[Fisherman]

Cucurbits - Squash, Pumpkins, Courgettes

Any experts got any advice on how to prevent Mildew on the above. Every year at this time my plants get covered in Mildew. I have tried diluted milk sprayed on the leaves with limited success and other so called preventative sprays.

Is it best to leave the fruit on the plants to ripen even though the leaves are covered in Mildew.

Cucumbers are OK in the greenhouse. Melons are fine because I haven't grown any 

[JayG]

I suspect a few people might disagree with me here but I'll say it anyway: cucurbits are not native to this country and our growing season is usually neither long nor warm enough to be ideal for them, so they tend to finish a bit sooner (or start later!) than you would like, and mildew is nature's way of starting the process of recycling the plant  for next year.

I've never seen the actual fruits damaged by mildew, so as long as there is a bit of life left in the plant itself you might as well leave the fruits to develop as much as possible.

[Fisherman]

Thanks JayG. My intention at the moment is to leave the fruit on as long as possible irrespective of the Mildew damage. As yet the fruit are unaffected by the Mildew.

[solway cropper]

I just snip off the mildewed leaves and let the rest of the plant get on with it. Never had any problems with mildewed fruit and, to be honest, after harvesting nearly 50 cukes so far this year I'm starting to wish they would give up!!

[mumofstig]

I just snip off the mildewed leaves and let the rest of the plant get on with it. Never had any problems with mildewed fruit and, to be honest, after harvesting nearly 50 cukes so far this year I'm starting to wish they would give up!!

My cues did give up ...........the courgettes now...they're a different matter

[andy135]

My two Q plants were suffering quite badly. I lost the early fruit as it just failed to swell. I stripped all the infected leaves off and sprayed with milk, but it really didn't do much good.
When we got a touch of blight on the alottments I sprayed my spuds with the dithane replacement product, I think it's called Fruit and Vegetable Disease Control Fungicide (Bayer)
, and I sprayed my indoor toms with it. Some of the overspray went onto my Q's and after about a week they started picking up. I now have seven new cucumbers swelling nicely.