Kush Killington
Well-Known Member
**Some of what I say is fact and some of it is opinion. I'm open to corrections and any opinions people may want to add. This thread is strictly to help EVERYONE be wary of what Powdery Mildew is. I in no way am trying to spread false info. These are merely my experiences and knowledge.**
Okay, I've come to realize that the potentially devastating irritant known as Powdery Mildew is becoming or remains an issue for a lot of new and old growers alike. Most of which probably had no idea what Powdery Mildew WAS or HOW to avoid//"cure" it. I say "cure" because you can't really "cure" Powdery Mildew per-say. It really is like plant herpes in the since that it lives inside your plant, only to surface on the leaves, stems, and buds when conditions are optimal for its growth and spread of spores. Clones taken from a plant that has Powdery Mildew will also inherit there mothers lovely fungal disease. Don't think you can be rid of Powdery Mildew in such a manner. And don't give away or sell any clones that came from an infected mother.
Powdery Mildew is a fungal disease. It is easily identified on plants as a white powder that coats leaves and stems. Left unmanaged, leaves will be covered in a thick layer of spores and become unable to perform photosynthesis; killing the leaves and eventually the plant. Though it can kill plants, it generally shouldn't get that bad unless you're really oblivious. The average persons worse case scenario would be stunted growth and
significantly reduced yields from leaves being unable to absorb light energy.
Powdery Mildew loves a warm, and humid environment. Add in a nice dark place with bad airflow (like the middle of your dense canopy or thick buds) and your asking for trouble. Always make sure you have plenty of airflow in all parts of your grow. Even just a little is much better than none. Next is to keep your humidity in check. For veg, 40-60%. For flower, 30-50%. Lower is especially better in flower where buds can mold or fill up with Powdery Mildew. Low humidity in flower can also increase resin production (yeah!). Finally, if your grow room is UNSEALED then you must make sure that ALL incoming air is filtered. Powdery Mildew gets into your grow via air from outside that contained spores. The spores end up on leaves and reproduce, infecting the plant. If your room is sealed, your odds of a Powdery Mildew snowstorm is reduce. As a precaution, you should still keep good airflow and proper humidity.
If your plants already have Powdery Mildew, than you have two options; Slash and burn, Or make it hard for Powdery Mildew to grow on leaves. Low humidity and air circulation is a great preventative and "cure". Powdery Mildew cannot grow in areas of high ph. Spraying leaves with a more basic water (+8ph) should slow or prevent
growth. I've heard of watered down milk and neem oil are good "cures" as well. You can also just wipe leaves off with a diluted bleach solution. Just be wary that anything sprayed will probably raise humidity. I suggest spraying just before lights come on to avoid burns and help reduce humidity spike. Also it's best to remove leaves that are severely infected/covered with Mildew. Place a plastic bag over the leaf and cut at the stem. To prevent spreading mass spores around, after Powdery Mildew is identified, you should shut off all fans and spray/clean everything you can. After harvest or Slash (if you chose that route) make sure you clean EVERYTHING with a bleach solution. Walls, fans (intakes and exhausts too), pots, ceiling, hoods, anywhere you can think of. Doesn't hurt to go a lil overboard. 2-3 treatments of cleaning before the next cycle would be a good idea.
I've had only one encounter with Powdery Mildew. It was my first grow. I'm a legal med grower and had a 45 plant sog in a 8x8 area. It was tight and compact. I wasn't even monitoring temp or humidity. My partner at the time got 2 clones from a friend of ours that had Powdery Mildew. I noticed, but thought they were crystals and let them be. Next thing I know it's everywhere. I ended up having to harvest at week 6. We had to dip the buds in hydrogen peroxide (h2o2) to remove the Powdery Mildew. It was so so sad. If only we had known what to look for...
I hope people can learn from this. Powdery Mildew really does suck especially mid flower. At that point, you pretty much have to ride it out. Smoking Powdery Mildew is not good for you or anyone else. Producing bud that is coated in Powder and Crystals is both disgusting and deceiving. Please, do not sell Powdery Mildew Buds.
Please, do not smoke Powdery Mildew. Be good to the Kush and keep your ladies free of the Marijuana Herpes!
Sir Kush Killington
Okay, I've come to realize that the potentially devastating irritant known as Powdery Mildew is becoming or remains an issue for a lot of new and old growers alike. Most of which probably had no idea what Powdery Mildew WAS or HOW to avoid//"cure" it. I say "cure" because you can't really "cure" Powdery Mildew per-say. It really is like plant herpes in the since that it lives inside your plant, only to surface on the leaves, stems, and buds when conditions are optimal for its growth and spread of spores. Clones taken from a plant that has Powdery Mildew will also inherit there mothers lovely fungal disease. Don't think you can be rid of Powdery Mildew in such a manner. And don't give away or sell any clones that came from an infected mother.
Powdery Mildew is a fungal disease. It is easily identified on plants as a white powder that coats leaves and stems. Left unmanaged, leaves will be covered in a thick layer of spores and become unable to perform photosynthesis; killing the leaves and eventually the plant. Though it can kill plants, it generally shouldn't get that bad unless you're really oblivious. The average persons worse case scenario would be stunted growth and
significantly reduced yields from leaves being unable to absorb light energy.
Powdery Mildew loves a warm, and humid environment. Add in a nice dark place with bad airflow (like the middle of your dense canopy or thick buds) and your asking for trouble. Always make sure you have plenty of airflow in all parts of your grow. Even just a little is much better than none. Next is to keep your humidity in check. For veg, 40-60%. For flower, 30-50%. Lower is especially better in flower where buds can mold or fill up with Powdery Mildew. Low humidity in flower can also increase resin production (yeah!). Finally, if your grow room is UNSEALED then you must make sure that ALL incoming air is filtered. Powdery Mildew gets into your grow via air from outside that contained spores. The spores end up on leaves and reproduce, infecting the plant. If your room is sealed, your odds of a Powdery Mildew snowstorm is reduce. As a precaution, you should still keep good airflow and proper humidity.
If your plants already have Powdery Mildew, than you have two options; Slash and burn, Or make it hard for Powdery Mildew to grow on leaves. Low humidity and air circulation is a great preventative and "cure". Powdery Mildew cannot grow in areas of high ph. Spraying leaves with a more basic water (+8ph) should slow or prevent
growth. I've heard of watered down milk and neem oil are good "cures" as well. You can also just wipe leaves off with a diluted bleach solution. Just be wary that anything sprayed will probably raise humidity. I suggest spraying just before lights come on to avoid burns and help reduce humidity spike. Also it's best to remove leaves that are severely infected/covered with Mildew. Place a plastic bag over the leaf and cut at the stem. To prevent spreading mass spores around, after Powdery Mildew is identified, you should shut off all fans and spray/clean everything you can. After harvest or Slash (if you chose that route) make sure you clean EVERYTHING with a bleach solution. Walls, fans (intakes and exhausts too), pots, ceiling, hoods, anywhere you can think of. Doesn't hurt to go a lil overboard. 2-3 treatments of cleaning before the next cycle would be a good idea.
I've had only one encounter with Powdery Mildew. It was my first grow. I'm a legal med grower and had a 45 plant sog in a 8x8 area. It was tight and compact. I wasn't even monitoring temp or humidity. My partner at the time got 2 clones from a friend of ours that had Powdery Mildew. I noticed, but thought they were crystals and let them be. Next thing I know it's everywhere. I ended up having to harvest at week 6. We had to dip the buds in hydrogen peroxide (h2o2) to remove the Powdery Mildew. It was so so sad. If only we had known what to look for...
I hope people can learn from this. Powdery Mildew really does suck especially mid flower. At that point, you pretty much have to ride it out. Smoking Powdery Mildew is not good for you or anyone else. Producing bud that is coated in Powder and Crystals is both disgusting and deceiving. Please, do not sell Powdery Mildew Buds.
Please, do not smoke Powdery Mildew. Be good to the Kush and keep your ladies free of the Marijuana Herpes!
Sir Kush Killington
lol
