Mildew problem on crepe myrtle

[tk.messerli]

Recently got this crepe myrtle and it had some pest problems so I made a mixture of 1tbsp neem oil 1 tbsp baking soda w water and now it looks like it has another problem. Was hoping someone could help me with remedies

 

[Gabler]

Crape myrtles tend to have fungal issues, especially powdery mildew. Ditch the neem oil. It's useless. Get a real fungicide and work on keeping your tree's foliage dry.

 

[tk.messerli]

Should I not be watering my trees foliage? I thought it was beneficial to a certain extent

I work with Junipers also and was wondering if this only applies to flowering trees

 

[Gabler]

Should I not be watering my trees foliage? I thought it was beneficial to a certain extent

I work with Junipers also and was wondering if this only applies to flowering trees

It's not usually a problem to water foliage, and I've heard junipers can benefit from it, but when you have an infection in your trees' leaves, water is not your friend. Keep the soil watered as normal, but keep the foliage dry.

In general, if you're not having fungal problems, it's good to water the foliage. As soon as you start seeing fungal issues, the drawbacks to foliage watering have begun to outweigh the benefits.