Gooseberry diseases and their treatment
To get a rich gooseberry harvest, it is important not only to choose the appropriate variety and planting location, but also to know by sight the most common diseases and pests of the plant. Even if all the rules are followed, the berries can be overtaken by fungal and viral diseases.
What to do if you are sick gooseberry and how to cure it? From the article you will learn what diseases are typical for gooseberries, how to recognize them and what measures to take when noticing the first signs of damage.
Gooseberry diseases and their treatment
Many diseases gooseberries are easy to recognize by the first symptoms - the bush fades, the leaves become thin and limp, covered with yellow or brown spots.
The causes of diseases are different - excess or lack of moisture, unbalanced diet, frequent weather changes. To combat diseases with maximum efficiency, it is worth studying the most common plant pathologists.
Scab
Why do gooseberries look like they're boiled? The reason for this is scab. This fungal disease is typical for many garden trees and bushes.. The defeat begins with the leaves - velvety small spores appear on them.
Over time, the spots on the gooseberries become larger in size, the berries become deformed and lose their attractive appearance. The pathogen multiplies on gooseberries in spring or summer, during periods of rain, warm weather and fog.
The cause of scab is plant debris, garden debris, and weeds.. Contaminated soil also contributes to the development of the disease, so it is important to treat the area before planting. If the bush is mature, gardeners annually remove weak shoots and leave 3-4 strong ones. It is recommended to regularly mulch and weed the plantings.
As a therapeutic measure, gardeners spray gooseberries with saline solution (per 10 liters of water there is 1 kg of salt) or a solution of copper sulfate. Another effective way is to treat the bushes with horsetail infusion (1/3 bucket of horsetail per 10 liters of water). The infusion is left for 3 days in a dark place and the plant is sprayed.
Anthracnose
Gooseberry anthracnose appears on leaves and shoots. Small brown spots appear, which grow over time and turn into one large spot. Leaves from the upper branches fall off, the growth of young shoots decreases. The disease actively develops in rainy summers - fungal spores love moisture and heat. Another disease, gooseberry Alternaria blight, has similar symptoms.
At the first signs of anthracnose, gardeners pick off infected leaves and treat the gooseberries with a solution of Bordeaux mixture. For preventive purposes, it is recommended to do this several times - before and after flowering, after picking the berries.
Chemicals are used for treatment - “Kuprozan”, “Kaptan”. They can be purchased at any gardening store. Before use, it is important to study the expiration date of the drug and carefully read the instructions for use.
Verticillium wilt
The disease attacks the root system and blood vessels - the leaves remain on the bush, but quickly turn yellow and wither. Due to damage to the roots, the access to nutrients and moisture is disrupted, and the bushes dry out. A white fluff appears on the roots and branches - mycelium.
If the plant is already sick, gardeners remove infected shoots and leaves. If the bush is completely affected, then the gooseberries are burned in the area right with the roots. Otherwise, the fungus may remain in the ground, overwinter there, and next year attack other fruit bushes and trees. For preventive measures, gooseberries are treated with a solution of foundationazole (0.2% composition).
Attention! Many fungal diseases have similar symptoms - the appearance of spots, drying out, deformation of the fetus. It is almost impossible to recognize the disease at an early stage, so it is recommended to take preventive measures in advance.
Rust
The disease got its name due to the yellow-orange coating - it appears on leaves, flowers, ovaries.
Rust There are several types - goblet (small swellings are visible on the leaves) or columnar (yellow spots appear on the upper part of the leaves). Rust occurs for the same reasons as all fungal diseases - moisture, weeds, insects, lack of minerals.
For preventive purposes, gardeners spray the bushes with mullein solution (per 3 liters of water 1 kg of cow dung) and regularly prune old and weak branches. For treatment, HOM, Topaz, and Cumulus products are used. It is not recommended to treat gooseberries with chemicals more than twice during the season.
Mosaic
Mosaic is a viral disease whose pathogens hide in contaminated soil and plant debris, and are also carried by wind, insects or birds.
Unlike fungal diseases, mosaic is easy to recognize - a bright yellow pattern appears on the gooseberry leaves. After this, the plant stops growing, ovaries do not form, and the leaves become deformed.
It is almost impossible to get rid of the mosaic - gardeners can only remove the infected gooseberries from the site and burn them. For preventive purposes, agrotechnical and chemical agents are used - they monitor the cleanliness of the beds, remove weeds and debris, and disinfect the area before planting. Spray the gooseberries with a solution of potassium permanganate and add potassium and phosphorus fertilizers to the ground.
Septoria
The main sign of septoria is the appearance of brown spots with a gray border on the leaves.. After a few days, small black dots form on the spots - these are pockets of mature infectious pores. After this, the leaves become wrinkled and curled, and the bushes lose about 90% of their greenery. The causes of the disease are a lack of mineral elements in the soil (manganese, copper, iron), as well as increased soil acidity.
If a gooseberry is sick with septoria, it will not be possible to save it. In this case, gardeners collect all the fallen leaves and burn them away from the garden plot. To prevent septoria, regularly hill up the bushes, weed the beds, and ensure a balanced diet. An effective measure is to spray gooseberries with nettle infusion.
Powdery mildew
A common disease of most garden crops. Powdery mildew appears even on the most disease-resistant varieties. Hot and humid weather, as well as an excess of fertilizers, contribute to the development of the fungus.
A white coating appears on the leaves, shoots and fruits. If you do not remove the affected areas, then after 2-3 days the plant will begin to rot and the plaque will turn gray. Powdery mildew can infect plants planted nearby - the fungus spreads quickly.
For prevention, gardeners spray gooseberries with a special solution. - 5 liters of water, 60 g of grated soap, 6 g of salt.For treatment, fungicides are used - “Bravo”, “Vectra”, “Gamair”. However, they will only help if the disease is detected at an early stage.
Attention! After powdery mildew, it is recommended to transplant the gooseberries to a new location. Before this, dig up and cultivate the soil, disinfect seedlings and garden tools.
Gooseberry pests and measures to combat them
Some pests feed only on gooseberry leaves, while others are able to destroy the entire crop. Insects are attracted to weeds, so it is important to weed the beds regularly and keep them clean.
Mite
Spider mites are small spiders, about 0.5 mm in size., which is difficult to notice with the naked eye. They feed on the sap of young leaves, which causes the latter to slowly dry out and fall off.
The mite not only eats the greens, but also lays eggs on the gooseberries. Spider mites reproduce especially quickly in hot weather - one female produces up to 8 generations per season.
If ticks have just appeared in the garden, simple remedies will be effective in the fight. - treatment with a solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture, spraying with mullein infusion. In case of large-scale infestation, gardeners use chemicals - “Credo”, “Kolosal”, “Tertsiya”.
Attention! A common way to combat spider mites is to water them with tobacco infusion. For preparation, you need 400 g of dry tobacco leaves and 10 liters of boiling water. The leaves are filled with water and left for two days. Add 40 g of grated laundry soap to the solution. Water for prevention and protection 2-3 times per season.
Aphid
Aphids settle on gooseberries in swarms. The insect is small and difficult to see on the plant.Aphids suck vital components from the leaves, which is why the gooseberry stops growing and the fruits do not form. Over time, the leaves fall off and the shoots dry out. Also, in addition to metabolic failure, aphids can transmit diseases - tobacco mosaic and scab. Therefore, the insect is doubly dangerous.
In autumn, aphids leave eggs on the shoots, which successfully overwinter, so in early spring the bush is watered with boiling water. Garlic solution helps in the fight against pests - 350 g of chopped garlic is stirred in 10 liters of warm water. The solution is filtered through cheesecloth and watered at the base of the bush.
Sawfly
The sawfly at the caterpillar (larval) stage is capable of completely destroying gooseberry bushes, as well as nearby red and black currant bushes. For this reason, it is recommended not to plant gooseberries with other berry bushes; it is better to give the neighborhood to potatoes, cucumbers, and herbs. Sawflies eat the inside of the leaves and gnaw holes in them. After 5-7 days, the bush is no longer able to develop and bear fruit.
Integrated control measures are used against the pest — follow agrotechnical rules, watering and fertilizing regimes. Gooseberries are planted on cultivated sunny lands and root and foliar fertilizers are applied. To destroy the insect, use Karate or Inta-Vir products. Treatment is carried out twice during the summer season.
Ognevka
The moth is easy to spot - these are large flying brown beetles. Externally, the moth is similar to an aphid, only larger in size. It appears on the bushes with the onset of spring and eats the flower ovary. As a result, the gooseberry turns red, dries out and becomes covered with white coating-web.When a moth is detected, gardeners immediately remove damaged leaves and berries and burn them. The bush is sprayed with tobacco or garlic solution.
To prevent the appearance of the moth, dig up the soil near the tree trunk of the plant. to a depth of 15 cm. This is done in the fall in order to avoid new larvae that appeared during the winter with the onset of spring. In addition, it is important to promptly prune old shoots and remove weeds.
Attention! Useful neighbors for gooseberry bushes are mint and tomatoes. It is recommended to plant them near the gooseberries, and the berries are not afraid of any insect pests.
Moth
Both butterflies and moth caterpillars are terrible for gooseberries, which are capable of destroying all the leaves on the bush. The butterfly larva grows up to 4 cm in length and has a thick body. With the onset of spring, it produces a beautiful yellow-black butterfly. Inexperienced gardeners can rarely discern a dangerous pest in it.
To protect, bushes are treated with fungicides twice a season. - before buds open and immediately after flowering. If the bushes already have ripe and large berries, then using chemicals is not recommended - it is better to give preference to proven folk remedies. The moth lives on both adult bushes and seedlings.
Zlatka
At the beginning of summer, the green beetle lays eggs inside weak shoots. In July, young beetles appear and eat young gooseberry leaves. The berry slows down in growth, and soon stops growing altogether.
In early spring, weak and damaged branches are removedto prevent unexpected guests. If the borer has already settled on the bushes, gardeners treat the bush with HOM. But this is provided that there are no ripe berries on the branches yet.
Glassware
The glassworm is a miniature white worm. A sign of the appearance of glass is weak and fading shoots. Black spots are visible on the cut of the branch - these are the tunnels in which the insect lives. Planting treated and hardened cuttings will help prevent the appearance of glass.
Glass can withstand low temperatures, therefore, when planting a seedling on a plot, it is better to cover it with film or protective glass for the first time. It is recommended to remove the structure after the plant has grown stronger. It is also recommended to plant fragrant plants near the gooseberries - calendula, marigolds, garlic. To get rid of the pest, Fitoverm preparations are used.
Conclusion
Are the gooseberries turning red in June? Do the gooseberries look like they've been cooked? If a gardener has encountered such situations in his garden plot, it means that the gooseberry is sick or insect pests have settled on it.
Fungal and viral diseases appear due to many reasons - humidity, heat, improper care, contaminated soil. Insects - due to weeds and diseased plants near them. To protect the berries, it is important to inspect the gooseberries regularly for damage and symptoms. If detected, take action immediately.