RE: [gardeners] Weekend report
Margaret Lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Tue, 19 Aug 2003 06:25:52 -0600
I hear milk spray kills powdery or downy mildews. concentrations of 1/4
milk, 3/4 water usually does the trick. If it comes back, spray
again. Margaret L
>My sympathy for your poor roses, Ron.
>
>My tomatoes are not making flowers at the moment - it's been too
>warm! But the fruits that are already set are happily ripening. The
>peppers are, as you say, coming on like gangbusters.
>
>I always get powdery mildew. I had some cukes which produced very nicely
>for me for a while, and then stopped - partly from neglect while I was
>busy with medical stuff, but partly because they had the powdery
>mildew. I pulled them. I have also pulled a squash - it produced very
>nicely and hadnt stopped producing delicious yellow squashes but it had
>the powdery mildew and was overgrowing its allotted space! A third squash
>is mildly affected but continues to produce.
>
>In answer to your question about the absence of moisture, "powdery mildew
>spores are carried by wind to new hosts. Although humidity requirements
>for germination vary, all powdery mildew species can germinate and infect
>in the absence of free water. In fact, spores of some powdery mildew fungi
>are killed and germination is inhibited by water on plant surfaces for
>extended periods." This quote is from the Powdery Mildew article at
>http://ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7406.html
>
>
>
>Jeanne in S. Orange County, CA