Sunday, 13 September 2009

Is it powdery mildew???

OK everyone.......so this is what my marrows looked like when I went and visited my allotment this weekend.

Is this powdery mildew????

marrows
the marrows

If it is...will it cause any damage to the ripe produce on the plants??? Is it OK to put these leaves on the compost heap??? Is there anyway to prevent this happening??? Do we know why this happens???

cucumbers
the cucumbers

The cucumber don't look quite like the marrows but it seems they could go that way...they appear to be dying off though..is this just from the cold spell we had?? Does powdery mildew spread??

I know it isn't much of a post but I really do want the answers and whilst I will also look in my books and stuff I think here is a great place to have easy reference!!!
Posted by Tanya Walton

at 16:12

9 comments:

  1. 1. Yes it is powdery mildew.

    2. No it should not affect the fruit that is ready for picking but it does slow the plants ability to produce and so late in the season the plant will be giving up anyway.

    3. I compost mine but there are others that say it shouldn't be composted.

    4. I have been told that stressed plants are more susceptible to getting it and prolonged drought can be a major factor as the plants natural immunity has been weakened. also when the plants are nearing the end of their usefulness they have a tendency to succumb, so it is fairly normal to see it near the end of the growing season.

    5. Like I said keeping the plant healthy and well watered but not waterlogged should help the plants to fight off the disease but some varieties in the cucurbit family are more prone to the disease than some. also try and not cause over crowding as reduced air flow can increase the risks as well.

    6. cucumbers belong the cucurbit family as well so they can succumb to the same diseases but your might be succumbing due to them reaching the end of their season (so a combination of die back and mildew, plus mine where noticeably affected by the recent drop in temps too). the disease is spread from one plant to the other by spores, but like i said not all are susceptible and this year I grew many varieties of squash together with some showing signs rubbing shoulder with others which weren’t affected in the least.

    7. This year I also got a lot of powdery mildew on a variety of my plants, I think my plants simply didn’t get watered enough. But I was able to keep the worst of it at bay with watering the foliage both on top underneath with a solution of baking soda (mixed 1tsp to 1litre of water), it was very effective. Before watering I would remove any badly affected leaves first. Others also found a 1:10 mixture of full fat milk also works but being vegan I don’t have that readily at hand in the house for swift action.

    I hope this helped.
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  2. Hi Kella...thanks for all the info and also for the tips on preventing and treating...this is exactly what I was after and I'm sure anyone else reading my blog will find your comments useful!!!
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  3. I think Kella has given a comprehensive answer for you there. The courgette plant I had in a container at home succumbed to powdery mildew early in the season, but the plant on the allotment is still going. This is probably due to water restrictions in the container. I don't compost plants with powdery mildew, just to be on the safe side.
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  4. I found it useful! Interesting as my Swiss Chard has had it for the last 2 years at the end of the season. I've probably neglected watering somewhat recently as I tend not to be so vigilant when the hot weather stops. Thanks for that.
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  5. I find in our area, it gets especially bad in late summer when there's high humidity. We get a lot of dew at night is this season. And yes, the baking soda treatment worked very well for me, too. Good luck!
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  6. Yes, Tanya, it is PM. Mine get it every year end of Aug/start of Sept. They won't produce much more marrow, I'm afraid. But hey; you probably got far, far too many anyway!!
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  7. There appears to be a lot of it about this year. It can even be found on many of the older oak trees. I have it on my Goji berry bushes, several varieties of daisies and many other plants in the border. Perhaps it is due to the unusual weather we seem to be experiencing.
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  8. Thanks for all the info...it's great to have you all coming by to read my blog and I hope you continue to enjoy what I (or others in my comments section) have to say. I have decided not to compost the leaves...no point tempting fate!!!
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  9. Hi

    Think my recipe links are fixed again!!

    Good Luck with your allotment, hope it all sorts itself out!
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keep it clean...keep it relevant...I look forward to reading your comments!!

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