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Lilliacs

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From: Sue Webb City: Elgin, IL
Mine have been around for over40 yrs. The leaves had a milky look treated w milk spray drought season. This year the leaves turned and curled on top and new spouts turned brown and curled and never grew. This was a wet and dry season. Milky leaves have returned. I have trimmed off tops of ones infected and removed infected spouts. What do I do to prevent this from happening next year and losing all bushes.
	Extension Message From: Richard Hentschel Extension Educator, Horticulture DuPage/Kane/Kendall Unit hentsche@illinois.edu
I believe you are seeing a fungal disease called powdery mildew. It will rub off, but it is not gone. Periods of humidity toward the end of the season is a normal expectation for PM. This year it was very wet well into spring and PM got started very early. While there are treatments available it is usually not treated as it attacks at a time of year when the leaves are nearing their end. Check the lilacs for Lilac Scale being old plants. Scale is more likely to cause branch and twig dieback.
From: Margaret Robertson City: Norman, OK
There is a spray that is made with baking soda on the internet for powdery mildew. It is inexpensive to make , easy to spray, non-carciogenic{ most commercial fungicides are carcinogenic} and works on roses as well. Set up a spray schedule where you reapply after rain and it will work well.
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