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Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

I've been told to spray a cup of whole milk/per gallon of water onto my plants for powdery mildew. Does this kill the mildew or prevent it's spread? Is whole milk better than skim? What time of day should I spray this? Is a wetting agent recommended? Will my plants smell like sour milk?

9/18/2009 10:55:18 AM

Wallingford,CT

look for the link on the left to read the information about milk and powdery mildew.

www.team-pumpkin.org

9/18/2009 2:46:58 PM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

The milk treatment neither kills the Mildew or prevents its spread. One you have it, its too late for milk! What the milk does is, raise the pH on the leaf surface preventing infection in the first place. it must be applied weekly or more often if there is a rain event. Minimum 10% solution. Lower fat is better than higher fat. High fat milk will just stink.

Adding 1 TBS per gallon baking soda helps a lot. Some folks will add 1 TBS per gal horticulture oil. This is acting as a sticker.

9/19/2009 9:32:23 AM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

Thanks Bart and John. About one week till picking time, I'm just going to ride it out. Powdery mildew prevention will be considered for next season.

9/19/2009 2:01:57 PM

Bakersfield, California

Hello. I'm new here, so please bear with me as I read the vast amount of previously written information.

Anyway, I'm growing pumpkins for the first time in about 30 years, and I have a question about powdery mildew, as well...

First, I'm growing Wee-B-Little and Summer Ball varieties (I have a small garden patch, and needed smaller fruit and more bush-style plants), and I have noticed that these plants began to contract Powdery Mildew very early. I had 8 zucchini plants in roughly the same spot in the Spring, which also contracted Powdery Mildew (but which produced in great abundance, anyway). So, my question is, is the mildew a persistent fungus? Meaning, will it over-winter in the ground and possibly affect my crops next Spring, as well?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

10/24/2009 1:05:18 AM

McMinnville, Oregon

After competing w/ powdery mildew every year using very expensive and nasty chemicals I decided to look in my western garden book my wife gave me 10yrs ago? It suggested the baking soda remedy. I also quized a very succesful grower at the PGVG spring tour? and he uses milk & baking soda with no problems? His thought was the milk acted as a sticker?? of coarse you have to start early as a preventative. somtimes simple is better?

1/16/2010 1:41:22 AM

France

I agree , Milk is a natural "wetter" and prevents PM. Baking soda prevents also PM. So it seems a good idea to add 1TB like said John.

1/16/2010 7:06:20 AM