How to deal with mold on gooseberries

Almost everyone, when growing gooseberries, is faced with diseases of this plant in one way or another. Mold appears on gooseberry bushes, they grow poorly, and the berries fall off.

Methods for combating mold depend on what disease has affected the bush. If a developing disease is recognized in time, the plant can be saved.

Diseases similar to mold: how to recognize and fight them

Many gardeners complain about a white or gray coating on gooseberries that begins to appear immediately after flowering or later on the berries. This scourge causes many problems when growing crops.

So why do gooseberries become moldy? The most common cause is fungal diseases.

Causes of fungal infection of gooseberries:

• landing in lowlands or in the shade;
• increased air or soil humidity;
• a large number of shoots;
• untimely removal of weeds;
• excess nitrogen;
• diseased plants planted close together.

Before determining how to get rid of fungus on gooseberries, let’s consider what diseases there are.

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Gray rot

The disease actively develops at high humidity, affects the lower part of the shoots and causes rotting of the fruits. Brown-gray spots form on the stems, leaves and berries are covered with a gray-smoky coating. In rainy weather, spores germinate through the skin of the berries.Diseased berries later dry out or fall off. If the weather is hot and dry, the mycelium dies, and the dead parts of the leaves crack and fall off.

Rust

This fungus overwinters on fallen leaves or shallow soil.. In spring, the spores are carried by the wind and land on the bushes. Planting in a damp place where a lot of sedge grows also contributes to the disease. The disease attacks the plant at the very beginning of summer. Bright orange spots appear on the leaves, and a bulge forms on the underside that contains the spores. The berries are covered with an orange coating. By mid-summer, the berries and leaves fall off.

Powdery mildew

This is the most common gooseberry disease. She reveals herself in early June. A white coating forms on the leaves, which then spreads to the shoots. Later, the plaque becomes gray, thickens, and then turns black. Fungal spores are found on the leaves. They are well transported by the wind to other plants. The leaves dry out and curl. The berries are completely covered with plaque and do not grow.

Important! If the gooseberry is not treated, it dies in 2-2.5 years.

How to treat mold on gooseberries

Mold is combated using chemicals and traditional methods. Prevention of fungal diseases also plays an important role. To make the plant less susceptible to disease, you should choose more resistant varieties, plant and feed the bushes correctly, loosen the soil, burn pruned branches and fallen leaves.

Reference. Experienced gardeners advise water the crop boiling water until the buds open, and plant dill and garlic nearby.

If the gooseberry is sick, as if the berries are covered with mold, you can save itby choosing the right remedies for each disease.

The crop is treated several times during the growing season.:

• before swelling of the kidneys;
• during swelling of the kidneys;
• before flowering, during budding;
• immediately after flowering.

Important! Plants should be treated with chemicals strictly following the instructions and safety precautions.

The solution is sprayed onto the bushes evenly, while the lower part of the leaves should receive the same amount of the drug as the top. To do this, keep the spray tip at a distance of 50-60 cm from the bush and do not stay in one place for a long time.

It is not recommended to allowso that the solution flows to the ground.

Necessary safety measures when processing chemicals: Long sleeves with closed base, respirator, rubber gloves and safety glasses.

In the fight against gray mold The drugs “Strobi”, “Zircon”, “Chorus”, “Fundazol”, “Topaz” have proven themselves.

Rust is effectively destroyed copper sulfate and Bordeaux mixture, preparations “Topaz”, “Abiga-Pik”, “Bayleton”, “Fitosporin”.

For powdery mildew use “Fundazol”, “Amistar Extra”, “HOM”, “Skor”, “Previkur”, “Topaz”.

For those who prefer traditional methods of combating gooseberry diseases, there are several effective ways:

1. Infusion of ash. Take 1 kg of ash per 12 liters of water and leave for 3 days. To make the solution stick better to the leaves, add liquid laundry soap to it.
2. Potassium permanganate. The solution is prepared at the rate of 10 g of potassium permanganate per 15 liters of water.
3. Mullein. Mix 3 parts water and 1 part mullein and leave in the shade for 3 days. Next, the solution is filtered and water is added to the volume of the bucket.
4. Milk solution. The drug is used at the very beginning of the disease; later it has no effect.1 liter of milk is diluted in 1 bucket of water.

Before starting plant treatment, remove affected areas, leaves, shoots and berries., after which they are burned.

Important! If the plant is severely damaged by the fungus, folk remedies do not help.

How and what to wash off mold from gooseberries and is it possible to eat them after that?

Mold from berries can be washed off with regular vinegar.. For 4 glasses of water take 0.5 glasses of 9% vinegar. The berries are dipped into the solution and washed well.

Also suitable heat treatment of berries. They are placed in hot water (60-70°C).

These measures are used if mold is just beginning to appear. If the damage to the fruit is already visible, they should not be washed and eaten. At this stage, the mycelium of the fungus penetrates into the fruit. These berries contain toxins and can cause acute stomach upsets.

Read also:

Timing and technology for pruning gooseberry bushes

Why do gooseberries turn yellow and dry in summer?

Conclusion

Gooseberries, like other garden crops, are often susceptible to mold. To prevent this, choose resistant varieties, apply preventive measures and carefully monitor the plant so as not to miss the initial stage of the disease. If mold appears, the bushes are treated immediately.

At the very beginning of the disease, gooseberries can be saved using traditional methods. In case of extensive plant damage, effective chemicals are used.

Mold cannot be ignored, since the infected plant will die in any case.