Question
Dear Mary,

My African Violets have what appears to be powdery mildew on them. It is a white cotton like substance. I have disposed of the most infected plant, but the others are showing signs that they too have caught it.
The plants have been very healthy and have never been given anything but water and fertilizer so I have no idea what to spray them with.

Your help would be appreciated.Thanks.

Richard Morrell

Answer
Richard: Thanks for your patience.  Regarding powdery mildew--there's at least one product you can buy and spray on the plants and it should help. It is called Benomyl. It will leave a bit of a residue on your leaves. One thing you can do is try to increase the air circulation in the room where your violets reside. This usually helps along with the Benomyl. For even further information, the African Violet Society of America has a wonderful web site. They are in the process of launching a brand new site, but I think you can still see the old one. It is full of great information. http://www.avsa.org  You will love the color pictures.  Hope this information helps. If you have any further questions, please contact me.  Mary Hill, Tulsa