When it comes to managing powdery mildew the closest thing that comes to mind is Amino Acids. Some of them stimulate root cells to open up calcium ion channels which allows the plants to take up calcium way faster than the simple osmosis. The calcium is taken up through the roots and transported throughout the plant. Pectin will also form which is the glue that binds the cell walls together due to pectic acid reacting with calcium.

This leads to stronger and healthier plants with thicker cell walls because isntead of water between the cells the plants have extra pectin between the cells from the extra calcium reacting with the pectin acid. Because of that you will never have to spray a single fungicide or insecticide on your plants the entire year.

Plain english explanation: When a mold spore lands on a plant leaf, it wants to send down a feeding tube to get to the water between the cells to germinate and spread. But when the cell walls are thicker than usual and you add the increased amount of calcium-pectate between the cells, the mold spores just sit there.

The pectin doesn’t actually kill the powdery mildew just by the time the germination tube gets to the cells it’s already dried up and dead.

Keep in mind that any extra calcium the plant doesn’t use is pumped into a storage vacuole inside the cell. But if the germination tube happens to penetrate the cells and germinate, sensors on the surface of the leaf will detect the chitin in the cell wall of the fungus.

When the chitin is detected the plant will start opening up calcium ion channels inside the cells. When that begins the released calcium ions will start a chain reaction that will cause the plant to emit a oxidative burst which is plant’s first line of defense against powdery mildew.

This shows that the use of biostimulants that contain amino acids will boost the plant’s natural defenses against pests and diseases, this will remove the need of using any of the harmful for environment and human beings pesticides and fungicides.

Are there any other ways to prevent Powdery Mildew in your garden?

There are a lot of ways to protect your plants from pests like powdery mildew and suplementing amino acids with a full plant nutrition program is just one of them.

Provide Good Air Flow

Make sure you always provide a plenty of space for your plants to breath and also it’s recommended to use oscilating fans to provide even better air flow. Having stagnant air in your garden will provide perfect conditions for moisture to build up on the undersides of the leave which leads to creating a vapor barrier. The calcium uptake will also be disrupted causing even a bigger headache. If you read my guide on how to set up a carbon filter you will know the benefits it has for keeping the air clean.

Avoid High Humidity

While this is a must for every gardener it’s extremely important to make sure the humidity levels are in check or this will create the perfect environment for molds and mildews to form. And most importantly like the lack of good air flow it will disrupt the calcium uptake. Also you will have to avoid large swings in humidity so it’s best to maintain the humidity at around 40-60% with 50% being the standart.

Remove Infected Leaves

Always make sure you remove infected leaves at the first sign of any pests or fungus forming. But make sure you don’t spread the spores in the grow room by doing that.

Add Silica

When powdery mildew or other fungi are forming, plants mobilize silica to the point of infection which forms a callus around the surrounding cells. Adding additional amounts of silica will help prevent the fungi from spreading.

Alternate Treatments

Using the same active ingredients over and over will start to lose its effectiviness over time. So it’s really important if you plan on using fungicides to follow up with treatments that have different modes of actions.

Use Botanical Oils

It’s proven that some essential oils and horticultural oils can improve the effectiveness of fungicidal sprays, just don’t combine them with sulfur treatments.

Apply Systemic Fungicides

When you are using fungicides to get rid of powdery mildew they actually only help with slowing down or containing the fungi. If you want to completely kill the fungi at its source you will have to use systemic fungicides. Keep in mind that the chemical fungicide is rated for consumable crops.

Don’t Over-fertilize with Nitrates

While nitrate nitrogen is essential part of plant’s growth using too much will cause soft growt. Soft growth is plants developing large cells with thin cell walls exposing them to powdery mildew and other fungi.

Remove Fungi Spores from Leaves

Powdery mildew sports can’t germinate from surface water on the leave so you can easily wash the spores off all the way till the plant is ready for harvest.

Use Quality Plant Stock

If you want to avoid using fungicides or pesticides it’s best to choose seeds from well-respected breeders. They always use stock plants that are naturally resistance to fungus and other pests.

Once you have an infected crop with fungi, it’s really hard to get rid of it and keep it under control. Always feed your plants with a balanced mix of nutrients and provide them with a healthy environment.