Powdery Mildew Jade Plant: Causes and How to Fix

If your jade plants have white powdery coatings on the leaves, you likely have powdery mildew. Also, powdery mildew spreads spores throughout your jade plant.

Even worse, powdery mildew can cause your jade plant to develop corky brown lesions. It is a fungal disease that can take over your jade plant.

Due to its rapid spread, powdery mildew can be difficult to treat. However, you can remove powdery mildew from your jade plant using some simple steps!

Here, we will discuss how to identify powdery mildew. In addition, the treatment options that could work for your jade plants.

Using this guide, you can successfully remove powdery mildew from your jade plant without too much trouble!

That being said, let’s begin

What Causes Powdery Mildew in a Jade Plant?

In wet weather, powdery mildew is more likely to occur.

As they spread rapidly in humid conditions, they tend to affect plants with poor air circulation more than others.

Besides being affected by humidity, powdery mildew also needs high levels of nitrogen in the soil to grow. So, if you have been fertilizing your jade plant too much, powdery mildew may develop.

Moreover, powdery mildew can be spread from plant to plant. So, if you grow plants in the same family as your succulents, they can spread powdery mildew.

Also, in temperate regions, powdery mildew is the most prevalent plant disease. Hence, make sure you don’t get powdery mildew on your jade. As it’s a highly contagious fungus that can cover your plants fast.

Symptoms of Powdery Mildew

On a jade plant, powdery mildew looks like white powder. It is not always the case with succulents, since their leaves tend to be thick and waxy.

However, there are several ways powdery mildew can appear on your jade plant.

• Leaves and stems covered in a powdery white coating
• Soil covered in powdery white powder
• In some cases, powdery mildew appears as a yellow or red crust or film on leaves or stems.

The white powder or patch that forms over leaves and stems looks like dust. However, it will rub off, unlike natural dirt, which stays in place for years.

The disease usually begins at the bottom of the plant, where it is wettest after watering. And then spreads upwards until it covers the entire plant.

Some brownish spots may also appear on the leaf surface underneath these powder patches. While yellowing spots can also appear in older growth, but not always.

Thankfully, powdery mildew does not affect a plant’s roots.

How to fix Powdery Mildew on a Jade Plant?

A variety of effective treatment methods are available depending on the severity of powdery mildew on your jade plant. Here are some effective powdery mildew remedies for jade plants.

Neem Oil

You can use Neem Oil on the Jade plant to kill powdery mildew.

Pour a tablespoon of neem oil into a gallon of water. Apply it every two weeks until the powdery mildew on your plant disappears.

Dish Soap and Water

Water and dish soap work well together.

In a spray bottle, combine a few drops of dish soap with warm water.

Shake the mixture well to ensure it is mixed well. Then spray on your jade leaves with an eyedropper. If you have a spray nozzle attachment, you can use it.

Using this powdery mildew treatment method will kill powdery mildew fast. However, make sure not to get any dish soap solution into the soil.

Baking Soda

An effective mildew treatment is baking soda powder.

Add one tablespoon of baking soda to a gallon of water. Spray that mixture onto jade’s leaves. Apply it every two weeks until the mildews have disappeared.

Hydrogen Peroxide

In a half-gallon of water, mix 1 teaspoon hydrogen peroxide powder. After that, spray the solution. 

Use it every two weeks on the leaves of your jade plant until powdery mildews have disappeared.

For each application, hydrogen peroxide solutions should be mixed up fresh. Because they lose their potency after several days once mixed with water.

Insecticidal Soap or Horticultural Oil Spray

To use insecticidal soap or horticultural oil sprays, mix 1 tablespoon powder into 1 gallon of water.

Use either an eye dropper for small plants or a spray nozzle attachment if you have one to apply the solution.

Like dish soap and water, it can kill powdery mildew quickly. Nevertheless, avoid getting powder mixtures in the soil.

Remove Powdery Mildew Infected Leaves

When you see powder-covered leaves on plant leaves, get rid of them as soon as possible.

By catching the infection early, it can prevent the infection from spreading to other succulent plants.

Mouthwash

Using mouthwash helps reduce powdery mildew.

Every two weeks, spray your jade leaves with mouthwash mixed with water until powdery mildews are gone.

The mouthwash powder mixture works just as well as other powder treatments. In addition, it makes them taste like mint, which keeps deer, rabbits, raccoons, and squirrels away!

Clean Up

Reduce humidity and fungal spores in the area by collecting and removing fallen diseased leaves. 

The spores of powdery mildew propagate easily through water and even in the air. Hence, you should remove fallen leaves infected with the disease.

Reduced Humidity

In humid environments, mildew thrives, so reduce humidity to prevent it. Also, it is important not to overwater in order to reduce humidity. 

According to Cornell University plant experts, jade needs to be watered once a week right after its soil dries out thoroughly. 

Overly moist soil can cause roots to rot, and powdery mildew on jade leaves is caused by the humidity produced by overly damp soil.

Proper Watering

According to Iowa State University Extension, water your plants early in the morning so their leaves can dry off during warmer days. 

Try to pour water directly on the soil at the base of the plant rather than over the foliage. Powdery mildew doesn’t like this method because it keeps jade plant leaves dry.

Temperature

As Iowa State University Extension suggests, keep plants away from cold drafts. It is best to keep the plant away from drafts to prevent powdery mildew from growing.

Milk

Lastly, milk is showing promise as a way to control powdery mildew. Scientists are still trying to figure out how the compounds in milk might act as antiseptics and fungicides as well as increase a plant’s immunity. 

It tends to prevent powdery mildew on zucchini, squash, and cucumbers. So, it’s worth a try on the jade plants. One part milk to two parts water is an effective mixture ratio.

How to Control the Spread of Powdery Mildew

It is important to remove your jade plant as soon as possible when it becomes infected with powdery mildew.

Alternatively, try isolating it from them so they can’t come into contact with each other.

If you are working around one plant only, be sure to sterilize any tools or containers used to work around it. This prevents mold spores from spreading to other plants.

Although the infection won’t spread to the rest of your collection on its own, you should watch out for other symptoms.

Later, if any more plants show signs of powdery mildew, quarantine them immediately!

Any leaves infected with powdery mildew can also be pruned off and discarded immediately to control its spread. Make sure you discard infected leaves in a closed garbage bag so spores don’t escape and infect other plants. Also, sterilize any tools you use after working with those infected leaves!

In addition, you should keep an eye out for powdery mildew on your succulents. The sooner something suspicious is detected, the more likely it is to be treated completely before spreading.

How To Prevent Powdery Mildew on Jade Plant

The powdery mildew on succulents is caused by fungi and looks like white spots. Since this fungus thrives in moist environments, you should ensure your plants don’t stay wet for too long and dry out between waterings.

Usually, powdery mildew occurs on plants that experienced a moisture imbalance during their lifetime.

Although powdery mildews do not cause death, they stunt growth and cause flowers and leaves to turn yellow and drop prematurely.

To prevent powdery mildew infections, make sure your plants have access to sunlight, air, and water. It’s best not to direct expose succulents to the hot afternoon sun since they prefer bright sunlight. Give them at least six hours of fresh air each day, and don’t let water sit in saucers or collect on their leaves.

Ensure that all dead leaves and stems have been cleaned up, as they can serve as breeding grounds for powdery mildew.

If you notice white mold on your jade plant, don’t panic and water or fertilize it too much in an attempt to fix it.

In addition, it is crucial to avoid overhead watering whenever possible. Because standing water poses a greater risk of fungal infections, including powdery mildews than bacterial infections, which require direct contact with plants.

Additionally, it is common for jade plants to suffer from powdery mildew. Yet to prevent further spreading of the infection, it is imperative to keep the humidity levels low once they have been infected.

Conclusion 

When caught early, powdery mildew on a jade plant is very easy to treat.

Whenever you grow jade indoors or in an enclosed area, check for powdery mildew before moving it outside.

Also, it is always best to prevent powdery mildew from occurring, so look for healthy-looking leaves with yellow or brown spots.

If not treated quickly, it can spread rapidly across multiple succulent varieties in just a few days. However, you can use the above-mentioned methods to fix your jade plant.

Listed below are the most frequently asked questions by succulent lovers. Look through them to see if they answer any of your questions.

FAQs