leaf mold on seedlings...

[oakley]

Its been a great year for seed starting so far. No fungus gnats or aphids...my battle
last year that I've been prepared for.

Started seeing leaf mold spots. Much rain and humidity and warm weather this Spring.
After last years troubles I inspect all trays like a hawk and have some mold spots.

After searching, I think the best is potassium bicarbonate but can't find what I purchased
last year. Baking soda? Neem? Does baking soda and potassium need a carrier oil?

I did use peroxide with a bit of vinegar on a few spots.

All seedlings are outside under shade now and no rain in the forecast.

I've been running the fan high and bottom watering as always, and only when very dry
almost near limp. Dehumidifier 24/7. Some plants I potted up have been outside for
two weeks and I'm seeing some PM bloom. (powdery mildew)

Always something new to hit the babes.

Still looking for the potassium bicarbonate...I needed it last year for my summer squash
and rosemary but never had any problems for the first time in years....

[Dutch]

I had excellent results battling a rapid spreading mold disease in my seedlings this spring using a potassium bicarbonate based product. The following is a short portable document file (pdf) on using potassium bicarbonate as a fungicide. http://www.betriebsmittelliste.ch/fi...te_organic.pdf

"Sodium bicarbonate is okay, but it's not as good,"
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/viewhtml.php?id=126

Additionally, I now am adding neem meal to my potting mix to discourage insects that could spread diseases from using the medium as a breeding ground to multiply in .

Dutch

[oakley]

Thank you Dutch...it must be in the garden shed somewhere.
I need to nip this asap...

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Dutch

I had excellent results battling a rapid spreading mold disease in my seedlings this spring using a potassium bicarbonate based product. The following is a short portable document file (pdf) on using potassium bicarbonate as a fungicide. http://www.betriebsmittelliste.ch/fi...te_organic.pdf

"Sodium bicarbonate is okay, but it's not as good,"
https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/viewhtml.php?id=126

Additionally, I now am adding neem meal to my potting mix to discourage insects that could spread diseases from breeding in it.

Dutch

That's cool about the neem meal for insect protection. Has it had enough if a trial yet for you to be able to tell us if it works well?

[ginger2778]

I know for sure liquid copper at 1/2 of the weakest recommended strength will work.

[KarenO]

Oakley, regardless what product you select, I would advise not to spray diseased foliage. Remove the visibly affected leaves and then treat the healthy foliage for best results.
KarenO

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

That's cool about the neem meal for insect protection. Has it had enough if a trial yet for you to be able to tell us if it works well?

It is too early to tell yet if the neem is making a difference. I am running a control without the neem along with the neem ones and doing it in two different environments.
Dutch
P.S. I have corrected my terminology in my previous post for those that don’t know what will happen after insects breed in it .
From; breeding in it
To; using the medium as a breeding ground to multiply in

[bower]

All I can add is that I've read that powdery mildew releases its spores at dusk. So routing the fungus especially the removal of infected leaves is something you want to do before the sun sets each day.
Good luck, Oakley! Hope it is transient and troubles you no more.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by bower

All I can add is that I've read that powdery mildew releases its spores at dusk. So routing the fungus especially the removal of infected leaves is something you want to do before the sun sets each day.
Good luck, Oakley! Hope it is transient and troubles you no more.

Now that's interesting and useful.
This is getting to be a great thread.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by bower

All I can add is that I've read that powdery mildew releases its spores at dusk. So routing the fungus especially the removal of infected leaves is something you want to do before the sun sets each day.
Good luck, Oakley! Hope it is transient and troubles you no more.

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Now that's interesting and useful.
This is getting to be a great thread.

Yes, I find this information quite interesting. I have read that some molds functions were regulated by temperature. I'll see if I can find info on that and post a link to it.
Good stuff, thanks.
Dutch

[Dutch]

The following link provides some interesting info on powdery mildew’s lifecycle and the impact of temperature. http://www.apsnet.org/publications/a...DavisRisk.aspx
This is not the article I was referring to in my previous post, but I feel it is good info on powdery mildew none the less. I hope other folks will post additional links to creditable information from academia on powdery mildew. Thanks in advance.
Dutch
P.S. My use of the word academia defined as; “The scientific and cultural community engaged in higher education and research, taken as a whole”. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/academia#Noun

[Dutch]

The following link is to a short document from Cornell University and is specifically about Powdery Mildew on tomato plants. http://blogs.cornell.edu/livegpath/g...w-on-tomatoes/
Dutch

[GrowingCoastal]

Here's a link to a product - MilStop - "Potassium bicarbonate-based with added surfactants for superior performance"

https://www.bioworksinc.com/products/milstop.php

I get PM issues later in the season and have looked for potassium bicarbonate without success. This product is pricey and comes in large amounts.

[MissS]

You can find potassium bicarbonate on Amazon and it is very affordable too.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...d=S2PBT7365LTP

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by GrowingCoastal

Here's a link to a product - MilStop - "Potassium bicarbonate-based with added surfactants for superior performance"

https://www.bioworksinc.com/products/milstop.php

I get PM issues later in the season and have looked for potassium bicarbonate without success. This product is pricey and comes in large amounts.

Monterey Bi-Carb Fungicide.jpg
Monterey Bi-Carb Fungicide which is one of the original potassium bicarbonate based fungicides is OMRI listed and targets fungal diseases including Botrytis (gray mold), Erwinia (soft rot), Fusarium (wilt) and powdery mildew.
The Cornell link is a good read and provides information on procedures they recommend.
Dutch