Powedery Mildew

[Hillwalker]

Spent the best part of Sunday spraying my strawberries (c.200 plants) to try and stop a return of powder mildew spreading. It was my own fault, I didn't cut everything down and spray the crowns at the end of the season. Last year's outbreak was soul-destroying, it ruined virtually all of my crop, just as they were ripening.

Anyone else had an outbreak yet?

[Hillwalker]

A week later and the corner of garden which got it worst, containing: Cambridge Late Pine, Gariguette and Chelsea Pensioner varieties now look unsalvageable. It's spread to another corner of the garden which I'm now about to spray with a product I bought from the States - GreenCure fungicide for curing and preventing powdery mildew, blights, molds and other plant diseases I'll let you know how it fares.

[Hillwalker]

Following on from yesterday's post: After I'd finished spraying the strawberries, I rechecked an Elstar apple tree I'd planted earlier in the year. Recently, all the leaves had started to curl badly and I didn't know why. Last night I noticed the same powdery mildew affecting my strawberries on the apple tree's leaves

This is odd, as although the appearance and symptoms are exactly the same on both plants, they are supposed to be affected by different strains? Whatever strain is in our garden is a particularly nasty one. The tree has now been given a good covering of Systhane fungicide.

I am now getting paranoid about my raspberry and blackberry plants!

[purplekat]

Sounds heartbreaking. I've not noticed any mildew yet in my garden although a few plants got it badly last year. Hope you manage to get it under control
I remember reading that it seems to be worst when the ground is dry and the air moist and still.

Trouble is as you've found, if the infected leaves aren't destroyed (burn or bin) the spores tend to keep spreading.

[evvy2]

I used to get it on my vine but since I moved the greenhouse the vine is growing outdoors and seems to be ok up to now. Fingers crossed.

[chris]

Had it on my gooseberries last year.. not sure if I would have had it this year as my chickens stripped the bush!

Hope you get it sorted HW - sounds nasty.