White Powdery Mildew As a Cannabis Growing Problem – How to Prevent It
If you are currently struggling to grow your marijuana plants, you are probably concerned about the effects of White Powdery Mildew. This fungus can ruin your crop, and you can do several things to prevent it. The first thing you should do is remove heavily affected foliage. Otherwise, spores from the fungus will be released into the air. Avoid composting clipped leaves or rotting them. They contain spores and should not be composted, as they could contaminate the peat you’re using for your plants. In case you’re unable to remove the affected foliage, simply wipe it clean. The spores of White Powdery Mildew are highly attracted to damp material, so you must be cautious with any material that touches your plants.
A lot of these fungi thrive in areas of high humidity, so you have to keep your plants well-drained to avoid the development of powdery mildew. This also means you should avoid growing plants too close together because leaf-to-leaf contact causes moisture buildup. Instead, plant plants farther apart. Infected plants need to recover for two weeks before they’re ready to harvest.
To combat this fungus, you can use fungicides. You can use broad spectrum fungicides, such as Daconil. These products work by coating the leaf’s surface with a milky white film. You can apply these chemicals several times throughout the growing season. To prevent future infestations, you can use products with antimicrobial activity. For instance, Malatox, a fungicide for spider mites, works well in controlling White Powdery Mildew.