Treatment of powdery mildew in tomatoes, peppers and eggplants
July 19, 2022
If the leaves of the tomato, pepper and eggplant show small yellow spots that gradually become more intense, attention is needed because there may be an attack from the powdery mildew disease.
Known by many different names, such as powdery mildew, powdery mildew, powdery mildew, powdery mildew, and downy mildew, powdery mildew is a fungal disease found in the vegetable garden that causes problems in our vegetables.
Downy mildew infestations of tomato, pepper and eggplant are particularly widespread in all Mediterranean countries and are strongly manifested in greenhouse crops.
In outdoor gardens, powdery mildew is also common and we must take the appropriate preventive and therapeutic measures to protect our plants.
In today’s article, we will discuss the damage caused by powdery mildew in tomato, pepper and eggplant and learn what are the ecological ways to combat powdery mildew organically to ensure healthy plants and abundant fruiting.
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What damage does powdery mildew do to the tomato crop, the pepper crop and the eggplant crop?
Downy mildew of tomato, pepper and eggplant mainly affects the mature developed leaves. We recognize it by the small yellow irregular spots about 1 cm in diameter that appear on the upper surface of the leaves.
In severe infestations, the spots increase and coalesce, causing the leaves to wilt and dry out.
Especially in pepper, powdery mildew infection causes the leaves to curl upwards and then gradually defoliate the plant.
As a result of powdery mildew infestation, plants are stunted and stunted. There is also a reduction in production and a general deterioration in the quality of the fruits produced.
What conditions favor downy mildew of tomato, pepper and eggplant?
Powdery mildew disease is carried by wind from plant to plant and is favored in conditions of low relative humidity.
Powdery mildew occurs at temperatures ranging from 15-25°C with an optimum temperature for tomato infection of 25°C and for pepper 20°C.
Powdery mildew manifests itself much more strongly in tomato and pepper crops that are planted in semi-shady places, in plants that have a lot of fruiting or in crops that suffer from a lack of water.
How do we treat downy mildew of tomato, pepper and eggplant organically?
For effective ecological control of powdery mildew, we take a series of preventive cultivation measures and biological interventions that include the following steps:
1. We plant at sparse distances
It is very important to plant the vegetables at the proper planting distances, in order to ensure good sunlight and ventilation conditions.
We avoid dense plantings of tomato, pepper and eggplant, as they cause poor ventilation conditions and low relative humidity and significantly favor the development of powdery mildew.
Appropriate planting distances for growing vegetables
2. Water the tomato, pepper and eggplant plants regularly
We avoid excessive watering and wetting of the foliage, as conditions of relative humidity favor the manifestation of powdery mildew.
We prefer to water with a drip irrigation system to limit the moisture generated compared to other watering methods.
8 secrets for watering vegetables in the garden and in pots
3. Remove the yellowed leaves
It is important to remove the yellowed and dry leaves at the base of the tomato and pepper plant to achieve better ventilation and reduce humidity and reduce the risk of the development of the fungal disease powdery mildew.
4. Protect by dusting with sulfur
To deal with powdery mildew, we dust the foliage with sulfur or we can spread sulfur around the root of the plants using a tulle or a special sulfurizing tool.
Due to the heat that prevails during the summer season, the release of sulfur vapors protects our plants from the development of powdery mildew.
How we use sulfur in plants (+video)
5. Spray with wet sulfur
To combat powdery mildew, spray with wettable (water-soluble) sulfur or calcium sulphide on tomato and pepper foliage and repeat after 2 weeks.
Wettable sulfur and calcium sulphide are ecological preparations, approved for use in organic farming, which can be obtained from agricultural stores.
6. Spray with homemade ingredients
In cases of mild infestation and for preventive plant protection, we can use materials we have at home and spray the leaves of the plants with an improvised solution of baking soda.
To create the spray solution, mix a teaspoon of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in two liters of water and spray every two weeks.
And a secret for dealing with powdery mildew
To combat powdery mildew in tomato, pepper and eggplant cultivation, it is important to destroy the weeds, the unwanted weeds that grow in our vegetable garden, which are foci of infection and spread of the disease, such as sedge plants.
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