Zucchini are a delicious and he althy vegetable that is easy to grow, even in Germany. The plants belong to the cucurbit family. Unfortunately, zucchini are just as susceptible to powdery mildew as other cucurbits. This applies to powdery mildew and downy mildew.
If I have mildew on my zucchini, do I have to remove the leaves?
If yourzucchini are affected by powdery mildew, removing the affected leaves is the most important measure. The reason for this is that the spores on the leaves are spread to other parts of the plant by wind and rain spray. It is best to remove the infected leaves in the organic waste. In domestic compost, the temperature is not sufficient to destroy mildew fungi.
How do I remove the leaves from zucchini?
If the zucchini is infected with powdery mildewcut off the leaves of the plant directly on the lower stem. Use a sharp knife to avoid fraying the interface. Infections damage the already weakened plant. Clean the knife thoroughly after work to prevent spores from being transferred to other plants.
What do I have to consider when trimming zucchini?
You must notremove too many leaves from the zucchiniotherwise the plants will stop growing and producing fruit. Zucchini fruits require a lot of energy to grow. That's why the plant produces large leaves. Due to the large area, sufficient nutrients are supplied during photosynthesis. Observe your plants and treat mildew as soon as it appears.
What do I do if many leaves are affected by powdery mildew?
If the mildew has already spread to many of the zucchini's leaves, you shouldremove the entire plant This is especially true for downy mildew, which is particularly difficult to combat. If you have powdery mildew, you can first remove only the affected areas of the leaves and then treat them with home remedies for powdery mildew.
Tip
Fighting mildew with home remedies
Home remedies for powdery mildew are whole milk and baking powder. These change the pH value on the plants and thereby destroy the mildew fungus. The home remedies are diluted with water and sprayed on the plants. Please only ever use one of these home remedies, otherwise the effect will be nullified.
