Every summer my garden phlox (David and Eva Cullum and one other I can't remember) come in looking gorgeous and healthy and then mid-summer or sooner, I begin to get powdery mildew which gets so bad that even if I do all that I have been told it doesn't help. I have excellent soil with lots of organic compost and a mulch of shredded pine bark. I have tried to thin out stalks in the early season to promote air circulation, when mildew comes, I actually strip off the mildew leaves and clean it up and I really try to keep it evenly watered and not let it dry out. I live in Southern Maine and I notice other gardens seem to have very little mildew on their phlox. What am I doing wrong and can it be helped? I love phlox and don't want to give up on it! I have read in a gardening magazine (People, Places and Plants), of the wonders of peroxide for the garden both as a fertilizer and antifungal. What do you think and has anyone had any luck with peroxide?
Garden Phlox Mildew
I use peroxide, but have'nt tried it to treat mildew. I was very pleased with how it seemed to keep my seedlings from damping off this spring. I've been successfully using 1t baking soda and a few drops of dish soap to a quart of water as a spray for mildew. I find it odd that 'David' is getting mildew in your garden, as it is one of the more resistant varieties. Do your plants show any other signs of stress? Typically if a resistant variety gets a disease, it's because it's under stress. Usually it is hot, dry conditions, but it sounds like you've compensated for that. Are they near a tree that may be taking much of the moisture?
At the very good risk of turning this into a discussion of the use of H2O2 as a solution for powdery mildew, I have to ask, DID IT WORK???
I read somewhere that milk is good for mildew, but have no idea how much to use or whether to dilute.....
Oh Music, I feel your pain. I love phlox! It's gorgeous!!! I've had it four summers in a row now, in two or three separate places and not a summer has gone by without that stinky powdery mildew! I've taken all of the same precautions you have, even relocated it to give it more air circulation. Nada. Same with my monarda. I've finally decided that after this year they're outta here. I know, I know. They are sooo pretty. But I'm done messing with the finicky guys for now. Hope your endeavors end more successfully! :) I'd be very interested to hear about the peroxide experminent, though. Just in case it offers promise...
Happy Gardening,
Jacci :)
'John Fannick' is pretty mildew resistant variety for me down here in the mildew capital of the country.
I live in an area of high rainfall and high humidity and I have kept phlox mildew-free by going out almost every morning with a bath towel wrapped around a broomstick and going up and down between the plants to physically dry the leaves.
Ummm, not an option. But I really, really, really admire anyone with dedication like that!
Jacci ;)
Ditto!
Dawn dishwashing liquid is supposed to be good for mildew.
Ms. Garney - What a riot! You are really dedicated. I picture you in your jammies with a cup of coffee and a broom with a towel going to town on your phlox. I guess you are a real phlox lover.
Gemini - Thanks for the info on the baking soda and dish detergent. I will try that.
Salmon - I know, I know. I love phlox as well and it seems to have traveled also to my blue butterfly delphiniums. I had to actually pul up a clump of them! I am going to try peroxide on one bunch of phlox and the baking powder and detergent on another bunch and conduct an experiment. Will let you jnow as my phlox up here in Maine is just beginning to bloom. We had an exceptionally wet, wet June so the growing season is a bit behind.
Hey Houston - will try that type of phlox if I can find it. Thanks. Actually my David is not too bad. It is my eva cullum every year that is so bad that the top blooms and the rest of the stalk is covered with mildew. I actually strip the mildewy leaves and they look like sticks with blooms! LOL!
I have one variety of monarda that is horrid for mildew (my other varieties are unbothered) that I've removed from the garden and have naturalized around the edges of the woods. This year I tried the baking soda and dish soap spray, and for the first time ever they are free from mildew! I only did one application too.
A single application of baking soda and dish soap spray certainly sounds less time-consuming than my towel and broomstick method. Can I get the recipe?
I think it was Polly who posted this recipe, and I've been so grateful. It's just 1teaspoon of baking soda and a few drops of dish soap per quart of water.
Hope it helps,
Neal
Hmmm.... well that is interesting. Maybe I won't evict any offending plants just yet...
I struggled trying to un-mildew MIL's white phlox for a few years. Then I planted 'David'. No mildew problems with 'David'. I read somewhere that lack of air-flow and stress also contribute to this problem. The original white clump has not had mildew the past couple of years. I dug out the center of the clump (which was abt 4 ft wide), so maybe that helped a lot too.
I spray the lilies, monarda, phlox, and physostegia with the baking soda mix for botrytis and/or mildew. It has helped a lot. I found an article online that compared some expensive store bought sprays to the baking soda spray (1 tsp. each, baking soda and dish soap-it's a surfactant, to 1 qt. water). They had similar results so you might as well use the homemade mix. :) This is the first time I have ever seen botrytis (at least that's what it looks like) on physostegia. I hope it's the last time. (wry grin)
Not looking too bad for this year with so much rain--this particular plant was planted in early June. We'll see how it looks in Oct. ;)
For some reason I have little mildew trouble. My plants came from a neighbor who always has mildew.
Mine are in full sun.
I'm curious if anyone else prunes them. About the first of June, when they are knee high, I cut them in half. They are much bushier and don't get knocked down by heavy rain. They flower 2 weeks later than un-pruned ones.
Here is what one bunch looks like today, a couple days away from peak.
Andy P
That is a very nice plant! I've never cut mine back. I usually get mildew, but this year they've been alright. I'll keep that in mind for next year!
Andy P, I think I'll experiment with pruning some of my P. paniculata next June. Yours look good.
Thanks, I got so frustrated with them being beaten down by the rain just as they were looking their best. I don't know if this has any effect on mildew, though.
My neighbor pruned half of his this season, he will do them all next year.
Andy P
I will l have to try pruning as well.
Here is my home remedy for mildew, I got it from a book of home remedies. Mix up a batch of powdered lemonaide mix and spray. It smells good and has worked for me.
Will be pruning here too. Glad you mentioned it Andy,,,never thought about it. Guess I thought I'd prune the buds right off of them and get nothing. Thanks
Don't prune now!!!
Try pruning next Spring when they get to 18 or 20 inches tall, down to 9 inches tall.
You may want to try it on one plant that droops the most, as a test.
This is not a mildew fix.
I tried this thinking if it worked for the Autumn Mums, why not Phlox. I did only one plant the first year for fear of failure. lol.
Andy P