Powdery mildew on veronica

8 years ago

I planted a group of veronica Royal Candles about a month ago and powdery mildew has shown up literally overnight. I wanted to start treatment right away so I made up a milk/water mixture and sprayed the leaves thoroughly. I've tried the milk formula and also the baking soda Cornell formula in the past with marginal success. Are there commercial formulas for mildew that work well? The veronica Pink Spires nearby look OK but I assume I should treat them as a preventative.

I've considered cutting the infected plants down fairly close to the ground, treating the remaining leaves and hoping for better luck next year. They're well-established for only being a month in the ground. Bad idea? The veronica are the only plants I have right now.

Something I've wanted to ask in past - are there some areas (meaning neighborhoods) that are prone to developing various mildews and fungi in spite of good gardening habits? I was an enthusiastic new gardener when we bought our home many years ago but I eventually gave up on perennials and stuck to a few annuals in containers. I just couldn't keep ahead of the mildew/ fungi in spite of using all the recommended garden planting and hygiene practices. I would walk around our neighborhood and see other people's plants looking widely infected as well. No matter what the weather conditions in any given year, the problem was always there. Even mildew resistant plants would be hit.

I decided to give it another try because we're putting our house on the market next spring and wanted the area near the house to look good but I'm ready to give up. Many projects going on and don't have the time to fight with mildew.

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I was hoping to get some feedback from other people who have "David" to see how it performs for them. Rhizo, 10% infection would be pretty darned good if this were July or August, but here in PA May is not even powdery mildew season. Phlox normally does not get hit til near the end of summer, even the non-resistant varieties. My plant has severe enough infection to have total dieback on the bottom of the plant, and in the midsection of the plant the leaves are spotted. Only the very top is free, but we have 4 full months left to go. When I go online and read studies of powdery mildew, generally you don't see the studies make claims about resistance of plants or effectiveness of control products until late in the year; they are usually ALL fairly resistant/effective this early on in this climate. I spoke to the woman at the nursery and she was visibly surprised that I had that problem with that plant. She suggested trying to move it, but it doesn't have any place else it could go where it would be happy. When I pulled off the infected leaves at the bottom, it made the plant top-heavy which caused it to open up a bit as the stems all lean outward. That should help, but I am disappointed. My mother does not treat her phlox. She has some old unnamed garden phlox that is not meant to be resistant, her plants are huge and full and the earliest in the year they ever get a speck of mildew is mid-to-late summer. In a very bad year she might have dieback, but in many years they hardly get any and never once has she had it in the spring.
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It sure has been humid lately! I saw a faint white cast on my hostas a while back and sprayed all the mildew-prone plants once or twice already. I mix milk, water, AND baking soda, along with a sticking agent such as a little dishsoap or garlic oil (might as well zap some aphids at the same time). Since my last spraying, everything is maintaining well -- shiny and green here....after tonight's rain, I'll probably be out spraying this weekend. And the mosquitos are out! Rats! But I'm sure someone will give that topic its own thread.
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Hi, lindalana The Veronicas are next to some Asters so I didn’t know if I was risking it spreading, but I usually don’t have a big problem with PM. Sometimes I’ve cut down phlox that have it, and other times I never get to them, and the snow knocks them down. Usually, they come back just fine. I planted with Biotone, which is about giving the roots nutrients, so hopefully, they come back healthy in spring. How fun to have a new puppy, but too bad it's allergic to dandelions. I like to let mine flower for any early pollinators that are out and about. I have soil/water with a high pH so also have a problem with calcium availability. I hope your soil test helps you figure it out for your gardens.
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Powdery mildew on veronica

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