Downy mildew is a dreaded fungal disease in the garden. In addition to numerous ornamental plants, this fungus also attacks vegetables such as peas, lettuce and cabbage. We tell you how you can fight downy mildew ecologically.
How do I combat downy mildew organically?
The first step to take when dealing with downy mildew isremoving the affected parts of the plant. Then fight the fungus with a garlic decoction, which can kill the fungus. Field horsetail tea is used as a tonic against mildew.
How do I make field horsetail tea?
For field horsetail tea to combat powdery mildewscald dried or fresh plant parts with hot water. To do this, use 150 grams of fresh or 15 grams of dried horsetail per liter of water. The broth then needs to simmer gently for another hour or so. After cooling, you can strain out the plant residue and use the tea. The long cooking time is necessary to dissolve the valuable silica from the field horsetail. This strengthens the cell walls and prevents fungi from penetrating.
How does garlic help against downy mildew?
Garlic contains allicin, afungicidal substance, which is also used successfully against fungal diseases such as powdery mildew on plants. To make a garlic broth, pour one liter of boiling water over 50 grams of crushed garlic cloves. After 24 hours, sieve out the solid components. Dilute the broth with water in a 1:1 ratio and pour it into a squeeze bottle. When treating the plants, pay particular attention to wetting the underside of the leaves.
Tip
Prevention of downy mildew
Field horsetail can also be used to prevent mildew. To do this, add the field horsetail tea to the irrigation water in a ratio of 1:5. Water your plants once a week to strengthen them against mildew and other pests.
