Usually, gooseberries are considered an unpretentious berry crop and are left without proper care and supervision for a long time, so they notice late that they are sick. And there are many diseases. These are fungi, bacteria, viruses, and diseases of a non-infectious nature and insect pests and disease vectors.
Gooseberry is a fairly common crop among gardeners and summer residents. Like all fruit and berry bushes, it requires certain growing conditions and is susceptible to fungal, viral diseases and attacks of insect pests. In our article, we will look at the common main pests and diseases of gooseberries, their descriptions (with photographs) and methods of treatment.
Hello dear readers!
Having planted a gooseberry in our garden, we need to be able not only to properly care for and propagate it, but also to closely monitor its health. After all gooseberry disease can significantly reduce the yield of our favorite berries, or even lead to the death of the plant.
It should be noted that gooseberry bushes they suffer mainly from the same diseases as currants, but unlike the latter, the degree of damage is much stronger and the rate of spread of diseases is faster.
Therefore, it is very important for us to catch the first signs of the disease in time and take the necessary measures. You can, of course, try to plant in your garden only those new varieties that are resistant to diseases, and ruthlessly get rid of the old ones.
But, firstly, each of us has our own favorite variety, which is simply impossible to part with and worth fighting for; secondly, probably, such ideal gooseberry varieties have not yet been bred that would not hurt anything at all.
Therefore, we should not relax, but it is necessary to carefully monitor the well-being of the bushes of our northern grapes.
After all, the sooner we notice the first signs of diseases, the faster we will help the plant to cope with them. In addition, in this case, it will be enough to apply only folk methods, excluding chemicals.
Gooseberry most of all suffers from the following diseases: American powdery mildew (spheroteka), septoria (white spot), anthracnose, goblet rust, mosaic.
As you can see, there are enough misfortunes on our gooseberries. And before we go into more detail about each of them, let's talk about prevention.
Symptoms by which the disease can be recognized
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Powdery mildew most often affects the plant in late May and early June. The infection can be determined by the following criteria:
- Fruits, leaves and shoots begin to turn white.
- In the future, the plaque becomes denser, the light tone changes to brown.
- Shoots covered with bloom dry out over time.
- The growth of the leaves slows down, they crumble when touched.
- The fruits begin to cover with a crust, they do not ripen completely, they crumble, remaining still green.
If the gooseberry berries are covered with a white bloom, how to process and how to save the plant, you need to come up with as soon as possible. This will help save the plant and prevent the spread of the disease to all crops.
Plant infection symptoms
Prevention and more prevention
Undoubtedly, we all know the golden rule: it is much easier to prevent a disease than to cure it later.
This rule can certainly be applied to plants, and their protection from pests must also begin with prevention. What preventive measures can we take:
- strict adherence to the rules of agricultural technology when growing gooseberries;
- we try to prevent thickening of the bushes and cut out excess, damaged and dry branches in a timely manner;
- we collect and remove fallen leaves, followed by their burning;
- we dig up the soil under the plant;
- we plant plants next to gooseberry bushes that scare off pests - marigolds, chrysanthemums, dill, garlic and others;
- in early spring, you can pour boiling water over the bushes, thus destroying the spores of fungal diseases that have appeared;
- do not forget about regular nutrition, which significantly strengthens the plant's immunity;
- spraying gooseberry bushes with zircon solution in spring also improves immunity well.
General processing requirements
For the prevention of fungal diseases of berry bushes, spring and autumn digging of the soil is carried out with the introduction of organic and mineral fertilizers. But the most effective remedy for white bloom on fruits is recognized as spraying the bush. Here are some of the requirements to follow when spraying:
- the solution is sprayed, achieving a fog effect;
- process not only the upper, but also the lower part of the leaves;
- the bush is treated from all sides;
- the soil under the bush is also thoroughly moistened with a solution of the drug;
- not only the diseased plant is treated, but also the healthy ones next to it;
- work is carried out in the absence of wind early in the morning or in the evening;
- when working with drugs (especially chemical), protective equipment is used.
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Powdery mildew
Symptoms This fungal disease is a real plague for gooseberries, and not only for him, because currants and other plants also suffer from it.
The first symptoms of this misfortune may appear in the spring, immediately after flowering. Young shoots and leaves begin to become covered with a white, loose bloom, which is well erased at first.
Then gradually it goes to the ovaries, berries, covering an ever larger area. Every day the plaque becomes more and more dense and, in the end, it begins to resemble a felt of brown or dark brown colors.
Damaged shoots begin to bend, stop developing fully, and often dry up altogether. The leaves curl, become brittle, and the berries, covered with this bloom, stop growing, often crack and quickly crumble.
And if we do not start treatment, then the affected gooseberry bushes can die within just two or three years.
Moreover, the spores of this harmful fungus are carried by the wind, infecting more and more new plants. They are not afraid of any frost, they feel great in winter on fallen leaves and infected shoots, and high summer temperatures.
That is why the fight against this insidious disease must be carried out throughout the season - from early spring to late autumn.
Control measures. There are quite a few ways to combat this common disease in the literature. I want to recommend you some of them, which I think are the most effective:
1. Early spring pouring boiling water over gooseberry bushes partially destroys the spores of the fungus.
2. Then you can process the gooseberry and the soil around it with a 3% Bordeaux mixture or a solution of soda ash (50 g of soda per 10 liters of water), adding laundry soap there, for better adhesion of the solution. This spraying should be done before budding on the gooseberry.
3.It is also good to spray the bushes with an infusion of wood ash (300 g per 10 liters of water), as well as add ash to the trunk circles, evenly distributing it and mixing it with the ground.
4. Very good results are obtained by the bacterial method of fighting this insidious disease. To do this, take 1 part of mullein infusion or rotted manure, dilute in 3 parts of water and insist for three days. Then we dilute the infusion three times with water and filter. You can also prepare infusions from rotted hay or hay dust, greenhouse soil or forest litter. The effectiveness of these infusions lies in the fact that the bacteria multiplying in them, once on the gooseberry bushes, begin to eat mycelium with pleasure. It is advisable to process these infusions three times a season: the first time we spray before flowering, the second time immediately after it, and the third time we carry out the processing before leaf fall.
5. Another interesting method is to make such a solution: dilute 1 liter of serum in ten liters of water and add 15-20 drops of iodine. This solution can be sprayed on bushes throughout the season every 10 days.
6. Cutting off stepchildren on tomatoes, do not throw them away. They will also help us fight powdery mildew. We insist the tomato tops, then add 40-50 g of laundry soap to the infusion and spray the gooseberry bushes with this remedy. And at the end of summer, when we are already starting to harvest tomato stems, we can overlay gooseberries with them for the winter. Such a folk method is guaranteed to save you from pests and powdery mildew.
7. In the fall, it is necessary to carefully trim the affected plants, removing the affected ends of the shoots without any pity, collect the fallen leaves and burn everything at once, without postponing this matter for later, since the powdery mildew spores fly away rather quickly.
8. If the disease has already started, then, in order to avoid spreading it throughout the garden, it is simply necessary to apply chemical remedies. These are such drugs as: "Topaz", "Oxyhom", "Fitosporin" and others. In this case, strictly observe the dose recommended in the instructions for use.
How to prevent the development of the disease
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Knowing why white plaque appears, what conditions contribute to this, you can reduce the risk of developing the disease.
Prevention measures
The causative agent of the fungus begins to multiply actively if mistakes in care are made. To prevent the mealy race from attacking the shrub, the following preventive measures are recommended:
- There should be a distance of 1.5 meters between the plants. Gooseberries love well-lit areas. In addition, the fungus itself dies under the influence of sunlight.
- Landing should not be neglected. It is necessary to replant the bushes in a timely manner.
- During the season, two times you need to prune diseased and damaged branches. All collected residues must be incinerated.
- In the spring, it is recommended to water the bushes with a solution of manganese or soda. For two liters of water, two tablespoons of soda are taken. Means not only destroys fungi, but also the eggs of any insect pests.
- In the fall, they dig up the soil at the roots. This is necessary so that the spores of the fungus appear on the surface and freeze in winter. Additionally, you can treat the soil with the preparation "Fitosporin-M".
Spraying gooseberries with ash as a preventive measure
- It is important to ensure that the branches and fruits of the gooseberries do not touch the ground.
- Spraying plants with a solution of wood ash is considered a good prophylaxis. To prepare it, you need to pour 1 kg of a bucket of water. The mixture is infused for four days, then 30 g of crushed soap is added to it. Spraying is done three times with an interval of two days.
- As a preventive measure, you can use an infusion of tansy. 10 liters of water will require 300 g of the plant. The product is infused for one day in a dark place.Then it must be boiled over low heat for two hours. You can use the resulting product only after it has cooled completely.
Important! You can not use manure as fertilizer. It may contain mycelium spores. It is best to pick up fertilizers that contain nitrogen.
Conditions unfavorable for the development of the disease
The risk of developing the disease can be reduced by creating unfavorable conditions for the fungus. First of all, it is necessary to provide the plant with full and regular care. If the gooseberry is sick and weakened, it is susceptible to fungal diseases.
Regularly you need to inspect the leaves and shoots so as not to miss the moment when they turn white. It is important to remove damaged and old branches in a timely manner, to avoid increased plant density. It is necessary to remove fallen leaves, since the pores of the fungus can be stored in it.
Gooseberry anthracnose
Symptoms... Anthracnose is another fungal disease that primarily affects gooseberry leaves.
At the beginning, small, vague spots of a dark brown color appear on the leaves. In the course of the development of the disease, the spots merge, the leaves dry and almost all fall off prematurely. Only on the tops of the growing shoots there are three to four leaves.
In bushes affected by anthracnose, the growth of young shoots is significantly reduced, the sugar content of the berries decreases, and you can no longer count on a good harvest.
Control measures... First of all, it is necessary to collect all the fallen leaves, since it is in them that the fungus remains for the winter. We burn the leaves immediately.
In early spring, check for loose leaves under the bushes. When the disease is just beginning, we cut off the affected leaves and spray the gooseberry bushes with a solution of copper sulfate (40 g per 10 liters of water).
With a dangerous development of the disease, it is necessary to process the gooseberry bushes with 1% Bordeaux liquid at least four times. We spray - before flowering, immediately after it, then 12-14 days after the second spraying and the last time we process the gooseberries immediately after harvesting.
White spot or septoria
1- affected currant shoot, 2- affected leaf, 3- leaf drying due to severe damage, 4- pycnidia and conidia, 5 - perithecium, bags with ascospores
Symptoms With this disease, leaves also suffer, on which a large number of rounded grayish spots with a dark border appear. A little later, dark spots appear on the spots, and they contain the spores of the causative agent of septoria.
Gooseberry leaves begin to curl, dry out and fall off ahead of time. After a while, the bushes remain completely without leaves.
Control measures. We fight with white spot in the same way as with anthracnose, namely: we collect and destroy the leaves (in autumn or early spring), at the initial stage we cut off diseased leaves, loosen the soil under the bushes.
We can also increase the resistance of gooseberries to septoria by introducing manganese sulfate, copper, boron, zinc into the soil around the bushes.
Goblet rust
1-currant shoot with aecia on leaves and berries, 2-gooseberry shoot with affected leaves and berries, 3-affected sedge leaf with urediniospore pads, 4-sedge shoot with affected leaves, 5-eciospores and eciospores, 6- urediniospores, 7- teliospore
Symptoms Gooseberry rust, the causative agent of which is a parasitic fungus, affects gooseberry leaves. First, orange spots begin to appear on the leaves, on which yellow spore pads are located.
Then they take the form of small glasses. The fungus spends all spring and early summer on gooseberry bushes. Then insects and wind carry his spores to the weeds. It feels especially good on sedge.
And then all summer the fungus develops on their leaves and hibernates there.
And in the spring it again returns to the gooseberry bushes, the leaves of which, getting sick, become ugly and fall off prematurely. Gooseberries also change, become one-sided, their development stops, and then quickly dry out and fall off easily.
Control measures. First of all, try to plant varieties that are resistant to this disease. When planting, choose higher places on the site so that there is no stagnation of water and on which sedge does not grow.
Affected plants must be treated with 1% Bordeaux liquid: first - when the leaves are blooming, then - after flowering and the last time - 8-10 days after the second.
Brown bloom
In the event that a pronounced brown bloom appears on the gooseberry berries, this indicates a late stage of powdery mildew. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to completely get rid of this disease at a late stage, even with its high-quality fungicide treatment.
It is much easier to uproot the plants, carry out a total disinfection with appropriate agrochemicals and plant a new gooseberry bush next year. This leads to somewhat higher costs, and the gardener will not be able to get a good harvest over the next few years, but this will completely get rid of the problems with bloom on the gooseberries.
Gooseberry mosaic
3, 3a - affected gooseberry leaves, bordering gooseberry veins
The diseases described above can affect both gooseberries and currants and even other plants.
At the same time, our gooseberries have their own disease. It is a gooseberry mosaic which is a viral disease.
The virus can live and develop only in the cells of living organisms. It is spread both by sucking insects, such as aphids, and by herbivorous mites, with the sap of diseased plants, as well as through non-disinfected gardening tools after pruning infected bushes.
Symptoms... When the gooseberry bushes are affected by this disease, first of all, a bright yellow pattern begins to appear on the leaves, which is located along the main veins.
The bushes cease to grow, bear fruit very poorly, the leaves are small and wrinkled.
Control measures. Gooseberry mosaic is virtually untreatable. Bushes affected by the disease must be dug up and burned immediately.
In order for the gooseberry to avoid this disease, we will take preventive measures: purchasing and planting healthy seedlings; we treat the bushes against sucking insects in a timely manner, so as not to bring the disease; comply with quarantine measures.
At the end of the article, some general tips for processing plants:
- We begin the treatment of gooseberries with all these solutions as soon as the first signs of the disease appear with an interval of 10-12 days.
- If it rains within 5 hours after our treatment, then the spraying must be repeated.
- Two weeks before the scheduled harvest of berries, we finish processing the bushes with all preparations.
- The treatment of gooseberry bushes against diseases and pests is best done in the evening or in cloudy daytime.
- When processing, try to moisten abundantly not only the upper side of the leaves, but do not forget about the lower one.
In this article, we got acquainted with various gooseberry diseases and learned how to deal with them. Now we need to deal with the pests of our beloved gooseberry, but this is already in the next article.
See you soon, dear readers!
