Powdery Mildew

I  brought these daisies home from work thinking they would be comfy in our planter window. Soon after they settled in powdery mildew struck. Slowly, one by one, the mildew took over a large percentage of the leaves and sucked the life right out of them. I cut off the infected leaves thinking part of the problem was due to poor circulation since the foliage was so dense. That seemed to act as a speed bump for the powdery mildew and soon enough it resurfaced.  I was sure to give the plant plenty of moving air, kept temps within the ideal range, and was sure not to over water. Luckily, I was able to keep this powdery mildew from spreading to nearby plants.

Since I couldnt just cut out the problem, I tried a baking soda wash I read about online. A simple mixture of baking soda, water, and liquid soap. No luck. The infected leaves once again were cut. At this point most of the leaves were gone and I was desperate. If the remaining leaves had to be removed the plant would surely suffer. I’m not completely discounting the baking soda treatment, though. If I had started treatment immediately and had more time to wait for it to kick in, it may have worked just fine. But I was running out of leaves to cut.

My choices for treatment at the local nursery were a sulfur treatment or a non-toxic fungicide. I chose the later.

This serenade garden brand fungicide is chemical free and can be used on foliage and fruit. Simply follow the mixing instructions and spray the plant well. Soak all of the crevices and bottoms of leaves. Word of advice- if you’re treating house plants, treat them outside. This fungicide has a sour smell that I sure wouldnt want in my house. Yuck.

Now, we wait it out. I will post an update in a few weeks…hopefully of a powdery mildew free plant!