[harry]

I have powdery mildew on my courgette plants, what can i do to cure it and what is the cause 

Thanks

[JayG]

Firstly, are you 100% sure it's powdery mildew? Many, if not most courgette varieties have a white mottling of the leaves which is quite normal, whereas powdery mildew is a white deposit on, rather than within, the leaves.

Squashes often develop mildew by the end of the season, and it's a fungal disease which unusually is encouraged by dry conditions rather than wet, although once it gets a hold, damp, humid conditions make it worse.

Some say that spraying with diluted milk helps control it - apart from that all you can do is remove the worst of the affected leaves which will slow the spread. A liquid feed will help the plants overcome the weakening effect of the fungus and keep them producing for longer.

[Gellideg]

Harry-- I put 1 tablespoon full of bicarb of soda in approx1 gallon of water and spray with water can.Always works for me.It is not an accurate amount,if you doubled the strength as I do sometimes it still is OK.  John.

[mumofstig]

I have powdery mildew on my courgette plants, what can i do to cure it and what is the cause 

Thanks

Make sure they get enough water, they usually suffer more when the roots are dry.

[victoria park]

I think it's just nature's way of ensuring there aren't more courgettes on the planet than we need.
I've never had courgettes that don't exhibit the white looking mould, but they still produce far too many fruits

[harry]

Thanks for all the replys.

[victoria park]

As JayG mentioned above, I was talking to a plot neighbour today, and he swears by the semi-skimmed milk thing diluted by 4 times the water. His courgettes he's treated look perfect and he says you can see the leaves start to change within an hour. Must be a chemical reaction.
It's a new one on me, and I will definitely be trying this on Sunday, as toward the end of the season, the mildew can eventually overwhelm the plant. I might not need any more courgettes to eat, but it is nice to see stunning plants on your plot.