Noticing some funky white spots forming the leaves of my plants?
This is called powdery mildew, and the best way to stop it is to catch it early! I found a natural solution that works really well, using 3 ingredients you probably already have.
Is powdery mildew harmful?
No, not to humans, anyway. Touching it or ingesting it will not make you sick. But it WILL make your plants sick, and if your plants are sick, they won’t thrive, and you’ll end up with smaller and less tasty produce.
Powdery mildew spreads very quickly and overpowers your plant. So, even if you only see a few spots, you must at quickly!
Photo Source: extension.unh.edu
So, how do you stop it?
Sure, there are lots of commercial powdery mildew sprays available for purchase, but these are full of nasties. And those spray bottles are plastic. So make your own, safe, natural solution and re-purpose a spray bottle you already have.
Recipe:
- 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda (bulk aisle, cardboard box)
- 1/2 teaspoon dish soap (refill service, bulk aisle)
- 2 cups of water
Directions:
1.) Mix well and pour into spray bottle. I got an metal attachment for mason jars to fit a spray bottle top from fillgood.co which came package-free. Then re-purposed an spray nozzle and tube from the dark ages (my pre-zero waste days) which attached perfectly.
Well, actually, the hose/tube part was a bit long (brag), and I didn’t want to cut it because I didn’t know how I would re-purpose it. So, I just sort if curled it in there, tucked it to the side, if you will. Works fine. Maybe even better.
But again, just use what you have.
2.) After the day has reached its hottest temperatures, spray the solution LIBERALLY on plant. Cover all areas affected by mildew, make sure to spray the backs of the leaves as well.
3.) Spray daily for 7-10 once a day until there are no traces of the mildew. Be sure to check on the leaves daily after treatment, if you see any spots returning give them a spray and continue a few more days.
Zero Waste California 