Is this a taboo subject? Are flower farmers not supposed to admit they cut flowers from a plant with powdery mildew?

I've never had any problems with deformed flowers attributed to PM. If the flower looks good, who cares if the plant has PM?

So I think I can infer from your response then that it doesn't negatively affect vase life.

Thanks for answering. I appreciate it. I am a newb when it comes to selling flowers.

You're welcome. I'm not a flower seller, just a flower lover. I was answering the part about the plant growing deformed flowers. I've not done any research or investigation to see if my cut zinnias last longer if the plant does not have PM. Sorry if that was not clear from what I said.

Since moving to AL, I haven't seen much PM, and so far none on zinnias. But if memory serves from when I used to live in OH, flowers cut from plants with PM weren't noticeably shorter-lived. That's as scientific as I can get on that. Good luck!

When Powdery mildew hits my zinnias
it is a sure sign the season is almost over anyhow. I use the flowers as long as they look good, but the plants usually go into a rapid decline about that time and frost comes soon after. Its just a cycle of nature for me. It is usally mid Sept at least when this happens.

Yeah, the flowers I cut from the plants with powdery mildew were fine. I just pulled that plants that were overly mildewed as the weeks went by.