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Kalamazoo, MI (zemmie640@yahoo.com)

Hi all

Sorry if this has been covered before...

We were told to spray a 10 to 1 hydrogen peroxide solution on our plants to control powdery mildew. We didn't get specific instructions, however, so we have a few questions.

1. Do we spray the entire plant as a preventative, or just the affected leaves as a control? Our PM is not bad, limited to a few leaves per plant. We are currently spraying Daconil.

2. Will the peroxide spray interfere with or affect our fungicide/insecticide chemicals?

3. What effect, if any, will this have on beneficial fungi/bacteria? We are using myco and compost tea.

Also, Tremor, what is Nova and what can you tell us about it? We were told to alternate that with the Daconil, but since I'm strictly organic except for the AGs, I have no idea what it is. I'd love some recommendations/instructions...

Thanks a lot!

Cheers,
Kel

8/5/2008 11:43:59 PM

Sparta, NC

Sulfur fungicide also works well on PM but be careful when temps are high.

8/6/2008 6:43:22 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Kel,

I don't want to sound too negative but this is not a good crop to grow if the inputs must be 100% natural organic.

This is a tough time of year to address such a broad subject. At the risk of sounding rude, try using the search feature for some of the key words in your post. Once you get past the diaries there is a wealth of quality info buried on this website.

Here's what I can do now---

There are lot's of sprays that control PM better than peroxide with much less chance of damaging the plants.

Milk controls PM if it's sprayed every week. Rates vary from 10-40% concentrations. Some folks add refined summer spray oil.

Armicarb (like baking soda) also works. Used with & w/o oil.

Your Q's:
1. I would spray all leaf bottoms with any PM treatment.
2. Only if the other treatment hasn't dried in which case it'll be washed off.
3.Peroxide will smoke your beneficials but so will just about anything else.

Compost Tea doesn't control diseases. Besides some anecdotal suggestions, there is NOT EVEN A SINGLE PUBLISHED STUDY to prove ACT controls diseases.

Nova is the agriculture verion of myclobutanil. The Pro Turf & Ornamental version is Eagle. It's the back-bone of my spray program. Best PM fungicide bar none.

Outa time

8/6/2008 12:00:11 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Milk is natural organic - peroxide is not.

8/6/2008 12:01:17 PM

Western NY

I'd go with milk.

8/6/2008 1:26:53 PM

Kalamazoo, MI (zemmie640@yahoo.com)

Ummmmm, I guess I must have been misunderstood. Let me clarify a few things.

Tremor ---
I am organic EXCEPT for our pumpkin plants. I do not expect to grow a pumpkin organically - there would be no point in trying. I meant that since I don't have a lot of knowledge of chemicals I have no idea what Nova is. I actually DID search for peroxide on this site and found some very conflicting posts, which left me wondering what to do. I simply forgot to search for Nova, frankly, because it was late and I remembered about it at the last minute and I added it to my post without thinking. I realize everyone is busy right now, so you have my deepest apologies for making you take time out of your schedule to answer questions that have been asked before. You are correct, I certainly can find any information I need about Nova on this or any other website. Next time I'll think twice before I post and consider the new grower's forum if I suspect my questions may be redundant.

In reference to my third question: I never said that we were using tea or myco to control diseases. That is quite laughable. I was simply trying to say that we are using myco and tea to encourage the growth of beneficials in our soil, and we didn't want to use peroxide if it would harm those beneficials.

Thanks for the information you provided me.

Kel

8/6/2008 5:18:45 PM