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[KarmaMama]

Hi everyone.

 

This is my second year of growing cucumbers, and yet again I have powdery mildew all over the leaves, just the same as last year.

 

I got the plant's from a different supplier this time and i'm using brand new soil and pots. They are kept in our south facing glass porch which has the door open all day, but i'm wondering if putting them outside through the day and bringing them in on a night might be a better option. or even keeping them outside and covering them with plastic on a night.

 

Any tips on how to stop it - of should i ditch the plant's and try again - though I suspect the same will happen again if I did.

 

many thanks

 

Jacquie x

[chickencam]

The atmosphere may be a bit dry try leaving a dish of water in the porch too. Cucumbers also don't like big temperature fluctuations and particularly don't like to get cold.

[Jen&Rog]

I always get powdery mildew on my cucumbers, and although it looks unsightly, it has never seriously affected the plant. I cut off the worst affected leaves to try to stop it spreading. The fungal disease is worse when soil is dry and conditions humid, so keep them well-watered and the greenhouse well-ventilated, space out the plants well so that air can circulate. Also the fungal spores can overwinter, re-infecting things next year, so you're meant to clean everything meticulously (greenhouse, pots, etc) at the end of the season. Hope this helps and good luck!

[Christian]

I have heard of way to get rid of powdery mildew on courgettes. They are the same family as cucumbers, so worth a go -

 

100mls of milk to 900mls of water, mix it up and spray the leaves.

 

Every few days I think

 

Good luck.

 

 

[Valkyrie]

Soapy water is good too - I used it on the courgettes last year. It's the weather that is causing the problems - warm and dry, then wet yet again. It is air borne, so it makes no difference where you get the plants from or even if you sowed your own seeds.