Why does a black coating appear on gooseberries, how to quickly wash it off and will this plant cure
Black plaque on gooseberry bushes signals the appearance of a disease. Spots or dots appear on leaves and fruits, which grow over time. If measures are not taken, the berries rot and fall off, and the leaves and shoots become dry. This way you can lose the entire harvest, because the bush will die. We’ll look into what to do if the gooseberries turn black.
Reasons for the appearance of black plaque on gooseberries
The most common reason for the appearance of black plaque on gooseberries is disease..
Powdery mildew - a fungal disease that affects young and mature shrubs - appears due to contamination of the soil, sudden changes in weather, and non-compliance with care rules. The berries are first filled with white rot, and then dry out and darken right on the bush. It is impossible to save gooseberries at the blackening stage.
Also gardeners Alternaria blight (black spot) is isolated. The disease first affects the leaves - gray spots appear, which may darken over time. They grow and merge, which is why the leaf resembles a burnt one.
Alternaria appears in mid-summer, when the weather is hot or there is heavy rain. The cause is disease and dense plantings.
Small brown spots with dark shiny tubercles may appear on the bush. This is how the disease anthracnose manifests itself. If the disease is not detected in time, the spots grow, and the leaves dry out and fall off.Anthracnose activity peaks in mid-summer.
Attention! Dark spots or the appearance of black plaque can be caused not only by diseases, but also by errors in agricultural practices. Among them are a lack of fertilizing, excess or deficiency of moisture, and treatment with expired drugs.
How to quickly wash off black plaque from gooseberries, will this cure it?
To save the crop and preserve the shrubs, gardeners recommend starting immediately gooseberry treatment.
Otherwise, the plant will shed its leaves and fruits and die.
When to treat a bush
The bush is processed early in the morning, before sunrise. This is necessary so that the medicinal solution remains on the leaves and shoots, and does not evaporate under the influence of scorching rays.
The number of treatments depends on what the gooseberry is sick with and what products the gardener uses. When using chemicals or biological products, read the information on the packaging. And folk remedies are used until the black color of the fruits and leaves disappears.
What and how to process
Bordeaux mixture helps get rid of small black spots on leaves (1%). For preparation you will need 10 liters of water, 100 g of copper sulfate and 150 g of lime.
Spray not only the branches, but also the soil around the bush. 1-2 treatments are carried out per week depending on the degree of damage.
In addition to Bordeaux mixture, gardeners use the following methods:
- Treatment with tansy solution. 30 g of herb are poured into 10 liters of water, infused for 24 hours, boiled for 2 hours and cooled. When processing, gardeners lift each branch with their hands.
- Treatment with chemicals, for example, Topaz or Fitolavin. It is recommended to use such products if more than 60% of the bush is covered with black bloom.The drugs are effective and harmless to humans and the environment.
- Spraying with soap solution. 250 g of laundry soap are diluted in a bucket of water. This is not only a therapeutic, but also a prophylactic agent.
- Treatment with soda-soap solution. Dissolve 6-7 g of soda and 60 g of grated antibacterial soap in a bucket of water. Summer residents wet the leaves and shoots by hand.
Experienced gardeners recommend paying attention to prevention. To do this, the bush is constantly inspected and the watering and fertilizing regime is observed.
They also loosen the soil and remove weeds, which often cause diseases.
Interesting things on the site:
Using soda for powdery mildew on gooseberries
Conclusion
To decide how to treat gooseberries if the berries turn black, it is important to identify the cause of the plaque or spots. This could be powdery mildew or Alternaria (black spot).
It is recommended to immediately treat the plant with a soap solution, Bordeaux mixture, or use chemicals - “Topaz”, “Abiga-Peak”, “Oxyx”. Gardeners also pay attention to fertilizing and watering, since violations of the rules of agricultural technology can cause blackening of the gooseberries.