In order for the gray mold to attack, the plant needs an open wound. When pruning your plants, a cut no larger than ½ inch should be left. A longer stub does not cause a callous and allows for mold attack. When pruning tender tissues of seedlings and petals, keep the stub at ½ inch.

This gray mold causes a brown rotting and blighting on the affected tissues. Use a lot of care when pruning. Tender plants like seedlings and petals and weakened stubs left after cuttings are attacked by the fungus.

Gray mold looks like a fuzzy grayish mass over the top of rotting tissues. These are found on the geraniums indoors also. Outdoors, these can develop 24 hours after a rain.

Cool temperatures between 65-70 degrees plus dampness help the growth of this gray mold. On ripe strawberry fruit, the grey mold will germinate and grow in 3-5 hours when temperatures are in range.

Prevention of this mold is mostly by keeping the area very sanitary.

Remove and destroy dead plant parts.
Leaves, stems and flowers should be taken away from the healthy plants, and not left for mulching.
The decaying tissues create spores of the gray mold and should also not be put in compost piles if the mold is present.
A product named GreenCure is a good cure for this mold. Use it with 1 to 2 tablespoons per gallon of water especially after a rain. .If it is cool after the rain, vegetables and fruit can easily become infected.

POWDERY MILDEW

Powdery mildew is easily recognized and attacks more plants than any other. The signs of this mold include a powdery white thread looking covering on the surface of leaves and stems and flower petals.

This mildew does not usually kill a plant but makes the plant less beautiful and weakens the health of the plant. To sell plants and flowers, the grower does not like the loss in value by an ugly plant. The foliage becomes off colored and growth is slowed or stopped.

This mildew will grow on cut flowers in vase or arrangements. Especially are roses, phlox, lilac, and bee balm are particularly sensitive to this mildew.

When taken indoors, this mildew is air born and can cause respiratory problems. Research in the past 25 years has proven that the effects of mold and mildew are well known causes of allergies and respiratory disease, when you can see mildew with your eyes; you are looking at tens of thousands of spores or more.

When the temperatures are 60 degrees and the humidity is between 60-90% at night and in the following day time the temperature range is about 80 degrees F and humidity is 40-70% you have ideal growing conditions for the mildew.

To lower the chance of this growth,
Water your garden early in the cool of the morning. This allows the leaves to dry
before the evening.
GreenCure is a good cure for this mold. Use it with 1 to 2 tablespoons per gallon of water especially after a rain. Also schedule to spray every week or every other week.