Powdery mildew and black spot seem to be the most common diseases that cause gardeners to reach for the spray bottle. Now, instead of reaching for a chemical fungicide, gardeners can open the fridge for an excellent fungal control: milk.

In 1999, a Brazilian scientist found that milk helped control powdery mildew on cucumbers just as effectively as a synthetic fungicide. Since the study was published, the news has traveled around the world and encouraged gardeners and farmers alike to try milk as a fungal control for a variety of diseases.

So far, there has been success reported on the use of milk to control powdery mildew on zucchini, melon and squash. It's been tried on grapes, too, and has been effective on Black-Eyed Susan and begonia. In addition, it has also been found to be an effective control (not cure) of black spots on roses.

Any type of milk can be used from whole to skim to powdered. However, the low fat milks have less of a chance of giving off any odor or clogging your sprayer. The recipe calls for milk to be mixed with water to a ratio of 1 part milk to 9 parts water and applied every 5-7 days.

Keep in mind that "more" is not "better" here. Use the ratio above, or you might find yourself with another interesting mold caused by the milk itself.

Don't forget to spray underneath the leaves. That's where the fungus starts.