Geraniums are gorgeous summer companions in the balcony box. You inspire us with your colorful abundance of flowers. However, in the wrong location or with inadequate care, geraniums can be affected by powdery mildew.
How do I recognize powdery mildew on geraniums?
Powdery mildew appears on geraniums as awhite, powdery coating You can wipe off the coating on the top of the leaves with your hand. You can recognize downy mildew by brownish spots on the upper side and a gray-purple fungal lawn on the underside of the leaves.
How can I treat powdery mildew on geraniums?
Powdery mildew is a so-called outdoor fungus that you cantreat with home remedies. The fungus does not penetrate the geranium tissue. First remove all affected parts of the plant. Remove affected plants from tightly planted balcony boxes. Then spray the plants with a mixture of milk and water. You should definitely use fresh milk or buttermilk, as these products contain the most lactic acid bacteria. Alternatively, use a mixture of baking soda, rapeseed oil and water.
What can I do about downy mildew on geraniums?
If you have several geraniums in a balcony box, you should quickly remove theinfected plant,before the fungus also infects others. Geraniums with downy mildew are often very weakened by the infestation. If you want to save slightly infected plants, you should plant the geraniums individually in pots with new soil. Then place the individual plants as far apart as possible so that the leaves can dry well. Treat the powdery mildew infestation with garlic decoction.
Tip
Field horsetail prevents mildew
To prevent your geraniums from being attacked by mildew fungi, you can use horsetail tea as a preventive measure. To do this, pour one liter of water over 50 grams of field horsetail and let the infusion boil for at least another hour. The broth can then be filtered and used in a ratio of 1:8 in the irrigation water to strengthen the plants against mildew.
