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MYPowdery mildew. I’m super lucky not to have to deal with it often in my climate. In fact I’ve only ever had it at the end of a season, at the plants end of life before. And I just pull the plants at that point.
Powdery mildew usually doesn't kill plants, but it can weaken them and lead to poor growth and yield so you’re going to want to deal with it asap. As this time I was hit with powdery mildew on my cucumbers and squash right at the start of my growing season, I had to take action.
Firstly, I removed all affected leaves, being careful to remove them from the area to avoid spread. This has the added benefit of increasing air circulation, which is also helpful for avoiding further spread of powdery mildew.
I also make sure to practice good tool hygiene! I pour a bit of rubbing alcohol on a rag and wipe down tools to avoid spread. I do this anyway (especially between tomato plants) to avoid disease spread in my garden.
Finally I sprayed with a diluted milk mixture, 8 parts water to 1 part milk. I used 2% because that’s what I had, any cows milk should do. I made sure to cover well including tops and bottoms of leaves, and the stems. I will repeat every week or so as needed to keep the powdery mildew at bay. Interestingly you will actually want to do this in bright sun. It’s said that the milk protein creates an antiseptic effect when exposed to sunlight.
If you have any plants that are fully covered, you will need to remove them sadly.
Do you have a different method for treating powdery mildew? Let me know! Happy growing! 🌱
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