Powdery mildew control

Swing Swang · « **on:** July 28, 2009, 21:26 »

Bother! My gem squash have come down with powdery mildew; actually the ones in the open are fine, it's the ones that are running through the sweetcorn that are afflicted (I guess that it's a microclimate problem, but I'm sure taht it will spread). They're normally only attacked in late September, by which time they're coming to the end of their lives so I pull off the worst of the leaves and accept that it's a battle that I don't need to win. But it's July and I want to go on cropping for some time yet. Any suggestions?

SS

Brambles · « **Reply #1 on:** July 28, 2009, 21:36 »

In the greenhouse I have found that milk/water solution works just fine.... this is on cucumbers, have not yet tried it on pumpkin/squashes/courgettes, but same family so it should work

Plot22 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 28, 2009, 22:03 »

I have exactly the same problem. All my various squash and pumpkins are doing fine, except a Tom Fox pumpkin which is crawling in amongst some sweetcorn and sunflowers which have enormous leaves. I am going to try the milk/water spray thing tomorrow.

Swing Swang · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2009, 23:07 »

Thanks for the advice on milk, whilst searching for dilutions (the consensus seems to be 10%-30% in water) I came across this which seems interesting:

Seems as though potassium bicarbonate might do the trick too and it might even be legal to use it in the EEC too:

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/bakingsoda.html
http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/approvals.asp?id=1054

Of course if I were to use a packet of Resolve (Paracetamol 1000mg, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) 30mg, Sodium bicarbonate 808mg, Citric acid (anhydrous) 1185mg, Sodium carbonate (anhydrous) 153mg, Potassium bicarbonate 715mg) as a readily available source of potassium bicarbonate I'd probably be breaking the law because of the other stuff in it. It's OK to drink but not to spray on your plants!

So to be strictly legal anyone know where I can get hold of small quantities of cheap, food grade, potassium bicarbonate?

SS

Salmo · « **Reply #4 on:** July 28, 2009, 23:18 »

Milk diluted 9:1, skimmed avoids any smell.

or 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate) per gallon of water. Sold by chemists for treating indigestion. It is the main ingredient of baking powder but that has tartartic acid added. Not to be confused with washing soda (sodium carbonate) or caustic soda.

or sulphur sold as wetable sulphur from your garden centre

Swing Swang · « **Reply #5 on:** July 29, 2009, 08:41 »

Thanks Salmo,

Off to B**ts it is then,

SS

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Powdery mildew control

Swing Swang

Powdery mildew control

Brambles

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Plot22

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Swing Swang

Re: Powdery mildew control

Salmo

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Swing Swang

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