Powdery mildew on phlox: how to get rid

There is no person who is indifferent to phlox. A multi-colored palette of colors will brighten up any garden. The only thing that upsets is the plant's tendency to disease. A symptom of the disease is the appearance of white spots on the leaves of the flower, similar to scattered flour. This suggests that powdery mildew has appeared on phlox. How to deal with it, and will be discussed in the article.

The causes and features of the manifestation of the disease

Many, of course, are interested in why a white bloom appeared on the leaves of phlox, what to do in this case. Powdery mildew is nothing more than a fungus. It appears as a result of infection with fungal bacteria that live in the soil. The conditions are sufficient for the disease, and it will affect large areas. If you grow a flower correctly, observing all the rules, then the disease will not manifest itself.

Multi-colored phlox in the garden

Fungal bacteria will develop if:

• during the summer period, the rainy weather charged, it is constantly cloudy and humid, the sun rarely appears. Such weather conditions are negative for plants that are planted on the street or balcony;
• a large amount of fertilizers containing nitrogen have been applied to the soil;
• flowers are planted very densely and shade each other;
• improper watering of the plant also affects the appearance of the fungus. You can not water phlox very often, the earth must be able to dry out. Also, in dry weather, it is not recommended to immediately pour a huge amount of water under the flowers.

Signs of powdery mildew damage

If the stems and leaves turn white, this means that the phloxes have begun to hurt. Bacterial spores attack the plant and develop rapidly. In just a few days, the disease covers the lower part of the leaves: they turn yellow, dry and fall off.

If you look at the affected area under a magnifying glass, you will notice that the sore spot is covered with small wounds that form as a result of the impact of the mycelium on the plant tissue. Plaque that appears on the leaves does not allow them to breathe. This stops the process of photosynthesis. Therefore, you need to know what powdery mildew is on phlox, how to get rid of it, so that the plant will continue to please the eye.

How to deal with powdery mildew

The fight against the disease must be approached in a comprehensive manner. First of all, you need to revise your methods of caring for flowers and correct all obvious mistakes. The first steps of plant treatment:

• it is necessary to water phloxes in summer only when the ground under them is completely dry;
• stop spraying the leaves of the plant until it is completely recovered;
• if possible, transplant phloxes to an open area, where they will be under the sun for a longer time;
• be sure to thin out dense plantings, remove leaves that are near the ground itself;
• do not fertilize diseased plants, and after treatment use only those fertilizers that contain potassium and phosphorus.

The defeat of phlox with powdery mildew

After all the errors have been corrected, you can start treatment.Leaves that have become covered with white spots need to be urgently removed and burned. Then treat the plants with fungicides. These drugs do not allow the fungus to multiply and stop all processes that began in the plant due to the effects of bacteria.

Phlox treatment with pesticides

How to properly spray the plant is indicated on the package of the substance that was chosen for the treatment. Flowers are processed once a week. The most effective fungicides are recognized by gardeners:

• topaz;
• pure color;
• fast;
• balayton;
• topsin;
• foundationol.

They will be equally effective for processing flowers and berries.

Folk methods

If there are no pesticides at hand, then how to treat white plaque on phlox? Most gardeners still choose the old grandmother's methods to get rid of plant ailments. All of these products are cheap, while their ingredients are found in every home, so it will not be difficult to prepare medicinal solutions.

• Gardeners most often use ash solution. To do this, 150 g of wood ash are soaked in 1 liter of water and let it brew for two days. After that, 4 g of gray laundry soap is added to the solution, it is completely dissolved and phlox is treated. The procedure must be repeated after 14 days.
• For the second recipe, you need to take 400 g of soda ash, fill it with 1 liter of water and mix thoroughly. After that, add 400 g of gray laundry soap, previously crushed into shavings, into the solution. Allow the soap to dissolve and process the phlox. Repeat the procedure after two weeks.
• You can also fight the disease with the help of cow dung. For this, it is also diluted with water and used as a fungicide.
• They relieve phlox from diseases and weed infusions. Any weed that grows in the garden is used. It is poured with water and allowed to brew. After five days, the infusion is filtered and used as directed.

Serum diluted with water is excellent for phlox disease

• It helps well to destroy horsetail fungus. It can be taken both dry and green. The plant is insisted in 10 liters of water throughout the day. After that, the solution is boiled, cooled and filtered. The finished substance is sprayed on the leaves of the plant.
• Gardeners also have a positive attitude to the preparation prepared on the basis of whey. For this, 100 g of a dairy product is diluted in 1 liter of water and left for 24 hours to infuse. Only after that, the ready-made solution can be used for its intended purpose.
• Garlic-based preparation is no less popular. To prepare it, you need to take 50 g of garlic, grind it into porridge, pour 2 liters of water and leave for a day. After that, the solution is filtered and the affected areas of flowers are treated with it.

Advice from summer residents and gardeners

Experienced gardeners recommend that all amateur beginners first of all adhere to the rules for caring for phlox. The most basic points:

• you need to select varieties that are suitable for planting in one place or another;
• to land strictly according to the instructions;
• choose an area where the flowers will grow comfortably and smell sweet;
• notice the appearance of diseases and pests on the plant in time and take the necessary measures;
• water phloxes should be moderate, trying not to flood them.

Prevention of diseases and pests of phlox

With any disease, it is easier to prevent it than to cure it. Therefore, you need to know what preventive measures you need to take in relation to powdery mildew on phlox.

• First of all, it is recommended to sprinkle the soil near the plant with wood ash.
• Fallen dry leaves should be immediately removed from the flower garden, weeds should be pulled out.
• In the fall, while digging the soil, apply fertilizers containing copper into it.In the spring, be sure to apply mulch.
• Plants for prevention are treated with a solution of Bordeaux liquid or copper sulfate.