Powdery mildew drives many gardeners to despair. Once it has attacked a plant, it usually has to be cut back radically. In order to avoid the spread, many unfortunately see chemical agents as the only way to get rid of the pest. But there are also environmentally friendly alternatives that are also very easy to make yourself. Who would have thought that the unwelcome field horsetail would come to the rescue in this case.
Horsetail is not only beneficial for humans
Make horsetail broth
Making horsetail broth yourself saves money and is completely uncomplicated:
You need:
- 100 g fresh field horsetail (alternatively 10 g dried field horsetail)
- 1 liter of water
That's how it's done:
- Crush field horsetail
- douse the plant with water
- leave on for 24 hours
- to reduce the waiting time to twelve hours, briefly boil the water
- The broth will be a little stronger if you add an onion, garlic and a little oil to it
Where does field horsetail grow?
With the use of home remedies you save money in the fight against powdery mildew. You can even collect field horsetail yourself. Keep an eye out for the plant on moist soil and forest edges. However, only use fresh, green shoots that are not stained. Until the end of July is the ideal time for collecting. Always use the stems fresh or dry them to preserve the silica content. However, you should be aware that field horsetail looks very similar to marsh horsetail. However, this is unsuitable for mildew treatment.
use
- dilute the brew again in a ratio of 1:5 with water
- pour the mixture into a spray bottle
- spray affected leaves at regular intervals
Alternative application
Depending on your preference, you can also add the brew to your irrigation water. Then you should pay attention to a ratio of 1:10.
Not only effective in acute infestation
You should not only use field horsetail if your plants are already showing mildew symptoms. The remedy also proves to be extremely effective as a preventive measure. There is no danger to the environment or animals.