Can I plant anything in an area where plants got powdery mildew last year?
General None Given
I had several cucumbers plants last year that got powdery mildew and I wondered if I can plant anything in that area of the garden this year? I know of course that I should not plant more cucumbers. I have read that the fungus can survive on plant debris lying on the ground and I was careful to remove as much as I could see but is it still in the soil? If so what do I do?
Posted
by: Vicki Albright
(2 points)
Posted: April 9, 2013
Answers
Powdery mildews are pretty host-specific. Debris from the species that infected your cucumbers might infect this year's squash or melons if conditions were right, but it won't bother peppers, tomatoes, onions, carrots, beans, corn, lettuce, spinach, etc.
Posted
by: Peg Boyles
(4 points)
Posted: April 9, 2013
Vicki Albright commented,
So I can plant my tomatoes there without worry? Great! Thanks Peg about 11 years ago.
So I can plant my tomatoes there without worry? Great! Thanks Peg about 11 years ago.
Peg Boyles commented,
I've never seen powdery mildew on tomatoes, but there is a strain (Oidium lycopersicum) that infects them in some areas where conditions are right. And tomatoes are also susceptible to several types of blight (check out online fact sheets about early blight and late blight.)
Make sure you give your plants plenty of room so air can circulate freely around them. It's a good idea to grow the indeterminate varieties on trellises and keep them carefully pruned.
I like to visit my plants every day to monitor for the early stages of any disease or insect pest. Here in New Hampshire we have a plant diagnostic lab where gardeners can send samples of diseased plants for identification and recommendations for treatment if needed, Perhaps you have a similar service in your state or county. about 11 years ago.
I've never seen powdery mildew on tomatoes, but there is a strain (Oidium lycopersicum) that infects them in some areas where conditions are right. And tomatoes are also susceptible to several types of blight (check out online fact sheets about early blight and late blight.)
Make sure you give your plants plenty of room so air can circulate freely around them. It's a good idea to grow the indeterminate varieties on trellises and keep them carefully pruned.
I like to visit my plants every day to monitor for the early stages of any disease or insect pest. Here in New Hampshire we have a plant diagnostic lab where gardeners can send samples of diseased plants for identification and recommendations for treatment if needed, Perhaps you have a similar service in your state or county. about 11 years ago.
I have community garden plots, and I don't have enough space to rotate crops. My garden site is fairly windy, and the plots are close together, so the spores are freely shared among gardens. In addition, I compost all my old plants. So mildew in the cucurbits is inevitable, more or less.
My strategy is to try different varieties to find the ones that are less susceptible, and to keep my plants as healthy as possible, with compost, mulch, and occasional foliar feeding with liquid kelp. I have grown cucurbits that are not affected at all. It doesn't rain here in the summer, and keeping the leaves dry also helps. Generally, the leaves are affected later in the season, when the plants are already starting to decline. I prune away any leaves that get mildewy as soon as I see them. If I had more space, I'd try starting a second crop 4-6 weeks after the first one. If I started getting mildew too early in the season, I'd spray with seaweed.
My strategy is to try different varieties to find the ones that are less susceptible, and to keep my plants as healthy as possible, with compost, mulch, and occasional foliar feeding with liquid kelp. I have grown cucurbits that are not affected at all. It doesn't rain here in the summer, and keeping the leaves dry also helps. Generally, the leaves are affected later in the season, when the plants are already starting to decline. I prune away any leaves that get mildewy as soon as I see them. If I had more space, I'd try starting a second crop 4-6 weeks after the first one. If I started getting mildew too early in the season, I'd spray with seaweed.
Posted
by: Tanya in the Garden
(128 points)
Posted: April 10, 2013
Make sure you only water during the mornings so plants have time to dry out before it cools in the evening (should you want to be extra careful). Powdery Mildew loves cool, cloudy conditions, so refrain from watering at all during such periods or if need be, only water the ground ie don't wet the leaves. This strategy in combination with healthy plants and the occasional use of Fungicides should see you through.
Posted
by: Cornelis
(2 points)
Posted: April 11, 2013
As mentioned in an earlier post, powdery mildew fungi are pretty host specific. The powdery mildew on cucurbits should not infect vegetables outside the cucurbit family. The second thing working in your favor is that you have eliminated most of the debris. Mildews are obligate parasites - they need living plant tissue to survive. Once the plant dies, the spores may survive for a short time, but not for long, and not in the soil. The most likely source of new infection are spores blowing in from elsewhere. Don't be concerned about a previous year's infection in your garden carrying over to this year.
Posted
by: Charlie B.
(5 points)
Posted: April 12, 2013
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