Why gooseberries rot on the bush and what to do about it

Gray rot and powdery mildew are the most common fungal diseases of gooseberries. With gray rot, dry gray-brown spots appear on the stems, which spread over the entire surface of the berries, and the stalk becomes covered with fluff of the same shade. With powdery mildew, a whitish, fluffy coating forms on the fruits and leaves. Without proper treatment, both diseases lead to the death of the bush.

Why gooseberries rot: reasons

Gooseberries are known for their ease of care and resistance to various diseases, but sometimes even with proper care, gardeners notice white, gray or brown spots on the berries spots.

Gray plaque and rotten berries are signs of gray rot, which is caused by fungal spores. The disease spreads from bottom to top. At first, the lower shoots and leaves become covered with a gray coating, which later envelops the berries, they begin to rot and fall off. The leaves lose their elasticity, turn yellow and dry out.

The next stage of the disease is moldy light gray coating, brown areas, death of plant tissue.

The disease reduces the winter hardiness and productivity of the plant, leads to retardation of growth and development, and stops the process of photosynthesis. Gray rot develops at high humidity and as a result of thickening of bushes. The wind spreads the spores to neighboring plants, infecting vegetable and fruit crops.

Reference. Gray rot is not a typical gooseberry disease. Fungal spores often affect carrots, cabbage, beets, apple trees, pears, and apricots.

American powdery mildew, or spheroteca, is the most common fungal disease of gooseberries. Immediately after flowering, a characteristic cobweb coating appears on the leaves.

As the disease progresses, the plaque turns gray, then turns brown and becomes dense. The shoots stop developing, become deformed, the berries do not have time to ripen, become covered with white fluff and fall off. Spheroteka develops in conditions of high humidity, prolonged rains and warm weather.

European powdery mildew also develops in warm and humid weather. A white, loose coating appears on green berries, which gradually thickens and turns into a brown crust, and cracks appear on the surface.

How to deal with gray rot and powdery mildew on gooseberries

The success of the fight against gray mold and powdery mildew depends on the speed of the gardener’s reaction. The sooner he notices signs of diseases and begins to fight them, the higher the plant’s chances of recovery.

Destruction of infected leaves and berries

At the first signs of gray rot and powdery mildew, it is recommended to cut off the infected shoots along with leaves and berries and burn them away from the site.

Fungal spores thrive in plant debris, overwinter in them and in the spring, with the onset of warmth, they activate their vital functions. Therefore, in early spring, after trimming the bushes, the shoots are collected from the site along with dry foliage.

What to process

The fight against powdery mildew begins after the first signs appear. If plaque covers the gooseberry during flowering or fruiting, a solution of soda ash is used for treatment (5 g of soda and 40–50 g of laundry soap shavings per 10 liters of water). The bushes are sprayed 2-3 times with an interval of 7-10 days.

If powdery mildew appears before the buds open, the bushes are treated with fungicides:

• "Nitrophen";
• 3% solution of iron sulfate;
• 1% solution of copper sulfate;
• "Fundazol";
• "Horus"
• "Topaz."

In the spring, the area is dug up and the soil is mulched with peat. Before the buds open, gooseberries are sprayed with copper (50–100 g per 10 liters of water) or iron sulfate (300 g per 10 liters of water).

Instead of fungicides, use mullein infusion (1/3 of a 10 liter bucket of fresh mullein is left for 3 days in a warm place, then filtered and diluted with water 1:3). The treatment is carried out three times: before flowering, another 14 days later and after harvesting for prevention.

Reference. The most resistant gooseberry varieties to powdery mildew are English Yellow, Northern Captain, Orlyonok, Consul, and Chernomor.

If powdery mildew appears on young shoots, use 300 g of wood ash and 50 g of laundry soap per 10 liters of water for treatment. Of the biofungicides, Fitosporin is the safest for plants and the environment. In the later stages of the disease, the most effective remedy is 1% Bordeaux mixture.

Fungicide treatment is carried out before the fruit appears. Typically spraying is carried out before and during flowering.

The same means and methods are used against gray rot. Particularly effective are the preparations “Falcon”, “Zircon”, “Chorus”, “Strobe”.

How else to treat gooseberries that have a gray coating:

1. In early spring, the bushes are watered with boiling water, destroying more than 50% of fungal spores.
2. Before the buds open, use a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture (400 g quicklime, 300 g copper sulfate per 10 liters of water). It is recommended to irrigate the tree trunk and bushes.
3. Wood ash is embedded in the soil under the bush and watered settled water.
4. For 3 liters of water, take 1 kg of hay dust or rotted hay and leave for 3 days. The product is diluted with 10 liters of water and sprayed on the bushes in the evening or during the day in cloudy weather. Beneficial bacteria eat the mycelium of powdery mildew, which provides invaluable assistance to the gardener. The treatment is carried out three times: before and after flowering, before leaf fall.

Potent drugs are used according to the instructions: “Fitosporin” - 15 ml per 10 liters of water, “Oxychom” - 20 g per 10 liters, “Topaz” - 1 ampoule per 10 liters.

Prevention of gray rot and powdery mildew

Methods for preventing fungal diseases of gooseberries:

• crop rotation;
• loosening the soil;
• moderate watering;
• thinning out plantings;
• cleaning of infected shoots, foliage and berries;
• planting varieties and hybrids resistant to powdery mildew: Houghton, Jocelin, Curry, Sadko, Russky, Pushkinsky Rozovoy-2, Plum, Rodnik, Lada;
• moderate nitrogen application;
• sanitary pruning of bushes;
• planting plants in ventilated areas;
• spring treatment with Zircon.

Conclusion

Gardeners who grow fruit and berry bushes periodically notice a gray or whitish coating on shoots, leaves and fruits, see gooseberries rotting on the bushes, and often do not understand what to do. To understand why fruits rot, it is important to understand the nature of this phenomenon. In most cases, a fluffy coating of gray, brown or white color appears as a result of the spread of fungal spores that cause gray rot and powdery mildew.

To treat diseases, Bordeaux mixture, soda ash, copper and iron sulfate, and fungicides are used.Agricultural practices - moderate watering, loosening the soil, pruning bushes, planting varieties with strong immunity, thinning, crop rotation - reduce the risk of spore spread to a minimum.