Mildew drives many gardeners to despair. Once it has infected a plant, it usually has to be cut back radically. Unfortunately, in order to avoid the spread, many see chemical agents as the only solution to get rid of the pest. But there are also environmentally friendly alternatives that are easy to make yourself. Who would have thought that the unpleasant field horsetail would come to the rescue in this case.
How to use horsetail for mildew?
Field horsetail is an effective, environmentally friendly remedy against powdery mildew. Simply soak 100g fresh or 10g dried field horsetail in 1 liter of water, dilute the broth with water in a ratio of 1:5 and spray on affected leaves.
Make horsetail broth
Making your own field horsetail broth saves money and is completely uncomplicated:You need:
- 100 g fresh field horsetail (alternatively 10 g dried field horsetail)
- 1 liter of water
How to do it:
- Crushing field horsetail
- water the plant with water
- leave on for 24 hours
- To reduce the waiting time to twelve hours, boil the water briefly
- The stock will be a little stronger if you add an onion, garlic and a little oil to it
Where does field horsetail grow?
By using home remedies you can save money when fighting mildew. You can even collect field horsetail yourself. Look for the plant on moist soils and forest edges. However, only use fresh, green shoots that do not have any spots. The time to collect is ideal until the end of July. Always use the stems fresh or dry them to preserve the silica content. However, you should be aware that field horsetail is visually very similar to marsh horsetail. However, this is unsuitable for mildew treatment.
Usage
- dilute the broth again in a ratio of 1:5 with water
- fill the mixture into a spray bottle
- spray affected leaves at regular intervals
Alternative application
Depending on your preference, you can also add the broth to your irrigation water. But then you should pay attention to a ratio of 1:10.
Not only effective for acute infestations
You should not only use field horsetail if your plants already show symptoms of powdery mildew. The remedy also proves to be extremely effective as a preventive measure. There is no danger to the environment or animals.
