Powdery Mildew on my courgette plant - leave it? Treat it? How if so?

[Russel Sprout]

Hi all

Sorry to be back again so quick with another question.

I have a courgette plant with powdery mildew (at least that's what I think it is checking against photos online). So I've been reading up about the condition... Some say if it isn't too bad and the plant is still doing well it can be left alone. Others say to deal with it asap to stop it spreading. Others say it is tough to deal with once it is there and prevention is the cure (bit late for that now, but at least I'll learn for next year). It is in a bed with another courgette plant (at the back), a large pumpkin plant, and a squash plant.

So just wondering what you peeps would recommend I do.

Many thanks

Max

[happyhumph]

I tend to just chop off any leaves that are badly affected and make sure I water well if dry. Mind you, I don't tend to get it till a bit later on than now. It looks like youve got some younger leaves coming through so maybe chop some of the worst affected ones?

You don't look like you've planted them particularly close (at least compared to mine - I can't see the ground! ) so that's probably not the problem, could be worth looking at your soil & if it retains enough moisture.

[Bigmallly]

Well, I think those leaves are fine. I can't see any Mildew.

[Ryez]

It seems to be in only one on the plants (from the picture)? Could you maybe lift it and move it away from the others so the fungus don't spread. It looks like what may be early symptoms of it.

Some of my blueberries got it. I move them away from the rest and placed them near some of my hydrangeas, only to regret it cause now my hydrangeas got it! I do remove as many leaves I can but it gets to a point where you really don't want to defoliate the plant completely. Unfortunately this means my plants still got it, just not as bad as before. So, removing leaves helps a bit, definitely.

[muddled]

I'm not enirely convinced its powdery mildew...I see the white bits on the plant at the front but I've had plants coloured like that which were just fine.

But anyway,
As I'm sure you've read, powdery mildew like dry, stressed plants so maybe a good idea to check how damp the soil is and give the plant a feed?
Two home remedies worth researching are milk (diluted with water and sprayed on) and chive tea (which apparently has high level of sulphite...or is it sulphate? that inhibits mildew)

If you are sure its PM then you should probably take affected leaves off because its so early in the season....the plant has lots more fruit to make yet!
BUT do be sure first...it would be rotten luck to take leaves off, then it turns out it wasn't PM....and then the plant is so stressed by you taking the leaves off that it gets it anyway!

I'd feed, water, spray with either milk or chive tea and then watch closely for a bit if it were me.

A link to look at... http://www.gardenguides.com/77634-cu...cucumbers.html

[spamvindaloo]

I'm not entirely convinced its powdery mildew...I see the white bits on the plant at the front but I've had plants coloured like that which were just fine.

I agree. Do the white parts look 'powdery' or is it just a pale patterning inside the leaf which may be entirely normal?

[Nicos]

Are there 3 plants there?
The one affected looks like it's a yellow courgette...what are the other 2 .
If they are green, then I'm going to say that the marks are normal for the yellow courgette.

[bario1]

I agree, not powdery mildew, just natural patterning. I never bother treating it when it inevitably arrives anyway - I'm sick of the sight of courgettes by then. I just cut off any really sick, crispy leaves. Also, I grow Defender F1, which has been bred for resistance to powdery mildew.

[fishpond]

Leave it alone, it looks normal to me.

[ESBkevin]

Along the lines of using milk spray, you can make IMO (indigenous micro organisms) which are essencially lactobacillus (the lacto being the milk bit). These fight mildew and a dozen other conditions and empower the plant to win it's own battles. Worth a read if you have the time.

[Ryez]

I might try the milk spray on my hydrangeas!

[Penellype]

I can't see any powdery mildew on your leaves.

The 2 photos below show the difference - the first is affected by powdery mildew, the 2nd is normal.

[Russel Sprout]

Hi all

Thanks so much for the helpful replies bearing such good news! I can see now, thanks to you guys, that this is not PM but just leaf colouring. Tbh, I was starting to get a bit disheartened by how much was going wrong in the garden, so it is sweet relief to know the courgette plant is fine. I'm so glad I posted here first. I was just about ready to go out and snip off all the leaves (which would have meant the whole plant pretty much). Now that really would have been upsetting - if I later found out I had destroyed it for now reason.

I'm also now armed with some good info RE powdery mildew so I should be well equipped if/when it does strike.

Thanks for saving the day.

Max