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hobbes_in_dobbs

Arrgh! Powdery mildew on a new peony!

Hobbes_in_Dobbs
19 years ago

Hi there,

This is a new problem for me. I planted 14 peonies from Klehm's last year. They did great, all but two bloomed. They are in a semi-shady bed and we have had tons of rain. Well I walked out the other day and one plant (the most expensive one, of course, Carl Klehm, a real beauty) was FULL of powdery mildew. Powdery, whitish-gray-- can't be anything else (or could it?) Blasted it with fungicide--- should I continue this, or should I just cut the whole thing back? The whole plant is affected, practically.

Thanks experts!

Comments (11)

  • calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
    19 years ago

    I have never had a powdery mildew problem on peonies but have found the only cure on other plants is oil. I use ultrafine horticultural oil. Fungicides are really a preventative and do nothing for existing mildew. Al

  • Pickles33
    19 years ago

    I am currently using the following recipe on my monarda, which is covered in powdery mildew:

    2 tsp baking soda
    4 cups water

    Mix together & spray your plants thoroughly every 10 days.

    So far it seems to be working on the new growth. Looks like my dahlias are next thanks to the high humidity we've been suffering on the B.C. Coast

    Good Luck!

    Cheers,

    Pickles

  • jerseygeorge
    19 years ago

    Hey......me too!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Just walked past my Peonie bed and one of them is absolutely covered with what looks like fireplace ash. Leaves, stems, the whole bit. The one next to it looks fine. It's a semi shade bed.

    I'll try the baking soda remedy as I research further.

  • Hobbes_in_Dobbs
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Yes, mine looks like ash oo. Still happening-- spreading to other peonies. It's weird, but there is NOTHING on all other plants!! Could this NOT be powdery mildew? On the other hand, when I started spraying all the peonies, it seemed to prevent the problem from getting worse. --Hobbes

  • jerseygeorge
    18 years ago

    UPDATE.....

    Did the home brew per the previous post. Made sure all die off was removed completely from the bed in fall.

    Peonies are now up, and appear to be up strong and lush. Just for the heck of it I gave them another treatment. Stay tuned.

  • chcampaigne
    18 years ago

    I now have a peony covered in powdery mildew. I have a couple of questions:

    Will the baking soda homebrew "cure" the leaves that are already infected or will they still look all white?

    Would it damage the Peony if I cut off the infected foliage (it has just finished blooming)?

    Thanks,
    Cathy

  • MizJoy
    18 years ago

    Foliage that turns sooty looking is usually botrytis. Cut off affected foliage and spray w/ a fungicide like daconil.

  • chcampaigne
    18 years ago

    Thanks for the lead on Botrytis. I think that is what I've got, although my peony's blooms were not affected. Maybe the infection came later. I found a link with some helpful pictures and instructions

    Here is a link that might be useful: botrytis on peonies

  • Peony_Grower
    18 years ago

    Mizjoy is correct in the dignoses........ and the treatment....

    BOTRYTIS BLIGHT OF PEONY
    Botrytis paeoniae

    Here is a website containning research from Cornell University and explains the condition and their research findings, as how to cure the promlem and the steps to take to prevent it from reoccuring in the future.

    http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/botrytis/botrytis_peony.htm

  • mimika9
    17 years ago

    I'm brand new to this site. I too have many peonies in the same part of the garden and this is the first year that some of them are COVERED with white and I assume it is mildew. Like some others, I have some plants without any mildew at all right next to some that are very affected. I figure that some are less susceptible than others. MY QUESTION is would it do any harm if I cut down all the affected foliage and stems now instead of waiting for autumn. Do you think it will affect next year's growth and is it worth it to spray to try to eliminate the mildew this late in the season? THANKS!!

  • dwight_boston
    16 years ago

    I need to know this as well (Mimika9's post), re: cutting down before fall, and spraying now, in August. I write this a year later than the previous post, but I have the same questions! (Help?)

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