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Grey mould: how to recognise and treat it

Disease

Grey mould — Photo: Schlaghecken Josef, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Symptoms

Fuzzy grey-brown mould on decaying buds, flowers, leaves, stems or fruit in humid weather.
Small, almost translucent spots that turn brown and water-soaked; affected tissue goes soft, dark and dies, and buds and flowers shrivel.
On strawberries, grapes and other soft fruit a soft brown rot, often as the fruit ripens; on gooseberries whole branches die.
Small black seed-like bodies may form on the infected material.

Organic treatment

Remove dead and dying leaves, buds, flowers and fruit promptly, and dispose of badly affected plants.
Cut off infected parts carefully, slipping them into a bag first, because the spores spread very easily.
Lower humidity by ventilating greenhouses well and thinning crowded plants.

Chemical treatment

No fungicide is approved for gardeners against grey mould in the UK; where a home-garden product is registered it only prevents infection, works poorly in wet weather and resistance is common — follow the label.

Reference information, not a guarantee. Read and follow the label of any product: dose, safety and the days to wait before harvest.

Prevention

Space plants well and prune dense growth so air moves freely around them.
Avoid wetting leaves and flowers; water at the base or with drip irrigation.
Keep greenhouses and polytunnels clean, and do not leave dead plant material lying around.

Plants it affects

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.