If the velvety silvery leaves are covered with white spots, sage is suffering from a widespread infection. You can find out here what it is and how it can be cured with natural remedies.
Classic symptoms of powdery mildew
Just in time for the beginning of summer, the fungal spores of a ubiquitous plant disease are out and about in the garden. In warm, dry weather you are dealing with the pathogens of powdery mildew. When summer comes cold and rainy, downy mildew attacks sage. This is how the symptoms are expressed:
- White spots spread on or under the leaves
- A mealy-white patina forms
- As the disease progresses, the spores penetrate the foliage, causing it to turn yellow
- In the final stage, the leaves turn brown, curl up and fall to the ground
In the early stages of infestation there is a good chance of saving the sage. So combine your daily patrol of the garden or balcony with a look at and under the leaves.
Combat powdery mildew with eco-friendly agents
There is no need to resort to chemical fungicides in the fight against powdery mildew, given the wide range of natural antidotes. The following recipes have proven themselves in the house and small garden:
milk water
Microorganisms thrive in milk and attack the fungal spores of powdery mildew. In addition, milk strengthens the plant defenses of sage, so that further waves of pathogen attacks bounce off without effect. To make it, mix 100 milliliters of fresh milk with 900 milliliters of water and pour the mix into a spray bottle. Applied every 2-3 days, the infection subsides quickly.
baking powder
Baking powder, also known as baking soda, has a more intensive effect than milk. The recipe consists of 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 tablespoon of liquid curd soap and 2 liters of water. Ideally, test the remedy on a single infected branch first.
tips and tricks
The spores of powdery mildew and downy mildew like to overwinter in the herbaceous shoot tips. You slam the door to this winter quarters in the pathogens' noses by shortening all branch tips by about 5 centimeters in the second half of August. As a precaution, the clippings are not disposed of in the compost but burned.
GTH