Posted by Eileen Durfee on 27th Aug 2021

Effects of Ozone and Powdery Mildew - Creatrix Solutions

Have you ever noticed that some of your plants look like they need dusting more often than others? Do small white spots turn into a full-blown coating of white powder? Do you find that your plants are stunted, dry, and yellow when they should be lush and thriving?

If any of this sounds familiar, you may be dealing with a powdery mildew infection. Read on to learn more about ozone and powdery mildew and how  the Creatrix Tri-Oxy Complete can help you tackle this problem.

What Is Powdery Mildew?

Before we dive into the impact ozone can have on powdery mildew, let’s talk some about what powdery mildew is. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that can damage plants and even stunt their growth. It can impact various plants, the most common of which are squash, melons, cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas, and roses.

Plants that have a powdery mildew infection will look like they’ve been dusted with flour. The infection will usually start with a few round spots that may show up on your plant's leaves, stems, or fruit. The infection most commonly starts in young plants and will spread to cover most of the leaves.

Damage from Powdery Mildew

Having a little bit of white powder on your plants may not sound like such a bad thing. But powdery mildew can cause serious damage to your plants, especially young leaves. The infection may cause the leaves to dry out and turn yellow and may even stunt the growth of your plants.

If left untreated, powdery mildew might cause the leaves on your plants to twist or become disfigured. They might even break, leaving your plants with no way to photosynthesize. Later in the growing season, you’ll also notice the leaves, buds, and growing tips becoming disfigured as the fungus warps them.

How It Spreads

So how does this disease spread among your plants, and what can you do about it? Like any fungus, powdery mildew spreads through spores that travel on air currents. If you’ve never had an infection before, the spores likely blew into your growing area from other nearby plants; if you have had an infection before, it may have sprung from dormant spores hiding among your plants.

There are a few things you can do to stop powdery mildew infections before they ever begin. This fungus thrives in shady areas, so planting in sunny areas can keep it from getting a foothold among your plants. You may also want to prune your plants to prevent overcrowding and water your plants from overhead to wash spores off the leaves.

What Is Ozone?

Now that we know a little more about powdery mildew, let’s talk some about ozone and how it can help you manage these infections. Ozone is a molecule that contains three oxygen atoms, rather than the two the gas we think of as oxygen does. This extra oxygen atom makes the gas highly reactive, meaning it will bond easily with various substances.

You may have heard of ozone in relation to environmental concerns. Our atmosphere does contain a layer of ozone that helps to protect us from ultraviolet rays from the sun. However, ozone can occur at lower altitudes, usually around urban areas during warmer seasons; we call it smog.

What Is Ozonated Water?

As you might guess from the name, ozonated water is water that has been infused with ozone. As we mentioned, ozone is a volatile molecule; there’s a reason oxygen occurs with just two atoms. The third atom wants to break off and bond with other atoms and molecules, leaving the more stable O2 molecule to make its way back into the atmosphere.

When you infuse water with ozone, that third molecule bonds with any unstable molecules that may be floating in the water. This includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even other atoms that could impact your water's sanitization, flavor, or color. Once the extra oxygen molecule bonds with it, that molecule becomes inert.

Impact of Ozonated Water on Powdery Mildew

Naturally, given its purifying properties, scientists have been interested in whether ozone works to prevent various diseases. In particular, they’ve studied whether ozonated water helps prevent powdery mildew among plants. The overall consensus has been yes –  ozone can help to kill the fungus that causes powdery mildew

Several studies have been conducted using ozone and powdery mildew at different concentrations of ozone. The results were very much the same; plants treated with the appropriate concentration of ozonated water showed milder powdery mildew infections. In general, ozone can’t eliminate these infections, but it can decrease them.  Learn more about our powerful ozone generators and how they can help your plants thrive. 

How to Use Ozonated Water

So what’s the best way to use ozonated water to prevent and reduce powdery mildew infections among your plants? Pouring ozonated water on your plants instead of watering them normally won’t help much. First, you want to make sure the ozone makes full contact with the fungus living on the leaves, stems, and fruit.

Instead,  the best method for using ozonated water to fight powdery mildew is to mist your plants with it. The ozone needs time to work to make sure it kills enough fungal cells to tackle the infection. So it’s best if you mist your plants for at least two minutes to give them enough exposure.

Safety Warnings

If you plan to use ozone in any form, there are a few safety considerations you need to be aware of. First and foremost, ozone is a toxic gas – you should never breathe it directly in. Just as it reacts with molecules in the atmosphere and water, it can interact with necessary molecules in your body.

If you inhale ozone, you may start coughing and have a painful burning sensation in your chest when you take a deep breath. You may also notice that you’re wheezing or that you’re short of breath. If you start to experience any of these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.

How the Tri-Oxy Complete Works

Creatrix’s Tri-Oxy Complete is a portable intelligent ozone water generator. It’s designed to work with tap water and is  specifically geared towards disinfection and sterilization on home and commercial levels. It can produce ozonated water at a concentration of 4 parts per million or more, depending on your needs.

When you purchase the Tri-Oxy complete, you’ll get an ozone test kit that can help you ensure you’re getting the concentration you need. The machine will pass normal tap water through it and automatically mix it with ozone gas. In addition, if you get the upgraded model, you’ll get a digital display on your machine instead of gauges.

Other Oxygenated Water Uses

If you’re considering buying a Tri-Oxy Complete machine, you may be wondering what other uses it can have for you. Ozone is a great option for cleaning and disinfecting a variety of things. In particular, you may want to consider cleaning your cloning tools with ozonated water after you’ve removed any debris from them.

Ozonated water can also be used to fight various other diseases your plants may be suffering from. Water-based diseases can be eliminated if you switch to watering with ozonated water. It’s also good for cleaning any plastic or metal surfaces that may be harboring viruses, bacteria, or other pathogens.

Other Helpful Tools

Creatrix also offers a variety of other tools that you may want to add to your ozonation setup. For example, the Tri-Oxy Ozone Grower bundle includes the Tri-Oxy FRESH Ozonator that produces purified, oxygen-rich drinking water. It also comes with an ozone diffuser stone with a stainless steel barb and other stone diffusers.

You may also want to take a look at the Ionic Refresher, which is designed to sterilize air safely and effectively. This machine creates negative ions that latch onto impurities in the air like the ozone’s extra oxygen does in water. Ionizing your air can help increase your plant weight and harvest and keep your plants healthier.

The Tri-Oxy Ozone Grower Bundle comes with both the Tri-Oxy FRESH and the Tri-Oxy REFRESH, making it ideal for cannabis growers to use to treat and enhance the lives of their plants. 

Learn More About Ozone and Powdery Mildew

Ozone is a powerful substance that can be used to great effect with your growing setup. Ozonated water can be a great way to combat powdery mildew infections without resorting to artificial chemicals. However, ozone can also be dangerous, so be sure you use your Ozonator only as directed.

If you’d like to learn more about ozone and powdery mildew, check out the rest of our site at Creatrix. We provide high-quality detoxification equipment ranging from saunas to coffee enemas and more. Shop our grow equipment today and start living a cleaner life today.