Powdery mildew and downy mildew are among the most insidious plant diseases that can affect cherry laurel. Numerous home remedies have proven effective in the fight against fungi, so you don't always have to resort to chemical treatment straight away.
How can you combat powdery mildew on cherry laurel?
Home remedies such as apple cider vinegar and fresh milk are suitable for naturally combating powdery mildew on cherry laurel. Dilute vinegar with water and spray infected leaves. Mix milk with water and use every two days to kill the fungus.
Identifying mildew
Both variants of the fungus can be easily distinguished: Powdery mildew forms a fine white coating on the upper side of the leaf and, in its advanced stages, attacks not only the leaves but also the young shoot tips as well as the buds and fruits of the cherry laurel.
With downy mildew, on the other hand, there are delicate purple, yellow or brownish discolorations on the upper side of the leaves. The gray fungal lawn is only visible on the underside of the leaves.
Fight mildew successfully
Vinegar: An old home remedy for mildew
Fungal diseases on the cherry laurel can be treated very well with apple cider vinegar. Mix a tablespoon of vinegar with a liter of water and pour the liquid into a sprayer. Thoroughly wet the affected leaves with this mixture for several consecutive days. Only use the product in the evening or morning and never in direct sunlight so that the damaged foliage does not get sunburned.
Milk makes mildew disappear
Milk has also proven to be a natural remedy for mildew:
- Do not use long-life milk, only use fresh milk.
- Mix one part milk with nine parts water.
- Wet the leaves thoroughly every other day until the fungus has died.
The microorganisms contained in milk fight mildew. At the same time, the sodium phosphate it contains strengthens the defenses of the laurel cherry.
Tips & Tricks
Sprays with vinegar not only help with mildew infestation, aphids can also be successfully removed with this remedy.