Powdery Mildew
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Collapse ▲Powdery Mildew is a very common fungal disease that thrives in the humid areas of North Carolina. It affects several kinds of vegetables and ornamental plants. From Crape Myrtles to cucumbers, powdery mildew is an equal opportunity offender. In reality though, the fungus responsible for this disease is not just one but a group of fungi. All of these fungi are closely related so that helps in identification. Keep in mind the first step of IPM is to identify the problem. Sometimes that means knowing what your plant looks like normally. Delicata squash have huge umbrella-like leaves that have beautiful white net-like patterns on them. Do not mistake the plant’s “normal” look for a disease symptom.
Powdery Mildew occurs when temperatures rise above 60°F. This is the perfect condition for the fungus to sporulate or produce spores. The spores travel via wind to find a suitable host to infect, spreading when conditions are most favorable. The infection begins with circular, still powdery, white spots and spread to bigger splotches that most gardeners are familiar with. Rain and wind can cause the infection to spread as well, so keep an eye on the weather if your plants are experiencing these symptoms. Water is not always a main factor, unsurprisingly, humidity can provide powdery mildew with enough moisture to sporulate. If left untreated, the fungus can overwinter on plant parts and start the process all over again.
Keep in mind that this kind of fungal disease is not lethal to the plant, but left unchecked could cause a decrease in yield. Imagine covering up a solar panel with a tarp. That panel can no longer capture sunlight efficiently. It’s the same kind of problem for plants with powdery mildew. It doesn’t hurt the plant in the long run, especially a vegetable that is going to be tossed once the edible parts are harvested, but it can be unsightly and has the potential to spread if left untreated.
Treatment is not necessary, but your threshold or capacity must be set by you as the gardener. Some people might tolerate it, while others cannot. To treat powdery mildew, you can use any fungicide that is labeled for it. Copper fungicides or synthetics would work just fine, but remember that you should read the label to ensure the frequency at which a product should be applied. Sometimes, its too late to treat with a fungicide and any subsequent application would be used to just help prevent spread. Sometimes it can be used proactively before conditions are favorable, but should only be used on high value plants that are known to suffer from Powdery Mildew. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at matt_rodriguez@ncsu.edu or 828-764-9480 and ask for Matt, The Horticulture Agent.