Have you heard of downy mildew? The chances are good that if you haven’t, you’ve still seen it. Depending on various conditions, diseases can reach up to 80% of the plant population!
To better understand ways of controlling downy mildew, you must recognize its appearance. Keep reading to learn everything you need on this subject.
What Is Downy Mildew?
Downy mildew is a disease that affects plants. It will appear as white or yellow patches on the upper parts of the leaves. The underside areas get covered with gray or white fungi that look like cotton.
Downy mildew appears during the cool weather months. That could mean it shows up in the fall or spring seasons. The fungal spore can get transferred by rain, insects, wind, or garden tools.
The patches get noticed more after a rainfall. They tend to disappear once the weather gets warm and the rain dries off the plants. When the disease gets worse, the leaves may dry up and turn brown.
Controlling Downy Mildew
Avoidance is one of the best downy mildew tips. Downy mildew needs a moist environment to thrive. Try to keep the plant leaves from getting wet.
Water your plants from below the leaves. That will help keep them dry. Wet leaves give downy mildew a way to set in and infect the plant.
When you see leaves that contain downy mildew, you should pick those off. That will keep them from contaminating other areas of the plant.
Keep a watchful eye during cooler months and after heavy rains. Understanding downy mildew patterns help you know how to check for symptoms. Simulating warmer weather may help avoid any plant infection.
If plants do get wet, avoid prolonged periods. Open vents and doors to encourage air circulation. Controlling downy mildew means keeping plants as dry as possible.
Treating Downy Mildew
If you notice your crops have downy mildew, plan to rotate them next planting season. That helps avoid infection from soil-borne spores.
Water plants in the morning so they can dry out during the day. That helps with controlling downy mildew spread to other plants.
Pull up weeds around the plants. You want to get air movement because it prevents downy mildew spread. Fewer weeds mean less contamination.
Use a broad-spectrum chemical like Stargus to treat and control infection. That will treat the spread longer because you can apply it more than once. It provides extended relief from downy mildew for a week or longer at the time.
Downy Mildew Tips
One of the critical downy mildew tips is to keep your plants from getting it. Proper garden hygiene is crucial to keep downy mildew from taking over your crops. If your plants become infected, remember drying them can contain severe outbreaks.
Using safe chemicals can help speed up the process of elimination when it comes to possible infection. With this downy mildew guide, you can have beautiful, healthy plants free from disease! Be sure to read our other articles for more helpful guides like this one!
