What's wrong with my lilac?

I'm assuming it's the same problem as my peonies (previous post), but my lilac looks sickly. I've sprayed it twice with fungicide, but it doesn't really seem to be helping. Any idea what it is and how I can save it?

Thank you!

-tiffany

mine have it too, powedery mildew!
4tbsp baking soda
2tbsp murphys oil soap
1 gallon warm water
spray spray spray tops and bottoms should clear up in a week or so

and it spreads so im not suprised it got your peony! spray everything even if you dont see any yet will kill it before you see it

k

Oh great thanks! I'll spray it tomorrow. Actually, the peony is all the way across the garden, and the lilac next to it is perfectly fine....odd, huh?

strange I know it's really spotty at my house too but the zinnia get it ad, I think what I might have done is spread it with either my own hands or gardening tools, but the recipe works great!!! good luck

k

Thanks again! Off to buy Murphy's Oil Soap!

I'll let you know how it goes.

Best,
Tiffany

k keep me posted

krista

Please spray only those plants affected by the powdery mildew. This solution kills beneficial insects and small butterfly caterpillars too.....
Some plants are prone to powdery mildew, but many aren't. And spraying them before they get it won't help at all. My crape myrtles get it, and I have found that spraying them with water several times (I know, sounds weird) gets rid of it. This year with all of our rain, they didn't get it at all. Now, if it stops raining....
Powdery mildew is a weird fungus. It doesn't need moisture to germinate, like most fungi, and it doesn't really like it wet. Go figure.

Thank you ceejaytown. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Maybe because I haven't had the sprinkler going...it's been raining every 3rd day, so I didn't want to waterlog all of my plants, and I turned off the sprinkler for the last month.

I'll only spray the affected plants. Thanks again!

i never heard that, I spray everything and it has not hurt anything! I got the recipe from my natural solutions book, you think they would mention it kills insects!

k

You would think that they would, but they often don't. That is a big problem. And because it is "organic", we presume it to be nontoxic. This is so not true.

my 30' Acer saccharum (sugar maple tree) has for the second year in a row become covered with white spots of powdery mildew. The leaves are starting to drop and I'm finding them all over the neighborhood--I know they by their tell tale spots. How should I treat this?

crop duster????

just kidding, thats a tough one unless your gonna climb it with a spray bottle!

I have to agree with newarkslones....I suppose you could get a hose end sprayer and try...maybe just do the water thing.

you can use a hose end sprayer and fill the sprayer with fat-free milk. set the dial for 2 tablespoons per gallon. milk takes care of powdery mildew every time.

agreed, I use milk on stuff less than 3 feet tall, not 30 feet!!!!!