Every amateur gardener who has had zucchini in the vegetable garden at least once has had to fight with powdery mildew. Powdery mildew on zucchini begins suddenly and the fungal spores spread quickly. The affected plants can die. Fortunately, there is a home remedy that is effective against mildew: skimmed milk.
Recognize and treat mildew on zucchini organically
At first there are just several white dots on the surface of the zucchini's leaves. After a few days, the entire leaves are covered with a white coating. Every hobby gardener knows that it is mildew.
The cause of the disease is a fungus that usually overwinters in the soil or directly on plants and spreads its spores again in warm, dry weather. The pathogen affects both zucchini and pumpkins in the vegetable patch and in the greenhouse. Other crops and ornamental plants such as cucumbers and roses also suffer from powdery mildew - the signs of the disease are the same, but the pathogen is a different fungus. That's why only those of the neighboring plants in the vegetable patch are therePumpkins from an infestationat risk and should be checked regularly. If the disease has not yet spread, removing the diseased parts of the plant can be the first step. However, if the entire plant is infected, it must be treated.
To avoid re-infestation and speed up healing, you should also:
- Thin out the affected plants to improve air circulation.
- Adjust fertilizer doses until you have solved the problem. The fungus spreads particularly quickly on young leaves and shoots.
- Only water the zucchini from below.
- Keep the humidity in the greenhouse below 70%.
- If you have successfully combated the mildew, you can strengthen the plants with field horsetail broth.
This remedy helps against powdery mildew: instructions
Skimmed milk and buttermilk have proven to be helpful remedies against powdery mildew. They have a similar effect to whole milk, but are low in fat and therefore have no unpleasant smell.
Treatments should begin at the first signs of fungal infection. Spray affected plants 2 times a week in dry weather and 3 times a week in rain. Continue treatments for at least a month to prevent recurrence. It is very important that you wet the leaves well above and below. The same applies to shoots and flowers. If there is already fruit, spray the fruit too. The soil in the root area should be treated with the spray.
The best time to spray the plants depends on the weather. If the days are sunny and warm, spray the plants late in the afternoon. If it rains, it is best to spray early in the morning. It is best to wear rubber gloves, which you can then either disinfect with denatured alcohol or dispose of with household waste. The mildew fungus can cause allergies and is best not to come into contact with the skin.
Milk against mildew on zucchini: mixing ratio and application
The recipe for the home remedy with skimmed milk is very simple. You mix milk and water in a ratio of 1 to 9 and pour the solution into a spray bottle. Then wet all parts of the plant with the home remedy and pour the rest onto the ground around the plants.
Powdery mildew on zucchini: are the fruits edible?
The fruits that are not affected can be harvested, washed and eaten. We advise against eating the infected fruits - the fungus is said to not be dangerous to humans, but can trigger allergic reactions.
Can you compost the diseased plant parts?
According to the Federal Environment Agency, you can compost the diseased parts as long as you cover them with garden soil or plant material immediately afterwards. This means the spores are not spread further in the garden. If you want to be on the safe side, you can dispose of the plant parts with household waste and thus prevent the fungus from spreading next year. Because the pathogen can survive in the compost heap until next year.
Also interesting:Fight mildew with home remedies: What you can do against powdery mildew and downy mildew!
