Sometimes even the most caring gardener is powerless to stop a plant disease from developing. Quite unexpectedly, the symptoms of powdery mildew suddenly appear on vegetable plants, roses and the like. Even small discrepancies with regard to climatic factors are enough for the annoying plant pest to settle on the leaves.

Baking soda is a proven home remedy for mildew

A garden is full of life, which also includes mushrooms. Wouldn't it be boring to bake the perfect plant bed according to a recipe and then never have work again? Speaking of baking, baking powder is not only an important part of the kitchen cupboard, but also proves to be extremely helpful in botany. While it doesn't completely take the work out of it, it does make the dream of the perfect garden a little more real. And all without chemical fungicides (or artificial flavors and additives, as the baker would say).

Which factors favor a powdery mildew infestation?

Powdery mildew is caused by a fungus that comes in two forms (more on that below). Small mistakes when creating a bed or care mistakes are often enough to offer the pest an optimal breeding ground:

  • too little light
  • Poor air circulation due to plants set too close together
  • temperature fluctuations
  • very nitrogenous fertilizer

Make Baking Powder

Instead of using fertilizers, you should regularly treat your plants to a baking soda cure. The home remedy is inexpensive, environmentally friendly and very easy to prepare.

Ingredients needed

  • 1 packet of baking powder
  • 1.5 liters of water
  • some dish soap
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • a spray bottle

preparation

  1. Stir the baking soda into the water
  2. Add the canola oil to the mixture
  3. Add a squirt of dish soap to the solution. This serves as an emulsifier
  4. Now fill the household remedy in a spray bottle

application

  • Spray the affected leaves periodically
  • Allow about ten days between applications so that the remedy can work well
  • Repeat the application, especially during heavy downpours, as the rain washes the solution off the leaves
  • Spray the plants in the evening hours

Alternative home remedies and tips

Treating mildew with a baking soda mixture is considered one of the most successful methods. For example, it turns out to be more useful than the milk-water mixture also mentioned here. Ultimately, however, you have to decide for yourself which of the following home remedies you use as an alternative.

  • Mix milk or whey or buttermilk with water
  • make a broth from field horsetail
  • Pour water over garlic cloves
  • Biologically based pesticides
  • natural predators such as ladybugs
  • Plant mixed cultures with basil, garlic, foxglove, chervil or chives

All of the home remedies mentioned against powdery mildew are not only effective in the event of an acute infestation, but also serve as a prophylaxis. The application remains the same, even as a preventive measure.

How the baking powder works

The secret of the baking powder mixture is the plant protection substance lecithin. The causative fungus avoids this product.

Unfortunately only effective for powdery mildew

Unfortunately, the baking powder only drives away the powdery mildew. It is therefore important not just to resort to any home remedy, but to take a close look at the symptoms. How to recognize which type of powdery mildew it is:

powdery mildew

Powdery mildew is also known as fair weather fungus. It is a sac fungus that manifests itself as follows:

  • Coating: white, mealy, easy to wipe off
  • onset of symptoms: early spring
  • preferred climatic conditions: warm temperatures of 20-25°C, morning dew, drought during the day
  • Distribution: by insects and wind
  • Symptoms: brown, dried-up leaves, leaves curl up, no flowers forming, crooked parts of the plant, stagnation of growth, death in the case of very severe infestation
  • Occurrence: on the upper side of the leaf, on flowers and buds and on the plant stalk
  • Other features: specialized in individual plant species, insensitive to frost and cold
  • favorite plants: roses, cucumbers, carrots, asters, gooseberries

Wrong mildew

Unlike powdery mildew, downy mildew is an egg or algae fungus, also known as bad weather fungus.

  • Symptoms: gray or brown patches
  • Occurrence: on the underside of the leaf
  • onset of symptoms: later in the year
  • favorite plants: all kinds of ornamental plants, kohlrabi, cabbage, lettuce, onions, spinach
  • preferred climatic conditions: humid air, low temperatures of 15-20°C
  • Symptoms: brown, yellow or violet discoloration of the leaves, death of the plant
  • Other features: penetrates the plant, only affects the leaves

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Care tips