Honeysuckle - Mildew

[Nickmozz]

Hi there

This is the first of a couple of gardening questions from me!  Sorry... but i'm a reasonably new convert to gardening and coming across all sorts of beasties! 

We have a honeysuckle that we wanted to grow in a big pot.  For two years running it has become covered in mildew (I assume - white powdery on leaves).  We hacked it back twice and then at the end of last year thought... shove it in the garden and see what happens.

It has grown huge and healthily and suddenly this week there are signs of mildew again!  Damn!  Can anyone tell me if this is treatable and with what?

Thanks!

  

[Clanad]

This sounds like powdery mildew. Unique name, no?  I get this in late summer in roses.  Usually due to high humidity.  Any sulfur based product will help control it.  Additionally, in the spring, before the plant starts showing life, spray the plant and surrounding 1 foot or so of ground with lime sulfur, also called dormant oil.  It's a smelly liquid to be mixed with water, so don't get any on your clothes or shoes.  During the actual growing season, I've had some luck with Neem oil.  Again, this is mixed and sprayed.  Neem is made from an organic source and seems to work most of the time.  You do have to be persistent with it though... best of luck!

[sddsddean]

Yep, we get it on one of our honeysuckles as well. Asked the bloke at the garden centre and he says its just one of those things; sometimes you get it, sometimes you don't. I use Benlate which works fine (if you don't mind putting nasty chemicals on your plants).

[Robinia]

Same here, some varieties seem more prone to it & weather conditions are a big factor. You may find that as your plant ages it gets less although pot grown plants often suffer more.  Honesuckles are tough customers - I've got an aching back from digging up an excess of the stuff!!