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Using milk to prevent/treat powdery mildew

Does anyone have experience of this actually working?

My honeysuckle gets powdery mildew every year, it's leaves shrivel up and it never flowers. It starts off well in March time, getting lots of new growth, then come late May/June the mildew strikes. Its done this for the last 4 years since it was planted.

According to what I've read, the plant is in a location it should like, cool shade at the roots and it's head in the sun. It's in dampish soil which doesn't dry out, and I do water it in warm weather.

Anyway, it's on its last warning this year before I take it out and replace it. So to help it along I've given it a good feed. But reading online I should be able to prevent and treat mildew with a solution of milk and water. I'd rather do this if possible rather than buy fungicide. Birds hang out near it and I don't want to bother buying fungicide if it dies anyway and I end up ripping it out.

So, has anyone used milk spray successfully? Or am I wasting my time?
Slowly building a wildlife garden, in a new build in East Yorkshire.

Posts

  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    I think you may be wasting your time with milk, a large Honeysuckle likes lots and lots of water.
    That is the way to grow them really well. If you have nests actually in it you can do nothing for now. I garden organically and would suggest that you get the latest on fungicides before use.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    We had problems 3 years ago with our grape vine in the greenhouse. First time ever. Didn't want to use chemicals so researched other ways and found one that was a solution of baking soda. Followed instructions and.....no good what so ever. So we did have to go down the fungicide path the next year and all has been ok. It had to be applied as the leaves were starting to show and a second spray 10 days later. This was done in late March/early April with the grapes being harvested in September
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