White film on leaves of impatiens - Knowledgebase Question

Name: Rita Wong
Staten Island, NY
Avatar for rwonginsi
Question by rwonginsi
July 1, 1999
In a window box, I planted some New Guinea impatiens with regular impatiens surrounding the edge of the window box. The plants have been thriving for 2 months. Lately, I noticed a white film on the leaves and the plants have been looking sickly. I don't see any bugs. What can be the problem?


Image
Answer from NGA
July 1, 1999
Based on your description it sounds like the plants are suffering from mildew. This can appear when the heather heats up and the air becomes more humid, especially at night. The best things to try are to thin the plants if they have become crowded and avoid wetting the foliage when you water. You might also consider some of the following steps: If you have a compost pile, make
some compost tea and spray it on leaf surfaces every couple
of weeks, or use baking soda-oil spray (1 tsp. baking soda
and 2.5 tsp. summer oil in 1 gallon of water) sprayed once
per week. A commercial organic alternative is Soap Shield
Fungicidal Soap from Gardens Alive (5100 Schenely Pl.,
Lawrenceburg IN 47025; ph# 812/537-8650).

Be sure to follow the label instructions and test any spray on a few leaves first to be sure your plants tolerate it well. Good luck with your plants!

You must be signed in before you can post questions or answers. Click here to join!

« Return to the Garden Knowledgebase Homepage

Member Login:

( No account? Join now! )

Today's site banner is by Zoia and is called "Snow in Summer"

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.