            



How to Control *Powdery* *Mildew* Naturally | gardenswag             	                 Use *Baking* *Soda* Spray to Control *Powdery* *Mildew*. Another easy-to-use, all-natural treatment for *powdery* *mildew* control, homemade *baking* *soda* spray is also effective against black spot. To make a *baking* *soda* garden spray, ...
 	                                 gardenswag.com/2011/12/how-to-control-powdery-mildew-n...                            




Hawaii Horticulture: Use *Baking* *Soda* to Control *Powdery* *Mildew*             	                 If you are looking for a relatively  low-maintenance ground cover for a large area or slope, 'ūlei may be  your answer. This member of the rose family (Rosaceae) is also known in  Hawaiian as eluehe or u'ulei.
 	                                 hihort.blogspot.com/2011/12/use-baking-soda-to-control-powd...                            


   

Home made remedy for *powdery* *mildew* - 420 MAGAZINE ® *Baking* *Soda* Recipe for Controlling *Powdery* *Mildew* on Plants A Home Remedy for Fungus Diseases *Baking* *soda* makes an inexpensive control for *powdery* *mildew* on plants. The *baking* *soda* fungicide is mostly

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## Working Poor

> vinegar water sounds promising, too.  anything to change the ph.


Careful vinegar will kill your plants I would try spraying with hydrogen peroxide in the eveni.g before sun down mold and fungus hate oxygen.
Tea tree oil is also a good fungucide as well as neem oil.

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## brandon

Sorry to thread hijack, but I got a tomato question.  I got a garden in pots on my patio, and today found my nearly mature tomato plant snapped in half at the base. I suppose it could have been wind but there have been much windier days than today.  Do any animals chew the plants in half? Groundhog maybe?

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## amy31416

Look for gnaw marks Brandon.

Congrats on having a good garden, Angela! I planted in really good soil, and we've had so much rain that I haven't been able to keep up with the weeding--it's out of control. I'm used to mostly raised bed or tilled plots in suburbia.

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## angelatc

> Look for gnaw marks Brandon.
> 
> Congrats on having a good garden, Angela! I planted in really good soil, and we've had so much rain that I haven't been able to keep up with the weeding--it's out of control. I'm used to mostly raised bed or tilled plots in suburbia.


presence - thanks1 i saw some baking soda talk, but the first thing i read aid it was better as a prevention than a treatment, so i didn't pursue it again.  

Brandon, i don't know either. Tomato plants don't usually seem to attract critters, i don't think.

i feel you amy - i made that mistake the first year in the old house.  The second year i tried some stupid thing i read on the internet about putting down cardboard between the rows.  That didn't work out very well.  

This year i give it a good hoeing every morning, and so far, the weeds have been controlled, but the bugs and molds are more trouble than they've been in the past.  i pulled out one of the zucchini plants, so hopefully that will help fix the mold.

the one thing i haven't had much luck with is peas.  i have one little pod  - well, had.  i opened it up and ate them.

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## loveshiscountry

> Careful vinegar will kill your plants I would try spraying with hydrogen peroxide in the eveni.g before sun down mold and fungus hate oxygen.
> Tea tree oil is also a good fungucide as well as neem oil.


Second Neem oil

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## James Madison

I recommend using horticultural oil. When sprayed on leaves, it suffocates the mildew, killing it.

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## oyarde

> Sorry to thread hijack, but I got a tomato question.  I got a garden in pots on my patio, and today found my nearly mature tomato plant snapped in half at the base. I suppose it could have been wind but there have been much windier days than today.  Do any animals chew the plants in half? Groundhog maybe?


The weight of a tall plant will bend them over, that is why people put wire cages around them , they sort of lean on it and it keeps the stalk from collapsing.Groundhogs will eatthem , but they prefer things like soy beans, green beans etc

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## oyarde

> I planted my zucchini too close and they now have powdery mildew.  REading up, it seems like a 10/90 milk/water spray might be the key.  anybody else had any luck battling it?
> 
> on the bright side....my first batch of peas and a cucumber are on the menu tonight. woot...
> 
> we didn't have the money to do this garden properly - we didn't enhance the soil at all.  i'm getting so much out of it that i shudder to think what production would have been like if i had planted in decent soil.


I dunno much about it , but how it works is the fungi builds  like little microscopic tank traps and blocks the light, 40 % milk , 60 % water spray is how they get rid of it in climates North of me like yours. I also dunno exactly howit works , but the protein in the milk with the sunlight does it , milk type does not matter of any kind so , whtever is cheapeast .I am more famliar with squash bugs , than the mildew that attacks the flowering vine plants.

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## oyarde

Next time , give me something easier , like how to cure Malaria in Africa  ( I think I can do that too )

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## kcchiefs6465

> Sorry to thread hijack, but I got a tomato question.  I got a garden in pots on my patio, and today found my nearly mature tomato plant snapped in half at the base. I suppose it could have been wind but there have been much windier days than today.  Do any animals chew the plants in half? Groundhog maybe?


Stake them off. Shouldn't need more than a little helping support. Either have the stake running along side the plant or tie it off. If you tie it make sure it isn't at a place where you'll have to retie it in a couple weeks. Prop the weight up on anything. A couple loose strings could do the trick nicely. Good luck.

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