Powdery Mildew

Powdery Mildew Intro

Sooner or later we all eventually encounter the dreaded powdery mildew syndrome! Dealing with it is a bit of a challenge, not just to stop it, but to prevent it as well. Once you have established that you do indeed have powder mildew, then begin the steps to stop and prevent it. Don’t forget to treat your soil along with your plants or your problem will persist. Remove any heavily affected leaves that are on the plant to speed up the recovery. To keep the fungi from developing a resistance to your homemade spray, it is recommended that you alternate remedies each week.

Solutions

This affective method of treating the mildew is a baking soda solution. Mix 1 TBS baking soda to 1 gallon water then apply to all parts of plant and leaf surfaces, apply every 4 days until problem is under control.

Potassium Carbonate is another way of treatment for this problem. Its like baking soda but has a higher ph. and is less harsh on your plant. 1 TBS per gallon of water every 4 days until problem is under control.

Trifecta crop control is a third treatment to cure powdery mildew. 2 oz per gallon of water, soak plants, repeat as needed every 4 days till resolved.

Milk and water mixture treatment.  Mix the milk solution in an ordinary pump spray bottle, 1 part milk: 10 parts water. It is believed that naturally-occurring compounds in the milk not only combat the disease, but also boost the plant’s immune system.

Neem oil will also work for powdery mildew but be aware neem oil can very easily suffocate and kill your plants. Neem oil has mixed reviews on its effectiveness to treat powdery mildew but it can be added to the above mixtures for an extra boost.

How to Avoid Powdery Mildew

Proper air circulation is a must for all grow rooms. Stagnant air causes funguses.

Keep humidity at 40 to 50 % at all times after seedling or young clones.

Make sure your temperatures do not vary over 10 to 12 degrees from day to night.

Remember cleanliness is the key to a completely successful growing experience!