Author Topic: Mildew (Read 7882 times)

Mrs Ava · « **on:** November 03, 2004, 18:33:12 »

This isn't an allotment based question, but a conservatory question. As a lot of you know, I am a keen indoor tropical plant gardener as well as an allotmenteer and our conservatory is packed with everything from banana palms to bird of paradise palms to a fast growing cacti collection. Decided to have a spring clean today and noticed that some of the plants, an umberella plant, couple of citrus and my aspadestra (not tropical I know, but such lovely foliage) had pretty bad mildew like mould on the leaves and stems. I figure this is due to bad air circulation and damp humid air. The poor umberella plant has ended up in the garden which is tragic as it is 7 foot tall and I really would love to keep it, but I don't want this to spread to the rest of my plants! I have cleaned and scrubbed the whole conservatory, washed plants leaves and talked calmly to my plants. Any advise what I can do to stop this in its tracks? My conservatory is heated on the same circuit as the house heating, and it is quite a large space covering the entire back of our house.

john_miller · « **Reply #1 on:** November 07, 2004, 10:14:13 »

You might want to get in a good stock of baking powder, EJ, and the best sprayer you care to afford. An aggressive, thorough, spray programme may be your best course. Over here we can get de-humidifiers, is that an option for you? It may help. Alternatively, can you exhaust the air regularly (is it sunny enough?)?

tim · « **Reply #2 on:** November 07, 2004, 15:37:08 »

We spoke about ventilation before, Emma? And you were going to open the door more?? Fan?

But yes, John, de-humidifiers are readily available. At a cost of course.
And, as I said earlier, bicarb did seem to slow up the march of mildew on the cus this year. Or am I up the proverbial again - & do you really mean baking powder, as opposed to soda?? = Tim

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #3 on:** November 07, 2004, 18:39:34 »

Tis the ventilation in the conservatory Tim, the greenhouse doesn't suffer at all. Problem is, it is the kids playroom as well as my plant house, so I can't really have it chilly when they want to play. I will try to open the windows more on bright days (if we have anymore!) The umberella plant is now in a sheltered spot in the garden, and it hasn't dropped down dead yet.

tim · « **Reply #4 on:** November 07, 2004, 19:56:29 »

Sorry - thought it was the conservatory jungle that you spoke of earlier.

But, obviously, kids & cats must come first!! = Tim

john_miller · « **Reply #5 on:** November 11, 2004, 19:06:03 »

Baking powder, Tim. Repeated applications have in the short term, at least on field crops (probably until the weather changes and makes conditions non conducive to growth of the fungus), eradicated it for me. Apparently it works by lowering the pH of the leaf surface so that the spores cannot germinate- the leaf surface would eventually change back to the necessary pH and promote re-infection, if there are still live spores and with the right phenological conditions.

tim · « **Reply #6 on:** November 12, 2004, 08:32:23 »

OK - I am up the pole. I thought I had read somehere that the fungus liked acid conditions & so you treated with an alkali!!

Sorry if I've given a wrong steer previously. = Tim

john_miller · « **Reply #7 on:** November 13, 2004, 01:35:29 »

Fungi, like most plants, need a slightly acid environment (which is why lime is added to the peat casing on mushroom beds). The baking powder drops the pH to levels that are lower than those fungi prefer.

tim · « **Reply #8 on:** November 13, 2004, 11:58:17 »

So - instead of raising the level with bicarb to counter the slightly acid conditions that the fungus likes, you lower it beyond the fungi's preferred pH with b/powder which is ? 50% acid??

Am I being stupid? = Tim

Hugh_Jones · « **Reply #9 on:** November 13, 2004, 23:12:52 »

No you aren`t, tim. One of the other anti-mildew specifics which I`ve seen recommended is a 1/10 dilution of human urine for exactly the same reason. But I wouldn`t like to use it in the conservatory!

MagpieDi · « **Reply #10 on:** November 13, 2004, 23:48:09 »

Haha! NO way Hugh, a huge pile of rotting bananas is bad enough!! But, they're doing the trick, so can put up with the pong !

Regarding condensation and the problems it can cause in the conservatory, at this time of year in particular, the windows and roof are absolutely dripping. The only effective solution is a de-humidifier, as can't really leave the windows open all day when the house is unoccupied.
Amazing the amount of water collected in a few hours. Seems to be fairly economical to run, and no problems with mildew.
However, the whitefly keep going all winter ! ::)

Jak · « **Reply #11 on:** November 15, 2004, 15:56:27 »

You've lost me here! I was always under the impression that baking powder and bicarbonate of soda are basically the same thing. ??? When I get a certain problem with my waterworks I drink a solution of bicarb to lower the acidity of my urine and it definately works!

Tim's suggestion to spray my cucumbers with a solution of bicarb certainly appeared to help keep the mildew under control. :)

Apologies if I've completely misunderstood things - it wouldn't be the first time and I doubt if it'll be the last! :-[

Jak ???

Beer_Belly · « **Reply #12 on:** November 16, 2004, 10:34:04 »

Isn't baking powder bicarbonate of soda mixed with cream of tarter ?

-B_B-

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #13 on:** November 16, 2004, 12:39:33 »

I googled and found this:

..........."Baking powder is normally made of three different parts:

An acid
A base
A filler of some sort

All three need to be dry powders that can be mixed together. For example, baking soda (a base), cream of tartar (an acid) and corn starch (the filler) are three common ingredients. "

'I can do science me!'

Jak · « **Reply #14 on:** November 16, 2004, 14:09:06 »

I Googled and found:

"What is Baking Powder and Baking Soda?

Baking Soda is pure Sodium Bicarbonate, also called Bicarbonate of Soda (NaHCO3). It is a white crystalline alkali which reacts by effervescing (fizzing) when it comes into contact with acids, thus producing gasses, namely carbon dioxide. Because of this chemical reaction, it is often used in fizzy drinks and antacid remedies and it's precisely this reaction which facilitates the rising action in baked goods.

Baking Powder is more complex. It is composite of Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda), one or more acid salts such as Cream of Tartar (Tartaric Acid), Sodium Aluminium Sulphate, Calcium Acid Phosphate plus a drying agent such as cornflour and the exact mix determines whether it is "Single" or "Double" acting. The difference between baking soda, single and double acting baking powders, is when the chemical reactions actually take place, and is explained below. However, the rising principal is the same in that a chemical reaction produces carbon dioxide bubbles which expand through the cooking mixture."

It's fun the science bit innit? :D

Jak

aquilegia · « **Reply #15 on:** November 16, 2004, 14:32:26 »

You've lost me a bit with all that science!

Will baking powder also get rid of the (I think) powdery midew on my sage? It's next to where I had courgettes in the summer of 2003, which had powdery mildew.

Is it ok to eat the affected leaves?

Doris_Pinks · « **Reply #16 on:** November 16, 2004, 15:59:07 »

EJ, I see you watch Brainiac too! ;D

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #17 on:** November 17, 2004, 16:31:12 »

heheheh DP. At least I know what things to grab from the office to use as floatation aids should global warming take sudden effect! ;D ;D ;D

Doris_Pinks · « **Reply #18 on:** November 19, 2004, 14:51:32 »

;D :D ;D :D ;D Me Too!!

ina · « **Reply #19 on:** January 04, 2005, 20:59:51 »

Last year we had a thread on here about using milk to combat mildew and I read several articles about how effective it is for courgettes and other plants in the cucumber family. They explained why it works and I seem to remember something about amino acids. Why wouldn't it work on other plants?
water/milk solution 1:9.
I sprayed it on my courgette plants and it really did work.

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Author Topic: Mildew (Read 7882 times)

Hugh_Jones