Question: I have a pink lemonade honeysuckle vine. It has bloomed all summer, but the leaves are turning a powdery white and falling off. Is there a remedy to save my plant?
Answer: Powdery mildew is the name for the grayish-white
powdery coating caused by a fungus growing on plant leaves, shoots
and flowers. This disease is caused by a group of similar fungi
that attacks a wide variety of plants, including lilac, beebalm
and honeysuckle.
Although plants infected with powdery mildew rarely die, the disease can reduce
the attractiveness of landscape ornamentals.
Conditions, including high humidity, overcast weather, warm days and cool nights
favor powdery mildew development. The disease is common in crowded plantings
and in areas with restricted air movement. Recommendations to reduce infection
include adequate spacing between plants and choosing the right plant for the
right location so as to make conditions less favorable for the disease.
There is no cure for infected plants, however, preventative fungicide sprays
will help protect healthy plant tissue from infection. Products containing
active ingredients, such as chlorothalonil, triforine and sulfur, are labeled
for control of powdery mildew. Hosts and diseases listed on specific product
labels may differ between products containing the same active ingredient, thus
be sure to read the label.
At the end of the growing season, remove powdery mildew-infected leaves from
the ground to reduce carryover of the mildew fungi into the next season.
-- Beverly Shaw, Advanced Master Gardener Purdue University
Information listed is valid only for the state of Indiana.
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