How to treat currant and gooseberry bushes in the spring against pests and diseases

Gooseberry and currant bushes are unpretentious to grow. If you follow simple rules of agricultural technology, they consistently produce juicy and tasty fruits. The berries are used fresh, for preservation, drying, and processing.

Experienced gardeners know that to get a rich harvest, it is not enough just to regularly water and fertilize the plants. It is also important to pay attention to protection from diseases and pests. What is the processing of currant and gooseberry bushes and what methods are the most effective, we will consider in the article.

How to treat currant and gooseberry bushes in spring for preventive purposes

Diseases and pests appear on currant bushes and gooseberries for various reasons: inappropriate planting site, contaminated soil or seedlings, non-compliance with agrotechnical rules, sudden changes in weather. The best way to avoid diseases and unwanted insects is to regularly carry out preventive measures. This could be spraying and treating bushes, applying mineral mixtures or fertilizing with folk remedies.

From diseases

Preventative treatment for diseases carried out throughout the entire growing season - before and after flowering, in spring and autumn. The following methods are popular:

1. In the spring, the bushes are watered with boiling water 1-2 times - it kills fungal spores and pest larvae that have overwintered in the ground. Boiling water is poured into the circle around the trunk, and it is important that the water does not get on the shoots and leaves.
2. Before the buds open, gardeners treat the plantings with a solution of ash (2 kg of ash is required per 10 liters of water) or copper sulfate (15 g of substance per 7 liters of water).
3. After the buds open, gooseberries and currants are treated with Bordeaux mixture. It is sprayed from a spray bottle at a distance of 20 cm from the bush.
4. In autumn, gardeners remove all fallen leaves, dry branches, and weeds. It is important to properly prepare the bushes for wintering, removing all debris and preventing the development of dangerous microbes.
5. Before planting, the planting material is disinfected - the seedlings are soaked for 15 minutes in water at a temperature of +45°C.

From pests

Common pests of gooseberries and currants are aphids and caterpillars. Both larvae and adults are dangerous. To avoid the appearance of insects, at the beginning of summer the plants are treated with a solution of “Karbofos” (90 g is required per 10 liters of water). The second procedure is carried out 12 days after the first, using the drug “Kilzar”. When using chemicals, it is important to follow the indicated dosages and recommended processing times.

To take care of the bush's fruiting next year, after harvesting the fruits, gardeners water the plants with tobacco infusion (400 g of tobacco dust per 10 liters of water). A popular folk method is also used: 4 kg of tomato tops are boiled in 10 liters of water, 50 g of grated laundry soap is added to the mixture. Shrubs are watered 1-2 times.

Attention! In addition to fertilizers, it is important to regularly take care of the cleanliness of the plantings, remove weeds, larvae, and other debris. It is also recommended to pay attention to the proximity of the shrubs and not plant them close to each other. It is better to place gooseberries and currants away from each other, since the crops have the same diseases and pests.

Pests of gooseberries and currants and their control

Sometimes, even if all agrotechnical rules are followed, larvae or adult insects appear on plants. Let's consider how to treat gooseberry and currant bushes in the spring against pests.

Mole

Moths damage gooseberries, red, white, and black currants. The insect is small, looks like a small butterfly, it is difficult to see a moth with the naked eye. Depending on the variety, it can be black, yellow, or brown. The caterpillars are frost-resistant, overwinter in the ground, and come out with the arrival of spring.

Both larvae and adults pose a danger. The moth becomes active during flowering and attacks leaves and shoots, causing fruit to set poorly. The leaves curl and wilt and the plant looks sick. If measures are not taken in time, the moth will destroy up to 50% of all buds.

For preventive purposes, summer residents carry out autumn pruning of gooseberries and currants, remove dry branches and leaves, and thin out the crown of the bush. During the swelling period, plants are treated with Fufanon. It is also recommended to pay attention to complex fertilizers and regularly remove weeds.

Aphid

A flying small insect of white or pink color lives in flocks. One colony of aphids contains up to 1000 individuals, so it is difficult to get rid of them. More than 400 species of aphids are known. The most dangerous for currants and gooseberries is gall, or gooseberry.

The pest survives by sucking sap from shoots and leaves. The latter curl, the crown dries out and loses its shape. Aphids prefer young shoots, so they can most often be seen on one- or two-year-old shrubs.

For control, spraying with a solution of copper oxychloride or 0.3% Karbofos is used.It is recommended to alternate chemical treatments with folk remedies - the bushes are watered with an infusion of flowering wormwood (0.5 buckets of herb are required for 10 liters of water).

Attention! Suitable conditions for the development of aphids are dense shoots and leaves where sunlight does not penetrate. It is important to regularly thin out and rejuvenate shrubs. The procedure is carried out every season, even if there are no pests.

Ognevka

The moth is a type of butterfly, the length of the body is no more than 3 cm. The moth is easily recognized by the characteristic color of the wings - gray with brown spots, the edges are covered with fringe. Butterfly caterpillars are small, green, with a black head.

Characteristic signs of the appearance of the moth are cobwebs, holes are noticed on the berries, and the fruits change color. Moths feed on the juice of gooseberries and currants; one pest is capable of sucking the juice from 15 berries. For preventive protective purposes, gardeners use spraying with chamomile solution (50 g per 5 liters of hot water). The shrub is treated before and after flowering.

Also used for treatment are systemic insecticides - “Iskra” or “Topaz”. The soil is cultivated in early spring and the row spacing is covered with polyethylene. This method destroys not only moths, but also the larvae of other pests.

Spider mite

Spider mites appear in the garden in early spring, feeding on plant sap. It is easy to recognize by the thin web that the insect leaves behind. But it is difficult to see the mite itself or the larvae - it is very small, the length does not exceed 0.5 cm. If measures are not taken in time, the shoots and leaves dry out and lose color, becoming painful and weak.

Spider mites are frost-resistant and overwinter in the soil or axils of fallen leaves.A favorable environment for the spread of the pest is weeds and the remains of last year's plants. To combat spider mites, use tobacco or wormwood solution, as well as decoctions of garlic, onions, potato or tomato tops. Among the chemical methods, treatment with fungicides “Medea” or “Titul” is used.

Attention! Fungicides are divided into single- and multicomponent, contact and systemic. When using fungicides, it is important to observe personal safety rules. The treatment is carried out wearing gloves, a respirator and safety glasses. Fungicides should not be used 2 weeks before harvest; it is better to give preference to traditional methods of control.

Glassware

Of all the varieties of pests, currant glass is a threat to gooseberries and currants. This is a butterfly that resembles a wasp in appearance: the body is fluffy, the color is striped, yellow and black. Glasswort lives mainly on old shrubs that are not regularly cared for.

The insect feeds on shoots, lays eggs in them and reproduces there. To protect plants from glass, it is important to regularly trim and shape the bush, remove old and diseased shoots, and burn them away from the garden plot. After flowering, the bushes are treated with Iskra-M or Kemifos. Each bush requires about 1.5 liters.

Sawfly

The gooseberry sawfly is dangerous for currants and gooseberries. The pest is widespread throughout the regions of the country. The length of the beetle is 2-3 cm, the color is brown. It eats the leaves of the plant, leaving only thin veins. After a few days, the bush begins to dry out, the fruits lose their shape and elasticity and fall to the ground.

There are several reasons why sawflies appear: contaminated soil, weeds and debris, heavy or acidic soil. In the tree trunks of the plants, the soil is regularly loosened and mulched. In the fall, they begin to fight the pest: they dig up the ground and treat it with fungicides. In spring, gooseberries and currants are sprayed with Iskra or the contact insecticide Metaphos. Affected areas of shrubs are removed and burned.

Moth

A large butterfly with yellow-white wings and a black pattern appears in the garden in the second ten days of June. Females lay eggs between the veins of leaves; one individual can lay up to 300 eggs. During bud break, young insects appear on leaves and shoots, eat them and draw out juices. Because of this, the bushes dry out, the crown loses its shape, and the branches weaken.

In addition to gooseberries and currants, the moth appears on pear, apple, apricot, and cherry trees. The insect is destroyed with the Kantor fungicide. Among the folk remedies, summer residents use spraying with tobacco solution or infusion of nettle and wormwood.

Gallica

The damage is caused not by adult insects, but by larvae. Gall midge is common not only in Russia, but also in European countries. There are more than 6 thousand varieties. The currant gall midge, a small yellow-brown winged insect, is dangerous for gooseberries and currants. Externally, the pest resembles a mosquito and has the same antennae.

The gall midge loves young plants and can reduce yields by 70%. The plantings are treated immediately after detection with the drug “Kemifos”. It is dangerous for both larvae and adults. Root feeding with a mixture of ash and sand also helps get rid of gall midges.

Attention! To prevent the appearance of gall midges, gooseberries and currants are treated with herbal infusion three times a year. Tansy, chamomile, yarrow, and calendula are used for preparation. 300 g of crushed flowers and leaves are poured into 10 liters of boiling water. Leave for 24 hours and begin processing.

How to deal with diseases of gooseberries and currants

Gooseberry diseases can be viral, fungal, or bacterial. Some occur due to high humidity or sudden changes in weather, others due to a lack of minerals or acidic soil.

Powdery mildew

Powdery mildew refers to fungal diseases. It is easy to recognize: leaves and shoots are covered white coating, which after a few days turns to fruits. Shoots and berries become deformed, stop growing and dry out.

Favorable conditions for the development of powdery mildew are rainy and hot summers, swampy areas, fog and dew. The spores are carried by the wind and can infect other plants, so it is important to start fighting the disease in a timely manner.

Watering with hot water or spraying with Bordeaux mixture helps destroy spores. For long-term infection, chemicals are used - “Fitosporin” (7 ml per 5 liters of water) or “Topaz” (1 ampoule per 10 liters of water).

Rust

Goblet rust is dangerous for gooseberries and currants. It appears mainly in areas with acidic soil and affects shoots, leaves, roots, fruits and flowers of shrubs. More often rust occurs in early summer. Due to the disease, the fruits stop growing and become deformed, the shoots become bent. A fungal disease is treated with a mixture of copper sulfate and lime (400 g of lime per 300 g of vitriol).Plants are treated in the morning or evening, after removing the infected areas.

Anthracnose

Anthracnose appears as brown spots that increase over time, causing the leaves to become dry. The growth of shoots decreases, and ulcers appear on old branches. Anthracnose most often occurs on gooseberry bushes. The causative agent of the disease is fungal spores that overwinter in the soil. Anthracnose is especially active in rainy and cool summers.

It is recommended to collect fallen leaves in early autumn and burn them, and treat the bushes with a solution of copper sulfate. For treatment, gardeners use the fungicide "Kaptan". Treatment is carried out 2-3 times during the summer. If measures are not taken in time, the disease will spread to other garden crops, and the berry bushes will die.

Lichen and moss

Lichen is a yellow-green growth on the lower part of the bush. Sometimes it develops on the upper shoots. Lichen appears due to clogging of the pores of the plant, which is caused by wet weather. If lichen is found on currants or gooseberries, it is recommended to wipe the branches with a dry cloth and disinfect with a solution of copper sulfate. Summer residents also remove weeds, which can retain dangerous microorganisms on their surface.

Moss appears mainly on berries. They become covered with a dense gray coating, lose their shape and juiciness. For preventive purposes, spraying with iodine solution is used (per 10 liters of water - 10 ml of iodine). They get rid of plaque using the systemic fungicide “Skor”. It is effective and safe to use.

Conclusion

All garden crops need prevention and protection from diseases and pests.Gooseberries and currants are no exception in this case. Sawflies, aphids and gall midges are eliminated by spraying with a solution of copper or iron sulfate; from anthracnose and powdery mildew - Bordeaux mixture.

A special place is occupied by fungicides - effective chemical preparations. The main thing is to detect the infection in time and take immediate action. To avoid the appearance of diseases and pests, gardeners regularly remove weeds, disinfect seedlings and soil before planting, and do not plant shrubs at a distance of less than 3 m from each other.