Mealy dew is a fungal disease of plants with which almost every gardener or florist has struggled. It affects vegetable crops, cereals and houseplants. It can hardly be confused with any other disease, because the characteristic white bloom is immediately noticeable on the leaves.
Causes of
This disease is often called "pepelitsy" or "linen", which is associated with how it affects plants. White scurf is formed due to the marsupial fungus from the order of powdery mildew.
Parasitic fungi appear in the warm season with high humidity or air. Conidiospores can infect a plant several times. Thus, cutting the sheet to avoid the spread of the disease will not be enough.
Signs of defeat
At first, you may not notice the problem. But in the future, violet leaves will become sluggish, and eventually will stop growing at all. Mealy dew usually affects the leaves that are closer to the ground, or is formed in small areas on the basal part of the shoots.
But over time, white bloom will appear on the leaves of violet, like flour. This is the mycelium of the fungus, which during maturation will form a liquid - that same white patina, similar to ordinary flour or ash.
At the place where powdery mildew parasitizes, you will see wounds. It will give the impression that the plant affects some kind of mold, but do not rush to throw out the flowers, because there are many ways to treat powdery mildew on violets.
The mildew affects many plants, such as: tomatoes, cucumbers, roses, orchids, raspberries, apples, currants, gooseberries.
How to prevent the appearance
To powdery mildew does not hit your violets you need to conduct regular inspections. They will allow timely detection of lesions and treatment of the plant will be faster and cheaper.
Do not forget that fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers during the flowering period will only increase the susceptibility of the plant to the disease. In addition, the strong moistening of leaves and soil, stagnation of air are also frequent causes of the parasite. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor these indicators.
If you have already fought with this disease or heard about it from others, then it is easy to understand the biological rhythm of the parasite development, which means that preventive measures should be used before the powdery mildew season.
Important! Feed the violet with phosphate or potash fertilizers. They will reduce the risk of this disease.
What to do if appeared
If powdery mildew appeared despite proper care in violets, then how to deal with it, using traditional methods or biofungicides, is up to you. The first method is notable for its cheapness, because the same potassium permanganate or soda will surely be found in any home.
Those, however, the second option wins due to its quick action. You do not have to pick up recipes for themselves, and all you need is to buy a fungicide that will help in the fight against powdery mildew.
Folk recipes
Ash solution is another option for treating powdery mildew violets. It is necessary to take 150 grams of ash and boil them in 5 liters of water. Then allow to cool and spray. The procedure is repeated with a frequency of 2-4 times a week, depending on the degree of infection.
You can use soda, soap and water. In this case, you will need 1.5 liters of liquid, a teaspoon of soda and the same amount of soap (solid, grated). The whole mixture is stirred until the soap is completely dissolved. Then the plants are sprayed with the resulting composition of the spray.
Did you know? Peronosporosis is often confused with the ailment described, as it appears as yellow spots on the leaves. Because of this similarity, this disease is called "downy mildew".
Even spoiled dairy products will help remove the fungus from violets. It will take only a little sour milk or kefir. It must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and applied to the violet leaves with a spray bottle.To cope with the disease will be able to a small amount of garlic, garlic infusion (50 g per 5 l), which also treated diseased plants. It is necessary to insist the mixture until a characteristic garlic odor appears in the water. Spraying is carried out using a spray gun.
Drugs
Any biofungicides will help get rid of the fungus in a short time, but it can reduce the immunity of the plant. However, the following drugs are used in the war against powdery mildew:
- A mixture of antibiotics: streptomycin (250 units / ml), terramycin (100 units / ml) and penicillin (100 units / ml), taken in equal quantities;
- "Vectra";
- "Fast";
- "Sulfaride";
- "Topaz";
- "Fitosporin" (75 grams per 5 liters of water).
Important! For prevention, most often, use a solution of copper sulphate. They sprayed the leaves and watered earthen clod. To prepare a mixture of 5 liters of water, you must take 50 grams of copper sulphate.Do not forget: some chemicals are dangerous at home. Therefore, in the stores where you purchase the product, immediately find out about the composition and recommended dosages of the selected product.
Not only plants, but also your health can receive harm from its use, therefore it is necessary to process them with something only with gloves.
Other methods
Since powdery mildew is spread by spores, violet must be isolated during treatment. For treatment, you can use herbal infusions or other plants. They are very popular as an alternative to the chemical compositions of many drugs. The following remedies will be effective:
- 1 kg of orange peel must be insisted in 10 liters of warm, but not hot water for three days (only in a dark place). After this time, you can spray the plants, or just water the soil.
- If you have the opportunity, then use a mullein, per kilogram per three liters of water. Insist composition also need in a dark place for at least three days. The finished infusion is filtered and diluted again with water (1-2 liters). Spraying is done in the evening.
- Calendula decoction is suitable as a preventive measure.
Did you know? In calendula, like in violet, the flowers close at night and open in the morning. That is why the Romans Calendula received the name "calendae" - the first day of the month.
So, now you know what to do if a white bloom suddenly appeared on the violets. Any treatment and even prevention are good in moderation, because an excessive amount of biofungicides will lead to a loss of plant immunity and this will certainly take advantage of a mealy bug - a parasite that also forms a white patina or spider web.
