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How to Prevent and Control Powdery Mildew

powdery mildew plant disease on a yellow summer squash plant and leaves
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AJCespedes/Shutterstock

Identify the Powdery Mildew Plant Disease

Catherine Boeckmann
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Plant Diseases

Wondering about white spots and splotches on your plants? The fungal plant disease called powdery mildew is a common problem in gardens, infecting a wide variety of plants and reducing the quality and quantity of flowers and fruit. Learn how to identify, prevent, and treat powdery mildew.

What is Powdery Mildew?

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide variety of plants. There are many different species of powdery mildew, and each species attacks a range of different plants. In the garden, commonly affected plants include:

When the fungus begins to take over one of your plants, a layer of mildew made up of many spores forms across the top of the leaves. These spores are then carried to other plants by the wind. Powdery mildew can slow down the growth of your plant and, if the infection is severe enough, will reduce fruit yield and quality.  According to Gary W. Moorman, Ph.D., of Pennsylvania State University, “All the powdery mildew fungi are obligate parasites, requiring live tissue to grow and reproduce.”

How Does Powdery Mildew Spread?

Powdery mildew spores typically drift into your garden with the wind. Still, if you’ve had powdery mildew occur in the past, new outbreaks may also come from dormant spores in old vegetative material or weeds nearby.

Unlike many other fungal diseases, powdery mildew thrives in warm (60-80°F / 15-27°C), dry climates, though it does require fairly high relative humidity (i.e., humidity around the plant) to spread. In cooler, rainy areas, it does not spread as well, and it is also slowed down by temperatures higher than 90°F (32°C). It tends to affect plants in shady areas more than those in direct sun, too.

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Identification

How to Identify Powdery Mildew

  • Plants infected with powdery mildew look like they have been dusted with flour.
  • Powdery mildew usually starts as circular, powdery white spots, which can appear on leaves, stems, and sometimes fruit.
  • Powdery mildew usually covers the upper part of the leaves but may grow on the undersides as well.
  • Young foliage is most susceptible to damage. Leaves turn yellow and dry out.
  • The fungus might cause some leaves to twist, break, or become disfigured.
  • The white spots of powdery mildew will spread to cover most of the leaves or affected areas.
  • The leaves, buds, and growing tips will also become disfigured. These symptoms usually appear late in the growing season. 
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Control and Prevention

How to Prevent Powdery Mildew

As with all pests and diseases, the best means of controlling powdery mildew is proactive prevention. 

  • Choose plants for your garden that are resistant to powdery mildew. Many mildew-resistant varieties of cucurbits (melons, cucumbers, squash, etc.) have been developed and can be bought from major seed suppliers.
  • Plant in sunnier spots, as powdery mildew tends to develop more often in shady areas.
  • Selectively prune overcrowded areas to increase air circulation around your plants; this helps to reduce relative humidity.
  • Watering from overhead can help to wash spores off leaves. However, wet foliage can often contribute to developing other common diseases, so it’s best not to rely on this as a prevention tactic.

Homemade Powdery Mildew Prevention

Effective organic fungicides for treating powdery mildew include sulfur, lime-sulfur, neem oil, and potassium bicarbonate. These are most effective when used before infection or when you first see signs of the disease.

  • Baking soda has been proven by many gardeners to be effective in treating powdery mildew. Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 1 quart of water. Spray plants thoroughly, as the solution will only kill the fungus that it comes into contact with.
  • Milk spray is another effective home remedy. Dilute the milk with water (typically 1:10) and spray on roses at the first sign of infection or as a preventative measure.

Fungicides

There are many fungicides, especially for rose bushes, that are highly effective with low toxicity, no residue, and long duration. One example is Triadimefon. It can be sprayed with 1000–1200 WP of 15% wettable powder, 1 time intervals of 10 days, and 2–3 times. But check with your local nursery for fungicides approved in your area.

How to Control Powdery Mildew 

Once plants are heavily infected, it’s very difficult to get rid of the disease, so focus on preventing it from spreading to other plants. Remove all infected foliage, stems, and fruit and destroy them, either by throwing them in the trash or by burning them. Do not compost any infected plant, as the wind can still spread the disease and persist in the composted materials.

After pruning off infected parts, do not allow pruning shears to touch healthy leaves. First, sterilize your pruners with rubbing alcohol.

Plant Disease
About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
 

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Comments

Sharon Brown (not verified)

9 months 2 weeks ago

This was one of the best articles about powdery mildew that I have read thus far. I hadn't put two and two together about shade being a factor in the proliferation of PM. I have a wrap around rose bed on the east and south sides of my house. I was told that the original old roses were planted approximately 40 years ago by the previous owner. A pine tree nearby has grown so big that now the east side only gets a few hours of sun a day. That side is where I have PM problems. Between that, age and lack of sun, those roses are no longer thriving. My experience is that fungus sprays will only PM at bay. What works best for me is to spray the canes and surrounding ground after my winter pruning and cleanup. This way I can more easily get the spray all the naked canes and any spores that have fallen to the ground. Although this does not prevent it from coming back the following year, it appears to help.

Jewls (not verified)

1 year 2 months ago

You can not buy neem oil in Canada. When I asked why, they said it kills butterflies. So, it actually is harmful to our living environment. Just for that fact I will not use it even if I could get it. Just an FYI. Keep our bees and butterflies safe.

reyhan (not verified)

3 years 1 month ago

thanks alot of information

growmate (not verified)

3 years 5 months ago

Thanks for the article. I really love fighting bugs in my garden using organic fertilizers which helps me to protect my plants from any insects also preventing my plant from being damaged by chemical fertilizers. excessive use of organic fertilizers and chemicals can deplete the quality and fertility of the soil. That's why I always suggest using organic soil fertilizers in any garden, Thanks for the blog btw

Tammy McIntosh (not verified)

3 years 8 months ago

I have a voluntary watermelon that has grown around a cement bench where my grandsons sat and ate watermelon. It has grown huge & I can't even see the bench anymore but a couple days ago I noticed white powdery looking spots on the leaves at the back of the plant and today I saw that it has spread to more of the leaves. What is this and how do I fix it? Please help I really wanted the kids to eat a watermelon from the surprise plant that grew for them. What can I do to save it?

Sarah O (not verified)

2 years 11 months ago

I think you should spray it with lime sulfur for powdery mildew. It's safe to spray on food. Read directions. Maybe try to put something near the root stem to give it a little shade and water if dry. It must get mighty hot in the concrete. Do not we the leaves if possible. I'm no expert, but that's what I would do!

Mike (not verified)

3 years 11 months ago

Powdery mildew affects my peonies every year. Fortunately, it has not spread to nearby plantings and it doesn't occur until about a month after bloom. But that ruins the foliage of the peony plant, of course, which is otherwise lovely even without blooms. I use a neem oil spray every couple days and in between, just spray down the entire plant with a moderate pressure shower. This helps to at least reduce the unsightly blight but getting rid of it entirely, let's be honest, probably impossible for anyone. I'm just glad it doesn't affect anything else. Small gifts...

Karen Montgomery (not verified)

3 years ago

I’ve had this problem too with some of my perennials. So far I have found using the neem oil when they are young helps to keep it away. So try spraying them now, before the mold has a chance. 🙏🏻🤞

karin ann warren (not verified)

3 years 11 months ago

Your advice and information was very helpful.
thank you

Deborah (not verified)

3 years 11 months ago

I try pruning back to allow more air flow and old milk mixed 1:1 with water. If that doesn’t work an organic spray like Triple Action will also work.