Kitchen Garden Forum

Help the cucumbers in my greenhouse are covered in white stuff - looks like talc. Is it mildew or what ? What can i do about it or should i just get rid of the 3 plants before it spreads to something else?
Seedling

Seedling

It certainly sounds like cucumber powdery mildew.

I have found that if it comes late in the cropping season, you're probably OK. As early as this - I'm not sure what to suggest. Hopefully someone will come up with advice. In the meantime I'll keep looking.

Alan

you could try taking off the most affected leaves, keeping the plants well watered and spraying the rest of the leaves with a solution of milk and water - can't remember the exact proportions but I'm sure someone else can... Keep as much air around the plants as possible since mildew thrives in overcrowded conditions. I've taken my plants out of the greenhouse and this seems to have stopped the mildew.

1 part milk to 9 parts water, I put in a drop of washing up liquid too. Helped mine

Thanks
I`ve moved them outside today to see if that helps and have pulled off the worst affected leaves. Will try the milk and water too - belt and braces approach
Seedling