Powdery mildew on a delphinium. How to get rid of?

Delphinium is a beautiful decorative flower that can perfectly add to any garden bed. The choice of landscape designers falls on this particular plant for its availability and the fact that it is easy to care for it, and it has a long flowering period. but situations may arise that can spoil the beauty of this plant. one of these unpleasant situations can be the appearance of powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is a fungal type of disease. the ground parts of the plant are primarily exposed. whitish bloom can be seen on the leaves and stems. If you take a microscope and point at this plaque, you can see that the plaque is the thin filaments of the fungus - the mycelium, which actively begins to grow and its small spores begin to crumble all over the leaves, resembling the type of flour. Most often, powdery mildew on this plant can be found in the summer. although the pores of the fungus are characteristic of reproduction in all weather conditions, but most of them happen when there is high humidity and cool air outside. At first, a grayish-white bloom can be noticed on the leaves, after which the leaves turn brown and begin to fall off. Then the stems of the plant are also infected, which has a detrimental effect on the entire bush. If the autumn is rainy, you may notice the appearance of downy mildew. On the leaves, you can see the appearance of a mealy white fungus. Only the lesion occurs at the bottom of the leaf.

What are the causes of powdery mildew.

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease, the spores of which live in the soil, which is their natural habitat. In order for the dew to begin to manifest itself, certain conditions must be created. The reproduction of spores and the spread of dew occurs when the temperature regime drops to 12-15 degrees, and this temperature should be kept for a long period of time. This is what will be the signal for the fungus. To keep your plant from getting this disease, the plant needs to be given proper care. The appearance of powdery mildew can be observed:

• Improper watering. The soil can be either excessively wet (up to 18%), or, conversely, the soil becomes too dry, and you start flooding it with water.
• Deficiency of nutrients or, on the contrary, their excess. This is especially true for fertilizers containing nitrogen.
• The planting is too thick.
• The weather conditions were wet and rainy.

As you can see, the appearance of the fungus is directly related to the care of the plant. You also need to understand that fungal spores are characterized by rapid spread. They can be carried by wind, animals, water and even human hands. For this reason, if you worked with a diseased plant, then you should definitely wash your hands with soap and water, and only then take care of a healthy bush. If you neglect this rule, then you can create conditions for the infection of other, healthy plants.

Pest control.

As soon as you notice that the plant is sick with powdery mildew, you need to take measures as soon as possible to combat this disease. The first step is to remove the affected foliage, they must be burned. After that, you need to stop watering the plant and you can not make any fertilizers. If necessary, then you need to thin out the bush. As we said earlier, the spores of the fungus live in the soil, so it would be a good idea to collect the upper part of it. Such measures will help you reduce the spread of the disease, but you will not be able to defeat it.After that, the soil and foliage of the plant is subject to processing with the help of special means. it is also possible to use folk remedies that also fight this disease well.

Among folk remedies, a solution has proven itself well, which is based on laundry soap (5 g) and soda ash (25 g). These substances must be diluted in hot water (5 l). when the solution has cooled, you can spray the plant. the procedure can be repeated in a week. Also, whey is also good, which must be diluted in water (1:10). Spraying takes place within 7 days, every 3 days. A decoction of horsetail has proven itself quite well. To prepare it, you need to take fresh grass (100 g) and pour 1 liter of boiling water over it. Let the broth brew for 1 day. Before you start using it, you need to refrigerate and strain. The broth has sufficient concentration. Before you start using it, it must be diluted 1: 5. A dark and cool place is suitable for storing the solution. shelf life is not more than 7 days. Treatment of affected bushes must be carried out 1 time in 5 days. The number of sprays is no more than 4. Many gardeners use a solution of copper sulfate and soap. To do this, take copper sulfate (5 g) and soap (50 g). The ingredients are dissolved in 5 liters of water. But it is important to keep in mind that copper sulfate must first be diluted separately, after which it can be mixed with a soapy solution. With the help of such a solution, plants are sprayed once every 5-6 days.

You can also use dry mustard. For watering the bush, take 2 tablespoons. dry mustard and dissolve in 10 liters of water. It is also possible to use cow dung. However, it is important to use last year's manure. To prepare the product, you will need to stock up on a little time. Manure must be diluted with water (1: 3) and infused for 3 days. The resulting infusion must be diluted with water (1: 2). It is also possible to use copper sulfate with soda ash. Apply it as follows:

• In spring, the plant must be sprayed with a solution of vitriol - 80 g per 10 liters of water.
• After flowering ends, use soda ash - 50 g per 10 liters of water.

This method can be used for prevention purposes. In the fight against the disease, colloidal sulfur has also proven itself well. Colloidal sulfur (10 g) is taken and diluted in 10 liters of water. If folk remedies have not brought the desired result, then gently resort to special chemicals. Among the fungicides to combat powdery mildew are:

• Topaz is well suited against various fungal diseases. They are sprayed with plants 1 time in 15 days.
• Tilt CE is a systemic fungicide. Well suited as a preventive measure.
• No less effective drugs: Skor, Bayleton, Fundazol, Vitaros, Acrobat MC, Sulfarid, Previkur and other drugs with a similar effect.

Preventive measures.

If you want to avoid the appearance of powdery mildew on your plant, you must strictly follow the rules regarding plant cultivation. planting bushes must be done at the proper distance, thinning out overgrown plantings, those leaves that will touch the soil will need to be removed. Watering and feeding should be moderate, there should be no overdoing, and there should not be a deficit.