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Powdery mildew on peonies

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2006
by FaeryWings on August 23, 2006 12:52 PM
There's a powdery looking substance all over my peony leaves. According to the research I've done it sounds like powdery mildew and can be treated with Funginex and Chlorothanonil. Are these safe or is there something safer and less hazardous to the environment?
by alankhart on August 24, 2006 03:19 AM
Unfortunately, once the plant gets powdery mildew, you really can't get rid of it, but the fungisides you mentioned can keep it from spreading. It won't kill the plant, it just looks bad. The best thing to do is to remove the infected leaves and clean up any infected leaves around the peony, then use the spray on the rest of the plant. Next year, start a spraying program early and continue it throughout the season to prevent it from happening again. I believe there are some natural remedies for it, someone else may be able to tell you what those are.

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by Tomacco on August 24, 2006 03:52 AM
FaeryWings, I have a potted Flox with powdery mildew. I also don't care to use chemicals in my garden but sometimes there's no choice when a situation gets realy unmanageable.

I've had good luck with the following and, as Alankhart, remove the affected leaves (which are probably yellowing and spotted).

Use a small sponge soaked in the recipe below to gently scrub off the mildew.

POWDERY MILDEW RECIPE
1 Empty spray bottle
2.5 oz milk
Fill with water to the 25 oz mark on the bottle
Mix will keep in fridge for 2 days.
Wash bottle, esp. spray head, well when done.

Drench the plant from the top and underneath. I would do this on a cloudy day or first thing in the morning before the sun.

I've applied this twice to the flox and they are blooming a second time with new growth at the base. I have read that this recipe may strengthen the plant's immune system but I have no time experience with this plant to endorce that claim.

Let us know how you get on!

Tomacco
by FaeryWings on August 24, 2006 04:53 AM
Since it's past their blooming season, can I just cut it all back to the ground or will that be too drastic?

Thanks for the recipe. I do prefer natural things when I can get them. Is this something that I can use preventatively next year, too?

Thanks again.
by Tomacco on August 24, 2006 05:09 AM
I do think it would be too drastic IMHO.

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/peony.html

"A spring application of 2-4 inches of leafy, organic mulch will help to conserve the soil moisture and at the same time keep the soil cool and control weeds. This mulch must be removed and destroyed before winter and a new, fresh winter mulch of loose straw or evergreen boughs added, to help control disease."

"In the fall, after the foliage dies back, cut the stems back to three inches, remove and destroy them."

Hope this helps [Smile]

The powdery mildew on my flox came from more than a week of heavy rain. You might do a drenching in the spring after the final frost just to get the ball rolling. It can't hurt [Smile] Keep watch if you have a lot of rain.

Tomacco
by FaeryWings on August 24, 2006 09:41 AM
Thanks for all the help Tomacco. I do think this all began with a very hot, humid rainy spell we had back near the end of July.

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