PM during flowering, what to do?

schoolie

Batman
So I powder mildew on a few of my plants in my flowering room, not crazy amounts but like 40-50% of the leafs have PM spots. Never had this problem before, think it came from a clone I got. My 6 SOG 1' diablo OG that are at 33 days into flowering just started showing it, as well as my two 2.5' UK cheese that are 16 days into flowering. I have cherry bomb (day 16 of 12/12), chemdawg d, cherry AK47, and corleone kush (all day 19 of 12/12) in the same room that aren't showing any signs of PM luckily. I have two fans blowing all the time one very powerful. Temp is 80 lights on and 65-75 during the day when the light is off. About 25-30% humidity. I have some organic mildew spray but I don't think it's done much and now I'm worried about using it since its getting later into flowering. Anything I can do so save these?
 

Slipon

Well-Known Member
well with two big fans, temps around 80F and a RH on less then 30% you cant really do much more, other then use/spray chemicals, or milk I think I read something about (do some research/goggling)

remove infected Leaf`s right away and try to keep it down ..


after harvest:
[video=youtube;S7jE7qzfgQs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7jE7qzfgQs[/video]
 

SpicySativa

Well-Known Member
"Washing away powdery mildew"??? Sounds to me like a great way to spread spores into every nook and cranny of your bud.

If there is PM on a bud, the bud is unfit for consumption regardless of what you do to it. (in my opinion..)

This is coming from a guy who had to have invasive sinus surgery due to complications from, you guessed it, MOLD!
 

justanotherbozo

Well-Known Member
this late in flower the best solution is milk which has already been suggested.

...i know this works because i used it the one time i had pm, also brought to me via a gifted clone.

first, you can use ANY kind of milk, even powdered milk will work and all you do is mix it up as strong as you want, it's safe to spray on the plants straight but milk is thick and it WILL clog your sprayers if you don't dilute it, ...i dilute it at 10 parts water to 1 part milk, then you just spray the crap out of your plants, paying particular attention to the leaves, and don't forget to spray the undersides, and all your vegging plants too, pm is a kind of fungi and spreads by spore and the spores are ubiquitous so if the conditions are right, anyone can get pm and if you already have it anywhere in your garden, you have it EVERYWHERE in your garden.

...also, go easier on spraying the buds, especially as you get further into flower because too much moisture in the buds can cause mold.

...in my own case i sprayed the milk solution every few days for about a month before the pm stopped coming back and that's because pm is like an infection and so is systemic and you either use harsh chemicals, which of course you can't while in flower, or you use milk. (sulfur burners are also effective as a preventative but they aren't really applicable in a small grow)

bozo

btw, here is some info i found on milk when i was dealing with my own pm problem that may help you understand the research and why it works, ...you'll see that milk actually boosts your plants immune system.

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Milk is a useful fungicide in the garden, and is more effective than standard chemical brands.


Researchers believe the potassium phosphate in milk boosts a plant's immune system to fight the fungi.

Where most organic gardeners use a baking soda, soap and oil solution, milk may be substituted to combat the unwanted fungus.

Preparing a Milk Solution and Spraying Schedule

The correct dilution and spraying schedule for garden plants depends on the situation and takes some trial and error.

A milk fungicide solution can range from 1 part milk to 9 parts water, to a strong, milk-only solution. A 1:1 dilution may work for a week, but a 1:8 solution requires spraying every 3 or 4 days.

Skim milk may work better than whole milk, as the higher fat milk may clog a sprayer; even reconstituted powdered milk works.

Uses for Milk Fungicide

Milk was originally used in the garden to treat powdery mildew on squash plants. It is now also commonly used on flowers such as rudebekia (Black-eyed Susans) and Begonias to cure powdery mildew.

Milk has also been used to cure Botrytis on a Cyclamen houseplant. This was applied full strength every morning (leftover breakfast milk). Rotten leaves were picked away and the plant pulled through with no more Botrytis.

Black spots and rust on roses can be controlled but not cured with milk. Fortunately, milk can prevent the spread of these fungi to other plants and new leaves. This can be very useful when bringing home a plant from the nursery and finding a black spot.


The copyright of the article Milk as a Garden Fungicide for Powdery Mildew, Botrytis, and Black Spots in Organic Gardening is owned by Deborah Turton. Permission to republish Milk as a Garden Fungicide for Powdery Mildew, Botrytis, and Black Spots in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


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by Arzeena Hamir
Powdery Mildew

Less than 3 years ago, researchers in South America discovered a new alternative to controlling powdery mildew. Wagner Bettiol, a scientist from Brazil, found that weekly sprays of milk controlled powdery mildew in zucchini just as effectively as synthetic fungicides such as fenarimol or benomyl. Not only was milk found to be effective at controlling the disease, it also acted as a foliar fertilizer, boosting the plant's immune system.

Powdery mildew in the cucurbit family is caused by the organism Sphaerotheca Fuliginea. It is a serious disease that occurs worldwide. For decades, organic gardeners had to rely on making a spray from baking soda to control the disease. Now, instead of measuring out the baking soda and combining it with a surfactant (a "sticking" substance) of either oil or soap, gardeners need only head for their refrigerators.

In his experiments with zucchini plants, Bettiol found that a weekly spray of milk at a concentration of at least 10% (1 part milk to 9 parts water) significantly reduced the severity of powdery mildew infection on the plants by 90%. While some gardeners may be tempted to increase the concentration of milk for more control, Bettiol found that once concentrations rose above 30%, an innoccuous fungus began to grow on the plants. How does milk control powdery mildew?

Scientist aren't 100% sure how milk works to control this disease. It seems that milk is a natural germicide. In addition, it contains several naturally occurring salts and amino acids that are taken up by the plant. From previous experiments using sodium bicarbonate, potassium phosphate, and other salts, researchers have found that the disease is sensitive to these salts. It is possible then, that milk boosts the plant's immune system to prevent the disease.

Milk used around the world
The benefits of using milk to control powdery mildew haven't been isolated to Brazil. Melon growers in New Zealand are saving thousands of dollars every year by spraying their crops with milk instead of synthetic fungicides. The melon growers in New Zealand have been so successful that the wine industry is taking notice and beginning experiments using milk to control powdery mildew in grapes.

What kind of milk should be used?
In Bettiol's original experiment, fresh milk was used, straight from the cow. However, this is obviously not feasible to most home gardeners. The research work in New Zealand actually found that using skim milk was just as effective. Not only was it cheaper, but the fact that the milk had no fat content meant that there was less chance of any odours.

Wagner Bettiol's original article was published in the journal Crop Science (Vol. 18, 1999, pp. 489-92).
 

schoolie

Batman
I've been removing leafs as I see the PM but I'd guess at the rate it's doing that by week 5 of flowering there will be no more leafs left on these poor plants... Should I just pull em now? I am so bummed I was the more excited about the cheese then anything else
 

schoolie

Batman
I will try spraying with milk for a few weeks and see what happens and if it doesn't get better I'll pull em. Thanks for the info!
 

Bublonichronic

Well-Known Member
i been growin for like 5 years and never had any mold =/, sorry i dont got any advice, but i like to sub to these kind of threads in case i ever do get pm, hope you get this under control
 

justanotherbozo

Well-Known Member
I will try spraying with milk for a few weeks and see what happens and if it doesn't get better I'll pull em. Thanks for the info!
the pm is gone instantly after you spray but because it is systemic you need to keep re-applying the milk every few days until the plant is healthy enough to fight off the infection.

bozo
 

Kite High

Well-Known Member
diluted skim milk water will cure it instantly...it does this by altering the pH outside the the range which the mildew can live...a few days should suffice
 

schoolie

Batman
Should I remove the leafs that have visible mildew on it before I use the milk or will the milk kill that mildew?
 

colonuggs

Well-Known Member
powdery mildew is HERPES for weed..... if you never had it before and you added/bought a new clone...thats probably the culpret.

If you can see you PM on your leaves.... it has already found its way inside your plant ( pm is systemic)... clones taken off her will have pm

1/3 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide mix in a 32oz spray bottle of water.... spray your plants in the morning hours so the buds can dry or you will promote bud rot

Milk, peroxide greencure...all bandaids.. something that will knock it back... not out...respray every 3-4 days to keep it knocked back until harvest

I live in a area where pm is alive on the bushes trees plants outside my house... so I always have aliitle pm on my flowering gilrs

even after you spray the leaves.... the pm marks up your leaves leaving a white spot you cant wipe off...and the pm will show up again in that spot...

removal of the infected leaves after you spray them is advised
 

justanotherbozo

Well-Known Member
one or the other, personally, i prefer milk but it's your grow and you have to decide.

when i was faced with this choice i chose milk because i already had some in the fridge.

bozo
 

schoolie

Batman
Well I hit everything with watered down skim milk. Will wait a few days and do it again. I'll let everybody know how it goes. Thanks!
 

Slipon

Well-Known Member
good, looking forward to see some pics ;)

hope you can kill it or keep it down untill harvest, I like the jorge Carvantes way of removing it after harvest, tho I guess I still would make oil on it ..
 

schoolie

Batman
Light just tuned on and they are looking great, no more PW that I can see! I will do another round in a few days! Here are a few pictures just since you asked Slipon :bigjoint:


 

justanotherbozo

Well-Known Member
just remember that the pm is NOT gone, ...you're gonna need to reapply every 3 days for at least a few weeks before you can start to ease off, then maybe another week or two with more time between sprayings until you see it's not coming back.

...i know it sounds like a pain but in flower there aren't that many choices and it's not as big a chore as it sounds, ...just gives you a chance to really LOOK at your plants.

...and don't forget, spray ALL your plants, not just the ones in flower, spores can really get around.

bozo
 
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