Powdery Mildew on Crepe Myrtle

Recognizing Powdery Mildew

As the name implies, powdery mildew looks like powdery splotches of white or gray powder on the leaves and stems of plants. Even though there are  several types of this fungi, they all look basically the same.

When you do finally notice powdery mildew it is usually on the top surfaces of the leaves.  Up on closer examination you may see the powdery looking fungus also on the stems, flowers, buds and even the fruit on the infected plant.

Although powdery mildew is unattractive, it is rarely fatal. It does stress the plant and severe or repetitive infections will weaken the plant. If enough of the leaf surface becomes covered with powdery mildew it will usually fall off prematurely.

The real harm to your Oklahoma plants occur when the powdery mildew effects the photosynthesis of the plant.  Edible crops with  insufficient photosynthesis will suffer from  diminished flavor in the fruit or vegetable. If buds become infected,like on Oklahoma Crepe Myrtle or your roses they may not open and mature at all.

Squash infected with Powdery Mildew

Powdery Mildew Is Host Specific 

This is probably the only positive thing about  powdery mildew. Host specific means that is will not spread from your roses to your Crepe Myrtle however, all powdery mildews favor the same conditions.

What Causes Powdery Mildew?

Powdery mildew fungi overwinters in plant debris and begin producing spores in the spring (another reason to clean out those beds).  The spores can be introduced to your plants by wind, insects or splashing water.

Conditions that encourage the growth and spread of powdery mildew include:

• Dampness or high humidity (Not common during rainy seasons or in extreme heat)
• Crowded plantings
• Poor air circulation

Treatment for Powdery Mildew 

I use it, it works and it is not toxic! PLANT WASH

You will also find chemical treatments available in local stores.  Be sure the product is used in the treatment of Powdery Mildew.  This can be found by reading the label of the product you are considering purchasing.  Also make note of recommend applications. More is never good with chemicals and often hurts the plant.

I would also recommend cleaning out the debris from your gardens along with following recommended planting procedures and locations when putting in plants.

You can also want to remove the infected parts. If you do remove these parts do not compost them but bag and place in a trash receptacle.  Why, because powdery mildew is a fungus and has spores. Plus, whatever tool you use to remove the infected parts should be cleaned thoroughly and have the blades wiped down with a disinfectant.

Do not forget to feed and water the birds!

Morning Doves mate for life and are without a doubt one of the worst nest builders around.  You can only hope the Oklahoma wind does not blow the eggs out.

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Aphids and powdery mildew are the two most common problems we have in Oklahoma where Crapemyrtles are concerned. Though neither is too serious, both can cause your Crapemyrtle to have an unsightly appearance. If you go a bit south to Texas, you will also find that scale can be an issue. I hope that it does not cross the river.

The aphids and the powdery mildew are more an irritation than a serious problem. Both aphids and powdery mildew are generally brought about because of stress.

Powdery mildew, a fungus that attacks and distort the leaves is caused by a lack of circulation.  A lack of proper circulation can be caused by poor pruning techniques as well as the location in which you have planted the Crapemyrtle. This poorly selected location may not allow the leaves to dry out.  A couple of treatments of Plant Wash sprayed on the leaves will quickly get things back into check.

Prior to purchasing the Crapemyrtle, read the nursery tag attached to it carefully and look for varieties that are resistant to powdery mildew like ‘Acoma’ (white flowers), ‘Hopi’ (light pink), ‘Comanche’ (dark pink), ‘Zuni’ (lavender) and ‘Tonto’ (red) in the taller varieties. Compact Crapemyrtles, 3 to 6 feet tall, such as ‘Hope’ (white), ‘Ozark Spring’ (lavender) and ‘Victor’ (red) are also resistant to powdery mildew. Unfortunately, the compact Crapemyrtles are not resistant to powdery mildew.

HoneyDew:

The sticky drippings you often find on your Crapemyrtle is the waste or "honeydew" of small insects called aphids.

These pesky little creatures can be temporarily eliminated with a strong blast of water straight from the garden hose. They will however, come back unless the stress in the tree that brought them to the tree in the first place is not removed. 

Proper Planting Reduces Stress Which Will Hold Insects & Disease At Bay:

One of the reasons Crapemyrtle is so well suited to Oklahoma lawn and gardens is that it can be a low-maintenance plant. The best way to ensure this is to choose the cultivar that best suits your landscape needs before planting. Choosing the proper height of plant, its proximity to water and the amount of sunshine available will all help determine the Crapemyrtles impact on your lawns/beds appearance.

1. Pick The Proper Size Of Crapemyrtle

There are many cultivars of Crapemyrtle to chose from, not only different colors but different plant sizes. The dwarfs range from 2-3 feet up to 6 feet tall while the semi-dwarf tend to be 7 to 15 feet.   It is the great range in sizes that make it easy to choose the right size plant for a particular space. Severe pruning and topping is not the preferred method to ensure that a plant will fit into the desired space.  The preferred method is to buy the right plant to begin with by looking at its size when mature.

2. Dig An “Ugly” Hole And Leave The Root Flare Exposed

When digging your hole, be sure that it is an “ugly” hole with jagged sides.  Since one of the most common causes of stress in trees is being planted to deeply, make sure the tree is planted with the root flare exposed and visible above the ground as shown in the photo below.

Do not to plant your Crapemrytle like the ones in the 2 pictures below.

Though mulching up the truck of trees is commonly seen, it promotes insect infestation, disease, and weakens the tree.

3. Do Not Backfill Your Ugly Hole

Nothing should go into the planting hole except the soil that you dug out of the hole. Putting amendments or backfill soil in creates a  "bowl" effect in our Oklahoma clay. This situation makes it difficult to avoid having too much or too little water around the plant’s roots. Amendments should go on the surface of the soil around the tree, but not up the trunk of the tree.

4. Proper Watering and Sunlight

Stress in your Crapemyrtle can be caused by too much or too little water.  To prevent this, note whether the planting spot you have chosen is convenient to water.  If it is not, then watering turns into a chore and the plant will suffer.  If on the other hand, the Crapemyrtle has been planted in a bed with plants that need moist soil the Crapemyrtle will  become stressed. 

Crapemyrtles like full sun light and plenty of it.  Proper sunlight will produce not only a healthy appearance but it will also reduce the chances of powdery mildew and aphids. 

5. What Chemicals And Lawn Fertilizers Might Do

Stress can also be brought about by broadcasting excess fertilizer up to the Crapemyrtle as you fertilize your yard. Even broadcasting a weed and seed on your lawn can have a negative impact on your Crapemyrtle.

Soil compaction and soil contamination caused by herbicides and other toxic chemicals will also cause undue stress and make the Crapemyrtle susceptible to insects and disease.

Don’t forget to feed and water the birds!

The “Original” Red Dirt Gardener 

Well, I had no idea until I tried to grow my own tomatoes, the battle that farmer had on his hands. Below I have list a number of things you might encounter once you plant that tomato in your Oklahoma garden.  (for other articles see Best Varieties Of Tomatoes For Oklahoma, The Most Important Day Of Your Tomatoes Life or Ten Must Do Things For Healthy Tomatoes)

Fusarium Wilt

Blossom End Rot

Blossom Drop

Early Blight

Leaf Curl

Cracking

Septoria Leave Spot

Southern Blight

Verticillium Wilt

Nematodes/Knot Root

Aphids

Blister Beetle

Horned Worm

Stink Bugs

Thrips

The “Original” Red Dirt Gardener