White coating on zucchini leaves: dangerous or not. Protecting zucchini from diseases (natural farming practice) How to treat white spots on zucchini
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The main problem of any gardener has always been, is and will be pests and plant diseases. After all, it’s not enough to plant a plot different cultures- we need to ensure that they produce an abundant and high-quality harvest, and for this we need to protect our plantings from uninvited guests and sudden illnesses. One of the most common problems is powdery mildew - almost every gardener has encountered it on zucchini and others and struggled with it. Let's try to summarize the experience of all our predecessors.
What it is
This comes in two types: powdery mildew itself (it occurs most often on zucchini, pumpkins and their other relatives) and downy mildew, to which cucumbers are most susceptible. Both varieties are fungal in origin, although they are caused by different members of the fungal family. The difference can only be noted in external manifestations: the “real” type of the disease appears on the outer surface of the leaves, and downy mildew (with the scientific name peronosporosis) - on the inner surface, and only then spots appear on the top - no longer white.
External signs of the disease
The most obvious of them is distinct white streaks on the surface of foliage and flowers. Basically, they really look like flour powder. If urgent measures are not taken, the disease spreads to the stems. And after some time, the white (or grayish) spots turn brown - this indicates that the process has gone far enough, and the disease is already threatening all your plantings.
However, despite the general similarity of the onset of the disease, additional signs in different plants will be different. Thus, on zucchini, it reveals itself by a sharp wilting of the leaves, which are covered with a white coating, reminiscent of thin layer flour. If the leaf does not have time to become strong enough, it dies very quickly. The same applies to the stem: young shoots die before they have time to develop.
Things are a little different with a crop like black currant. Powdery mildew, affecting bushes, bends this year's young branches and shoots and causes leaves to curl. As a result, the foliage dries out and falls off. If the berries have time to set, they are completely covered with a white coating.
Powdery mildew on flowers manifests itself mainly as the same white spots. It is especially important when flowering close attention pay attention to the flowers - if they are brightly colored, you can notice the first manifestations of the disease on them earlier than on the foliage.
What contributes to the development of the disease
Powdery mildew on zucchini and other garden plants develops especially actively in conditions of extreme heat and high humidity. Sudden significant changes in temperature also favor the spread of fungus. In greenhouse conditions, ventilation is too rare, and stagnation of humid and warm air can also cause a surge and rapid spread of the disease.
However, it is not only the weather that can stimulate the proliferation of powdery mildew. Mistakes by the owner of the site can also contribute to plant damage. The first of them is too dense plantings. The second, no less common, is soil contamination. Fungi and spores safely overwinter on unharvested weeds, and in the spring they move to cherished crops. The third is illiterate plant feeding, which includes excess nitrogen and, finally, careless attitude towards planting, insufficient treatment against pests. But some of them, such as scale insects, aphids or scale insects, leave behind sweet sticky mark, where harmful spores quickly develop.
How to prevent the disease from appearing
Preventing illness is always cheaper and easier than treating your pets for a long time and persistently. In addition, do not forget: preparations for powdery mildew are mostly chemicals, which, of course, relieve plants from the disease, but are not useful either for the soil or for the gardener who comes into contact with it. So first of all, take a close look at your plantings. If they are too thick, thin them out mercilessly; do not create tropics in the area, in which the fungus feels so comfortable.
Pay attention to how you water your plants. If you get water on the leaves in the process, change your tactics. Pour it at the root: this way the moisture will reach it faster, and the disease will have less chance of multiplying, and you will save water.
Carefully control the doses of fertilizers applied. Do not “oversalt” with nitrogen; it is better to increase the dose of phosphorus and potassium, which increase the ability of plants to resist diseases. But in moderation, in moderation! Too much is often just as bad as too little.
Ventilate greenhouses as often as possible. The greenhouse effect, we repeat, is only useful for spores of a harmful fungus, but your crops need Fresh air and hardening. And constantly collect fallen leaves or broken stems - the infection miraculously multiplies in them.
Be no less careful about the cleanliness of your garden tools and pots if you are preparing seedlings or breeding houseplants. Powdery mildew on flowers is often found at home.
What to do first
No matter how badly your “plantation” is affected, you need to start with the most important thing - reducing the source of the disease. To do this, all parts of the plant infected with the fungus are cut out, including healthy areas. To avoid becoming a source of infection, your work tool - be it a pruner or a knife - needs to be disinfected. If the disease has affected most of the plant, it is better to eliminate it entirely so that it does not infect nearby plants. Whatever means you use in the following steps rescue operation, this part of the work must be done.
How can you help plants in the early stages of the disease?
While things have not gone very far, and most of your plantings are healthy, spraying them with a solution of ordinary potassium permanganate after therapeutic pruning gives good results. In a bucket warm water It will be enough to dilute about a kilogram of potassium permanganate. The treatment should not be the only one: it will have to be repeated two or three times with an interval of a week or two. Each time before the procedure, you need to inspect the plants and cut out diseased parts. It also works well in the amount of two tablespoons per ten-liter bucket of water. But if the spread of powdery mildew is large, you will have to resort to more serious methods.
Disadvantages of the most popular “medicines”
Most gardeners are convinced that Bordeaux mixture- a panacea in the fight against powdery mildew. However, we must admit that this is not entirely true. The fungus that causes this disease develops a kind of addiction, resistance to both sulfur and copper. Some kind of mutated strains appear, whose “descendants” are simply not susceptible to them. So both products are only suitable if they have previously been used no more than once in this particular area. True, pollination of plantings with colloidal sulfur as a preventative measure is still approved by the majority of gardeners. But not as a treatment, especially if many plants are affected by the fungus.
Features of powdery mildew on onions
Unfortunately, this crop is also susceptible to the disease in question. Downy mildew on onions appears as light green spots on young leaves. They spread over the surface with a purple-grayish coating, then the leaves turn yellow and dry, and the fungus “retracts” into the bulbs, stopping their growth. Varieties with flat feathers are susceptible to the disease - shallots, chives, turnips, batun, etc. Flat-leaved ones - leek, fragrant, slime (and garlic for company) - do not succumb to it. Onions are usually “treated” with copper-containing preparations (“Polycarbacin”, the same or copper oxychloride) mixed with a solution laundry soap for better grip.
Folk methods of struggle
One of the most reliable methods recommended by wise villagers is the “milkshake”. For three liters of regular whey, take seven liters of water and a teaspoon copper sulfate. Here you have a combination of folk experience and chemical achievements. Onion tincture is no less popular: 200 g of onion peel is poured with boiling water in a volume of 10 liters and infused for a couple of days. Don't forget to strain! They also recommend a solution of soap shavings or tobacco infusion, and some highly praise pollination with ash or its infusion in warm water.
Chemistry to help
But powdery mildew on grapes responds more easily to natural methods of control. Among them, the most effective is considered to be manure infusion, which is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2. After straining, the product is used to spray grape bushes, but only before the buds bloom.
Another popular method has been recognized for how to get rid of powdery mildew (and not only on grapes - it is suitable for almost all plants). To do this, the plantings are treated with diluted whey in a ratio of 1:3. Lactic acid is the enemy of the fungus; it dies from it. By the way, it is also suitable for prevention: in the fall, you can simply water the soil with this solution.
Powdery mildew still remains on the cucumbers. Treatment at first is standard: the same Bordeaux mixture or a solution of powdered copper sulfate. But if the fungus is already accustomed to copper, you will have to resort to diluted caratan. For 10 liters, take up to 10 g and spray the affected plantings for two weeks.
Do not give up! Even if such a misfortune befalls you, it is quite possible to fight it.
A garden plot does not always bring joy and abundance winter preparations. Excellent seeds, weeding, and watering can go down the drain due to a white, flour-like coating on the plants. This is not harmless dust.
The beds are experiencing expansion fungal disease, capable of completely destroying the entire crop. Symptoms of the disease of all plants are similar, but control methods may vary. How to get rid of powdery mildew on zucchini and save your favorite vegetable?
If trouble is already in the garden, urgent measures need to be taken.
- Very carefully tear off the leaves and flowers affected by the disease and place them in a plastic bag so as not to shake the fungal mycelium and burn it.
- Thin out the bed, get rid of thickening, allow sunlight to the diseased plants.
- Stop any feeding and spraying for a while.
- Process the zucchini chemicals or cure plants using traditional methods.
Chemical methods for controlling powdery mildew on zucchini
When gardeners asked how to get rid of powdery mildew on zucchini, science answered with several effective drugs:
- "Vitaros"
- "Topaz"
- "Previkur"
- "Fundazol"
You can also use:
- Bordeaux mixture
- copper oxychloride
Folk remedies for powdery mildew on zucchini
How to quickly get rid of powdery mildew on zucchini? Why fast? Every summer day is precious for a gardener. After processing the zucchini chemicals time must still pass to neutralize them in the product. You can’t always wait, and not everyone welcomes chemicals in their garden.
Our ancestors also fought powdery mildew and knew how to get rid of this infection. Let's call on folk remedies.
- Serum solution.
The most common way. 1 liter of whey per 10 liters of water. Spraying should be carried out on a dry day, sparing the solution. After 2 - 3 days, repeat, if necessary, several more times.
- Dry mustard solution.
Dissolve a bag of dry mustard in a bucket of water and spray on diseased plants. Repeat until cured.
- Garlic infusion.
Cut the head of garlic into small pieces, add a liter of water and leave for several days. Strain and treat the zucchini with garlic infusion.
- A solution of soda and laundry soap.
Grate 50 grams of laundry soap on a coarse grater and add the same amount to it baking soda and dissolve everything in a bucket of warm water. Once a week it is useful to treat squash beds with this solution.
- Horsetail decoction.
Bouquet of fresh horsetail add one liter of water and simmer over low heat for about half an hour. Strain, dilute with five parts warm water and treat the zucchini.
Prevention is the best help for zucchini
Neither plants nor gardeners like emergency situations. Knowledge simple techniques agricultural technology and prevention will make work in the garden predictable and the harvest expected.
- Compliance with crop rotation rules.
You cannot grow zucchini for several years in one place. They can be returned to last year’s garden bed only after 4 years.
- Deep digging of the bed.
The top layer of soil may be infected with fungus. When digging for a whole bayonet shovel, upper layer goes deeper and doesn't get sunlight. Fungal mycelium does not receive nourishment.
- Thorough cleaning of plant debris and leaves in the fall.
Cleanliness and order always pose a barrier to various diseases.
- Regular watering of zucchini only with warm water.
Watering cold water provokes the development of powdery mildew.
- Selection of varieties resistant to powdery mildew.
Breeders have developed many varieties of zucchini that resist fungal diseases; finding them will not be difficult.
Growing zucchini requires knowledge and skill. Then cultivating them will be a joy, and the reward for your hard work will be a delicious collection of jars in the cellar.The goal of every gardener is to annually collect good and healthy harvest vegetables However, unfortunately, this is not always possible to achieve - garden plants can also be affected, which, in turn, harm the yield, spoil the presentation and quality of the fruit.
You can use solutions, wipe the leaves with a soap solution (100 g / 10 l of water). They also use gentle traditional methods: treatment with infusions (1:10 water, leave for a day, dilute 1:3) and (1 kg of dried leaves / 10 hot water, leave for two days). 
It also helps to plant plants in close proximity to zucchini that repel aphids, etc.
Signs. is a small flying insect white, which feeds on plant sap. Its favorite habitats are greenhouses and dense vegetable gardens. When infected by this pest, honeydew or honeydew forms on the upper part of the leaf, and under bottom The whiteflies themselves love to sit and their larvae are found. This insect is dangerous primarily because sooty fungus or other pathogens can subsequently settle in the places it infects. 
Control measures. To destroy this scourge, other insects are introduced into greenhouses - for example, encarsia or the macrolophus bug. The natural enemies of whiteflies are open areas are ladybugs.
When attacked by ticks, the entire plant is covered with cobwebs. It begins to lag behind in growth, loses productivity and its level of resistance to low temperatures. The pest spreads especially strongly in hot and dry seasons. Control measures. By following the rules of agricultural technology, you can reduce the risk of ticks settling in your garden. When they appear, treatment with a decoction of leaves, infusions of onion peels, and potato tops is recommended.
Chemical treatment can be done both for prevention during bud break (Acartan, Karbofos, Metaphos, Phosfamide, etc.) and for treatment.
Sprout fly
Signs. The sprout fly is a pest that damages the seedlings of zucchini and many other plants. This is a small (3-5 mm) insect gray. In order to lay larvae, it appears in the spring. After laying eggs, the larvae appear in 2-10 days, and after two weeks they begin pupation. They overwinter in the soil. Seriously harm germinating seeds and seedlings. – they should scare away slugs.
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When growing zucchini in the garden, you need to be prepared for the fact that they may be hit dangerous disease or harmful insects. Fortunately, signs of damage are usually visible to the naked eye, giving the gardener time to take appropriate action.
In addition, you can spray plants for preventative purposes - in this case, the disease most likely will not affect the plants at all. In the article we will look at how and with what to treat zucchini from diseases and pests characteristic of this crop.
General information
The most common diseases affecting zucchini include powdery mildew, white rot, anthractosis and some others. The most dangerous pests for the crop are melon aphids, spider mites and germ flies.
General measures to combat these pests and diseases include the following:
On video - diseases of zucchini:
If you grow zucchini in a greenhouse, then in this case it is necessary to disinfect the soil thermally: pouring boiling water over the ground.
Pest Control
Let's find out which harmful insects are most dangerous for zucchini, and what can be done about this scourge.
Spider mite
This insect is especially harmful to those zucchini that are grown in greenhouse conditions, but it can also infect plants under open air. The mite settles on the underside of the leaves, weaving its webs here: this is precisely the first sign of infection. If measures are not taken, the mite will lead to the death of the entire bush: the leaves of the plant begin to dry out.
Spider mites on zucchini
They fight this scourge with onion solution. To do this, pass through a meat grinder onion, and then dissolve a glass of the resulting caustic slurry in a bucket of water. To enhance the effect, you need to add tbsp. a spoonful of pepper, 2-3 spoons of ash, and 1 spoon of soap solution. Everything is shaken, filtered, and then used to spray the bushes. When infected spider mite There should be two procedures: the second is carried out -6 days after the first.
It will also be useful to learn about how to plant zucchini seeds in open ground:
melon aphid
This insect is also a long-time enemy of zucchini. Aphids settle on the lower part of leaves, as well as in ovaries, flowers and shoots. Parts of the plant affected by the insect dry out, curl, and die. In addition, the defeat of zucchini by melon aphids leads to a slowdown in the growth and development of zucchini.
Whitefly
This insect threatens zucchini in July. The whitefly settles on the bottom of the leaves and reveals itself as a sticky, slimy coating. Over time, the affected leaves begin to wither.
Whitefly on zucchini
Sprout fly
This pest attacks young zucchini seedlings by climbing inside the stems. Thus, the fly can ruin the standing crop, preventing the zucchini from even surviving to flower.
Sprout fly
For preventive purposes, it is necessary to dig up the beds in the fall, and also plant the seeds not too deep when planting.
But when to plant zucchini in open ground, and how planting work occurs, is outlined
Diseases
Let's find out what diseases threaten zucchini and how they can be dealt with.
Anthractosis
This is a fungal infection that often affects zucchini, cucumbers and other melons. Zucchini can develop anthractic disease throughout the growing season. Signs of the disease: spots on the leaves that gradually become larger. When the disease has already severely affected the bush, the latter gives the impression of being burned.
Anthracnose of squash
They fight this scourge by carefully sorting seedlings: suspicious seedlings should not be allowed to be planted at all. If the plant is already sick, it must be dug up and then destroyed.
Spraying with a solution of colloidal sulfur (up to 100 grams of the substance per bucket of water), as well as Bordeaux mixture (100 grams of lime, 100 grams of copper sulfate, a bucket of water) helps against anthractosis.
Thorough disinfection of surfaces will never be superfluous, especially if zucchini grows in a greenhouse. Sanitation It is better to use bleach, dissolving 200 grams of bleach in a bucket of water.
Powdery mildew
This disease is perhaps the most common among melons, it also applies to fungal infections. Provoking powdery mildew external factors- this is too humid air with insufficient watering. The disease manifests itself by the appearance of white spots on the leaves. At first small, they gradually grow and enlarge until they cover the entire leaf. Then the leaves die off completely and wither. In addition, the affected plant lags behind in development and growth.
Powdery mildew
To cope with powdery mildew, it is necessary in the fall after harvesting to carefully dig up the soil where the zucchini grew. In addition, it is important to destroy all weeds growing around greenhouses and beds, as well as remove the tops away from the harvested pumpkin crops. It's important to support optimal humidity air in greenhouses, and water the zucchini on time.
When the disease has already begun, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of colloidal sulfur, or ground sulfur. If the disease has not yet spread and is focal in nature, the affected areas are cauterized with a concentrated solution of ground sulfur (the procedure is performed using a cotton swab). It is also worth learning about what it looks like and how the plant is treated.
Gray rot
The disease is caused by a fungus and appears as a gray coating on the leaves, which after a while becomes slimy and the plant tissue rots. Note that the disease, if it begins, spreads from fast speed, so urgent measures need to be taken here.
Gray rot
Phosphorus supplements will help reduce the incidence of gray rot in zucchini. It is also important to immediately remove affected leaves and flowers, as well as dig up squash beds in the fall.
White mosaic
This squash disease is viral in nature and appears as yellow-white spots on the leaves with a characteristic star shape. The spots gradually become stripes, covering an increasingly larger area of leaves and fruits.
You need to know that white mosaic cannot be treated: all affected plants should be dug up and destroyed. And the soil where the zucchini grew needs to be dug up and disinfected.
White mosaic
To prevent this dangerous disease from affecting your crop, it is recommended to carefully sort the seeds before planting, removing suspicious, wrinkled, or defective specimens. In addition, it is important to treat the seeds in a 15% solution of trisodium phosphate before planting. Seeds should be disinfected for at least an hour.
Fusarium wilt
This is a fungal disease that greatly reduces crop yields, impairs the taste and size of fruits, and leads to withering of stems and leaves.
Fusarium wilt
If the plant is severely affected, it must be completely destroyed. In the case where individual parts are affected, they must be removed urgently. To prevent fusarium wilt, it is necessary to always dig up the squash bed in the fall, and soak the seeds for 5 minutes in a 40% formaldehyde solution before planting.
Downy mildew
This common disease is also called downy mildew due to the similarity of symptoms. The disease appears as light yellow spots on the leaves, which gradually darken and become covered with a purple coating. The spots grow quickly, merge with each other, after which the leaf withers completely. If the zucchini is severely affected by downy mildew, then only one petiole remains green.
Downy mildew
To prevent this disease, the seeds must be warmed up for 15-20 minutes before planting. The water temperature should be 48-50 degrees. Immediately after warming up, the seeds are placed in cold water and then dried. If the disease is already progressing, spray the zucchini with a solution of copper oxychloride or Bordeaux mixture. You can read information about how the treatment works folk remedies downy mildew of cucumbers.
Other problems
Let's look at how to deal with the most common symptoms of zucchini damage.
Rotting of the ovaries
This disease affects young zucchini ovaries, and if you do not pay attention to it, it can lead to complete loss of the harvest. The disease is caused by putrefactive bacteria that are contagious.
To stop the infection, immediately mercilessly tear off and burn the ovaries affected by rot. After all diseased ovaries are destroyed, it is necessary to spray the plants with a solution of copper oxychloride.
Yellowing of leaves
If the reason is not watering, then perhaps it is the lack of adequate feeding. Keep in mind that even if the zucchini does not get sick and develops quite normally, they still need to be fed once a season. It's better to use ready-made ones mineral compounds: in them a suitable “diet” is already balanced. Humus, ash and urea are also suitable for feeding.
So, we looked at the features of combating the most common diseases and pests of zucchini. As you can see, literally every attack has its own antidote, so there is no need to panic and prepare for the inevitable death of the entire crop. Using the recommendations from the article, you can prepare a suitable medicinal solution and easily cope with squash diseases, even dangerous and contagious ones.