What can I do about powdery mildew on Phlox?

by Sarah
(Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)

Phlox without mildew

Phlox without mildew

My phlox in the front garden is covered in powdery mildew, even though there is another plant that must be similar and bought at the same time and it is perfectly healthy.

The one in the back of the house, the perfectly healthy one, is among other plants but mainly in full sun. The front one, with the mildew, gets sun from about 2pm onward until dusk.

They both get watered by hand with tempered water, so it's not that it's getting shocked by the cold water from the well. I've racked my brains to figure out why one gets it and the other is fine.

Comments for What can I do about powdery mildew on Phlox?

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Jul 22, 2024
 A few observations
by: Jacki

Hi Sarah, it looks like there might be a few things you could do.

As the Phlox in the back is doing so well, it might be an idea to move the other one to the same location. It also appears that the nice one has more air flow as it's in an open area, while the other one is against a wall, possibly not as well ventilated.

Another thing that I've heard could help is to spray the foliage that's affected with a concoction of about a teaspoon of baking soda in a liter of water. I might also add just a drop of liquid dish soap to make it stick to the leaves better.

Shake it well, and apply in the shade, not in sun. If it works, it will be due to changing the pH of the leaves so the mildew can't survive.

Give it a shot - let me know what you try and if it works.

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