Powdery mildew on petunia

Petunia is a favorite plant of many gardeners. Pots with these flowers decorate balconies and verandas. Unfortunately, the plant is prone to fungal diseases. Powdery mildew on petunias is far from uncommon.

Powdery mildew on petunia. Some information about the plant itself

Petunia is a plant that is the most important decoration of any garden plot, window sill or any terrace, as well as flower beds. Petunia is distinguished by incredibly beautiful inflorescences, various colors. And also by the fact that, in principle, it is quite resistant to various diseases and environmental influences.

A flower came to us from Brazil. But very quickly it spread almost everywhere. And therefore, now it takes root even in the most diverse territories. A little later, this flower will itself be at the head of a separate floral species. A huge number of varieties and varieties of petunias have appeared.

In our country, petunia began to spread actively from about the 40s of the 19th century. Not only smooth petal varieties were bred, but also terry, multi-colored petunias. Further, petunias with large flowers were created, which had various colors and shades, aromas.

Some varieties can give off bright and persistent aromas. Some varieties may not produce any aromas at all. In addition, very soon ampelous and cascading varieties of petunias were bred, which can grow much faster and more actively than the most common varieties. And this is also their advantage. Indeed, at the same time, petunias remain the same not capricious and unpretentious.

If you give the petunia enough light, as well as moisture, then new shoots are formed much faster, and many side shoots can amaze with their number.

Now gardeners prefer small-flowered petunias. The diameter of one flower does not exceed four centimeters. At the same time, the bushes look incredibly attractive and decorative. Since the hat is really distinguished by its splendor and an abundance of flowering. At the same time, such petunias are also suitable for growing in personal plots, in flower beds, as well as in flowerpots or hanging pots.

Petunias become an irreplaceable and incredibly attractive decoration of any home or plot. Multi-colored petunias also look very decorative and attractive.

At the same time, these flowers are completely unpretentious if we are talking about specific care measures and measures. But if the gardener does not devote enough time and attention to the plant, then it may turn out that the plant will start to hurt.

Most often, petunias are subject to diseases such as powdery mildew or gray rot. There may also be a slow flow of the black leg, causing the plant to slowly but surely die. And sometimes the gardener does not even notice that the plant is susceptible to some kind of disease. In this article, we'll take a closer look at how powdery mildew affects petunias. And what needs to be done in order for the fight against petunias to be as effective and efficient as possible.

Petunias got sick with powdery mildew - causes and signs of the disease

Often, gardeners or landscape designers who do not have sufficient experience in gardening may notice that a white bloom appears on the leaves of petunias. They do not know at all what needs to be done to combat this, and what to do when such an atypical raid appears.

This plaque is a sure sign that the plant has been affected by powdery mildew.The disease is triggered by fungal spores, which become incredibly active directly in wet weather, when excessive rainfall is noted.

For this reason, the gardener is required to observe the regime and schedule of irrigation and make sure that there is no stagnation of water or excessive waterlogging of the soil.

There are several powdery mildew pathogens:

• the condition of the soil in which the flower was planted, and some bacteria that just multiplied in it
• water used to water petunias
• fungi and spores can be carried by wind or other insects from neighboring, already infested plants.

Also, the cause of the spread of spores and fungus may be the person himself. He can carry them with the tools with which he processes the plants, as well as with clothes, with his hands.

Air humidity ranging from 60 to 80%. Lowering the temperature to 18 degrees. All these conditions become ideal for the disease to proceed very actively. And so that, as a result, the plant has practically no chance to develop normally. To a particular extent, fungi take root well if there is an excess of nitrogen in the soil. Since the fungus feels great in such conditions, it can infect the soil far beyond the plant itself.

Signs of powdery mildew

If the petunias are planted too close to each other, then they are practically not ventilated, they do not receive enough oxygen. Because of this, spores of fungi can also form in plants, which like to feast on the plant, gradually destroying it.

It is best to thin out such plantings so that they are ventilated. And then the risk of the disease is noticeably reduced. In general, this form of planting can also become more favorable and an increase in the decorative features and properties of the plant can be noticed.

Powdery mildew can be recognized by the fact that a pronounced white bloom appears on the leaves. It looks more like the leaves were lightly powdered, or flour has formed on them, and there seems to be nothing to worry about.

But in fact, after the powdery mildew has struck the leaves, it can very actively spread to the stems, to the buds and ready-made inflorescences. And as a result, it affects the entire plant, which dies very quickly.

Therefore, as soon as the gardener noticed the very first signs of powdery mildew, he should immediately begin treatment. Otherwise, after a while there will be absolutely no chances to heal the bushes, and they will fade and die.

For this reason, it is necessary to instantly take any measures to treat the plant, using professional preparations, as well as folk remedies that are very effective.

If the fungus settles on one leaf, then it is worth remembering that it spreads very quickly. And therefore, treatment must be started from the earliest stages of the onset and manifestation of powdery mildew.

In just a couple of days, from one leaf, the disease can move to all plantings. And then it will be even more difficult to cope with the disease. At first, small whitish spots can be seen on the leaves, which increase in size very quickly. Then the spots grow, they affect not only the leaves, but also the stems, flowers.

The disease progresses too quickly, the affected leaves turn yellow, shrink, deform, and then completely fall off. When the leaves grow back, they can be very different in appearance from normal petunia leaves. They become deformed, curled, become unsightly, completely non-decorative.

Of course, if the treatment is not started on time or all these signs are ignored altogether, then it may happen that the plant will die. And it will be impossible to save him.

Downy mildew

If there is powdery mildew, then it can also be downy mildew... It affects the exclusively green part of the plant; completely atypical pubescence can be seen on the leaves. If powdery mildew develops when the temperature drops noticeably, then downy mildew can develop when the plant is not sufficiently hydrated, experiences noticeable stress, and therefore the risk of developing various diseases increases.

If the gardener noticed that the plant showed signs of downy mildew, then it is worth using several basic methods of treating this disease at once. The choice of the method entirely depends on the capabilities and interests of the gardener himself, as well as on what means he has at his disposal in a certain period of time:

• in a bucket with settled water at room temperature, add a few drops of iodine solution. You can also use one liter of cow's milk. All this must be thoroughly mixed. Diseased plants are sprayed and root-treated
• a solution of polycarbocin is excellent, which also treats the affected areas. Also, this solution is ideally suitable for prophylactic treatments. But you should pay special attention to the instructions for use, as well as the concentration and dosage of the agent.
• spray the affected bushes with copper chloride, which also fights well against the signs of downy mildew.

Powdery mildew on petunia: how to fight

Of course, when powdery mildew infects petunias, the very first question is how to treat the plant. What drugs and means to use in order to get rid of this fungus and prevent its spread and development.

As soon as the gardener notices the very first signs that powdery mildew has appeared on the petunias, he must take the first measures to treat the plant. The peculiarity of powdery mildew is that in a very short period of time it can affect the entire plant. And then it is practically pointless to treat it, since it dies, loses its decorative and vitality and abilities.

In order to destroy the fungus that causes so much harm, it is necessary to carry out the following Events:

• the gardener independently cuts out all the leaves and stems, shoots and even buds that have managed to become covered with a white bloom. To prevent the fungus from spreading from them to other parts of the plant or to other petunias that have not yet had time to become infected
• the layer of soil under the plant is also best cut off. After all, the fungus can perfectly fix in the upper layers of the soil and from there move to the plant and its parts.
• in place of the soil that was cut, it is worth placing new soil. And it should be not just soil, but soil that was previously disinfected and treated with special means. Drugs should be chosen just from the category of those that belong to the antifungal group.

The plant as a whole must be treated with fungicides, which are sold in specialized gardening stores. These are drugs such as Fundazol, Topaz or Vectra. They have an ideal composition and are safe for the plant itself. But at the same time they have a wide spectrum of action and effectively kill powdery mildew and the fungus that provokes it.

Also, other drugs can help in the fight against this fungus. These are Skor and Vitoras, Tospin-M, Previkur, Amistar extra.

Prevention is also needed. Indeed, sometimes it is easier to prevent a disease than to wage a fierce struggle with it. For this, plants and soil are treated with phytosporin. But it is worth noting that phytosporin is completely ineffective if it is used not for prevention, but for the treatment of petunias.

All safety precautions should be followed when working with fungicides. And also be very careful about dosages and concentrations.

Powdery mildew on petunia. How to get rid of with folk remedies

There are also several folk remedies that are also very effective when it comes to fighting powdery mildew. Gardeners do not always welcome chemical treatments. Therefore, home remedies seem to them to be safer and more affordable.

Copper sulfate. A few grams should be thoroughly dissolved in water, and you can also add a little crushed soap there. The solution is applied to the bushes once a week. Enough treatments within one month to notice an excellent result from this solution.

Also great potassium permanganate, and it can disinfect not only the bushes themselves, but also the soil around them. Treatments are done every five days, three or four treatments are enough to make the plant feel much better.

Ideally, you can take soda solution (we take exactly soda ash), and also there is added again soap... In general, soap solutions without additional additives are very effective on their own. Processing should be carried out in the morning or evening hours so that the plant does not get burned due to the fact that direct sunlight falls on them.

For processing, you can take organic - for example, mullein. He insists, and on the fourth day he is diluted in water and sprayed with petunias. Furacilin, garlic, mustard - all this is great for fighting fungi. The variety of recipes never ceases to amaze, and the plant actually gets the protection it needs.