Powdery mildew is a real struggle especially if you have cucumbers, melons, squash or pumpkins in your garden. This fungus does quite a damage being a white powder on the leaves of plants. It is an unsightly look to see after you worked so hard on your vegetable garden. It is causing the leaves to deform, ending up dying. Most of the causes for powdery mildew is the damp and shady area with high levels of humidity. Moreover, it needs to be treated right away because if it spreads, it is going to be even more difficult to control it. Thus, if you face this issue, keep on reading and see the best DIY homemade spray you can safely use to treat powdery mildew.

First off, you should check these tips and tricks you can do for prevention of powdery mildew formation. As you know, prevention is key. Thus, here are the tips:

– make sure your plants are in full sunlight. The powdery mildew spores won’t survive in direct sunlight.
– provide space for your plants. That will increase air circulation and will prevent powdery mildew from spreading.
– disinfect all the tools you are using each time.
– avoid watering your plants at night. They will remain too damp and this will increase the likelihood of powdery mildew.
– removing any leaves that start showing even small amounts of white spots. Under no circumstance, you should compost these infected leaves, get rid of them immediately.

DIY Spray To Get Rid Of Powdery Mildew

This is the simplest mixture you could possible homemade. Not to mention it is highly effective, it will prevent and control the powdery mildew. The main ingredients of milk and baking soda will act really well. This spray mixture should be applied directly to the top and bottom sides of the plant leaves.

Why is this homemade spray good? Well, the baking soda will increase the pH levels on the leaf surface. And that will stop fungi spores from forming. The milk will decrease the fungi by 90%, also boosting the plant’s immune system. Hence, it will help in fighting the powdery mildew and other diseases.

Here you have the full recipe:

– 1/2 quart of milk
– 3 teaspoons of baking soda
– one drop of liquid dish detergent

Now, simply mix all these ingredients into a spray bottle and shake until they incorporate well. Then, you can attach the sprayer to your water hose and spray the top and bottom sides of infected leaves. Moreover, you should apply this solution once a week for better results.