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The gooseberry is a fairly ancient culture, but the diseases that afflict it have a long history. Perhaps that is why they cannot be eradicated completely. So gardeners have to devote a lot of time to the treatment of berries in order to preserve the harvest.
Powdery mildew is the gooseberry's worst enemy
Even the thorns on the bushes do not prevent pests from settling on plants and eating them. Most of all, gooseberries, as well as currants, suffer from moths and shoot aphids. But the most dangerous are spore fungal diseases. One of them is scab, or spheroteka, which summer residents also call powdery mildew (it is very similar to cereal powder).
Once this problem was brought to Europe from America along with berry seedlings, and powdery mildew almost destroyed the gooseberry plantations.
The affected leaves cease to participate in photosynthesis, which disrupts the respiration of the entire plant. This affects the development of berries - they are poorly filled and lose their taste. If the mycelium gets to the fruit, then the gardener will be left without a crop - the affected gooseberries are no longer edible.
What is spheroteka
When powdery mildew appears on the gooseberry, control measures are taken immediately, because the disease spreads throughout the area at a high speed. Spores are carried from bush to bush by wind, insects or splashing water during irrigation (rains).
The plaque that can be seen on all parts of the gooseberry really looks like a grayish-white flour. This is the mycelium, on the surface of which, by the end of the growing season, cleistocarps will appear - fruit bodies. Outwardly, they look like microscopic felt balls of dark brown color and contain spore bags inside. In this form, the spheroteka hibernates and continues to infect plants in the spring.
Gooseberry spheothek
For the progressive stage of the disease, a brown film enveloping shoots and berries is characteristic. If most of the leaf plate has darkened, we can talk about the final phase of dew damage.
Phases of the disease spheroteka
| Phase | On which parts of the plant does it appear | Signs of infection |
|---|---|---|
| Initial | Shoots, foliage | Whitish-gray loose coating, easily removable by hand |
| Progressive | Spreads further - on the ovary | The scab becomes viscous-viscous |
| Critical | Fruits are affected | Plaque changes color to a brown tint, shoots dry out, leaves and fruits are mummified |
| Final (secondary wave of infection) | The whole plant is in a mealy web | Berries and foliage crumble, the trunk cracks, the growth of new shoots stops |
The main causes of infection are agrotechnical: The greatest activity of fungal spores appears with the onset of spring and summer. Favorable conditions for the reproduction of the spheroteca are high humidity and heat. If the plant managed to pick up the fungus last season, then this season it will hurt even in dry weather.
- there is a high occurrence of groundwater;
- a low-lying area was chosen for the berry;
- seedlings with weak immunity were used;
- the planting scheme was not followed, which made the berry thickened;
- an excess of nitrogenous fertilizers.
To prevent the spread of infection, gooseberry treatment from powdery mildew is carried out in the spring before budding, during flowering, in summer and autumn, just before the frosts. At the same time, the bushes need not only be sprayed, but abundantly poured with gooseberries, capturing every particle of the plant, not forgetting to thoroughly cultivate the land around, as well as neighboring crops.
It is necessary to deal with powdery mildew in a complex manner, using chemicals, folk remedies, and also observing the basic rules of agricultural technology.
Prevention and control means
Spraying gooseberries, as a preventive action, is mandatory. But even in time, the protective measures taken do not always work, and the plants can get sick. Therefore, it is necessary to process the bushes at the first signs of damage, using reliable fungicides. They are selected, taking into account the period in which the disease occurred.
Spraying gooseberries
List of Recommended Chemicals for Controlling Powdery Mildew
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| For spring processing | |
| Vectra | It is used as soon as signs of illness appear. The drug is especially effective if you water the plant four times at short intervals. |
| Raek | A remedy is recommended not only for treatment, but also for the prevention of spheroteca. It is not washed off by rain, but it is better to spray the plants in dry weather. The action of the drug provides protection for a week |
| Tiovit-Jet | This chemical is effective at low temperatures, so the bushes are sprayed while the heat is within 15 degrees |
| Topaz | The effect gives only in the initial stage of the disease and requires re-treatment after 10 days |
| Fundazol | A systemic agent specially formulated against fungal diseases. For treatment, a 0.2% concentration is used, for prevention it is half as weak |
| DNOC | Refers to systemic and is designed to destroy scab spores that overwintered on the bush. Processing is carried out in early spring, as soon as the snow melts |
| For summer jobs | |
| Nitrafen | The drug is contact action, 95% effective in the initial stage of the lesion. Processing is carried out at the time of pouring the fruit, but you can also sprinkle the gooseberry until the buds swell in the spring and at the time of flowering |
| Acrex | Provides almost 100% protection. The product is recommended for use throughout the season. |
| Apirin-B | The preparation is complex - not only protection against powdery mildew is provided, but also the beneficial microflora of the soil is restored, purification from nitrates is in progress, and the fruits are filled with ascorbic acid |
| Fitosporin | Designed for frequent use - the bushes are processed every 15 days throughout the growing season (with mandatory soil irrigation with this drug) |
The last two funds in the table are biological products that do not affect the quality of the fruit. Therefore, they are boldly used in the middle of summer, when a lot of berries have managed to tie on the branches. Chemical fungicides are a spring method of control, but they can be used in early summer (June), and some of the protective measures can be transferred to autumn.
Prevention
In early spring, when not a single bud has yet appeared, and also in the fall after leaf fall, it is necessary to spray the gooseberries with a solution of DNOC (1%). This is a powerful prophylactic agent against spheroteca - after such treatment, powdery mildew is not observed on the site. To consolidate the effect, it is imperative to comply with the conditions of agricultural technology:
- the fight against powdery mildew begins in the fall, when the foliage falls off the bushes; all of it is collected, taken from the site and burned;
- regular weeding is carried out in the berry - weeds are potential virus carriers;
- do not ignore the pruning of branches - this will ensure air circulation; thickened bushes become a fertile breeding ground for fungal spores;
- the sanitary removal of sick and damaged stems is also important;
- watering should be regular, but moderate - they are guided by the drying of the upper soil layer;
- the fight against insects that appear on the site is mandatory - pests quickly spread a spore infection;
- it is necessary to carefully select mineral fertilizers, strictly observing their concentration;
- when planting gooseberries, you should choose open, sunny places; if over time the berry has grown and partially fell into the shade, then it is advisable to transplant some plants to a new site.
Now, thanks to the efforts of breeders, in addition to the old favorite varieties of gooseberries, new, domestic ones have appeared, which the spheroteka already do not care about.
Consequence of the disease
Powdery Mildew Resistant Varieties
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Harlequin | A medium sized bush with sparse thorns. Gives large yields, frost resistant |
| African | Feels comfortable in a humid climate without being affected by fungi. There are no thorns on the shoots, and the berry has a currant flavor. The variety endures winters |
| Grushenka | Of medium height, thornless, with drooping branches. Refers to mid-late varieties. Sufficiently resistant to drought and frost. Prone to flowing fruit |
| Gingerbread man | A bush with drooping, almost on the ground branches, which are often recommended to be pruned. Gives large yields of large berries |
| Commander | From early varieties, with fruits that taste like grapes. The variety is low, low-spiked |
| Kuibyshevsky | A beautiful spherical plant with few thorns on the shoots. It requires constant thinning, but it endures severe frosts. Produces a dark, juicy berry with a thin, firm skin |
| Firework | It is appreciated not only for its resistance to powdery mildew, but also for its high yields, as well as the quality of the fruits that hang on the branches for a long time without overripe and without losing their taste |
| Ural grapes | The color of ripe berries in the variety is pale green. But the taste deteriorates if the fruits are not picked in time. They quickly overripe and crumble |
| Anniversary | A small plant, abundantly covered with thorns. It tolerates dry summers and cold winters well. Berries do not crumble and can lie for a long time after harvest |
If a gooseberry, inherited from a grandmother, grows on the site, there is a reason to refresh the plantation, replacing the culture with new varieties that are more resistant to scab.
Folk remedies
In the early stages of the lesion, as well as for prophylactic purposes (in addition to chemicals), it is recommended to use traditional recipes that have been tested by time. Each folk drug is environmentally friendly, as it is of natural origin.
Solutions recommended for scab control
| Means | When to use, how many times | Amount per bucket of water (kg) | How to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood ash | From the last decade of May to mid-June, three times, processing every 2-3 days | 1.5 | · The solution is insisted for a week in a dark cool place, with occasional stirring; The infusion is filtered and used for spraying, and the sediment is introduced into the soil |
| Baking soda mixture with aspirin | Throughout the growing season, with an interval of 2 weeks | 2 tablespoons / 2 tablets | · Use warm water for the solution; It will be more effective if you add a couple of drops of vegetable oil and dish detergent. |
| Soda ash / liquid soap | During budding (twice) and immediately after flowering | 0,05/0,02 | Pour soda with hot water, bring to a boil and cool. Then liquid soap is injected |
| Tansy | Used to cultivate the soil around the plant, twice: in spring and autumn | 0.05 (dry herb) | · Cold water is used. The solution is insisted throughout the day, then boiled for 2 hours over low heat; For spraying, use a strained broth |
| Fermented milk products | Once until the buds have time to bloom, when the first leaves appear and at the beginning of flowering | 0.5 | 30 minutes before use, kefir or whey is poured with cold water |
| Marigold | Apply 1 time during flowering | ½ bucket dry plant | · Insist in warm water for 2 days; In parallel with spraying, you need to disinfect the soil around the bush |
| Ground sulfur / laundry soap | Throughout the growing season, every 7-10 days | 0,08/0,20 | The solution is prepared immediately before use. |
| Chopped garlic | 250 teeth | Pour water at room temperature and insist for 24 hours |
Comprehensive measures to combat gooseberry scab effectively help to cure the berry: a combination of folk solutions, industrial preparations and dressings. This treatment is recommended to be done at the appropriate stage of the growing season. Experienced gardeners recommend using hot steam to cultivate the soil around the bushes in early spring to get rid of the spheroteca spores that have hidden there for the winter.
A set of measures against powdery mildew
| Phase in plant development | Folk remedies (optional) | Industrial drugs | Fertilizers used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swelling of the kidneys | Aspirin-soda composition, wood ash | DNOC | Phosphorus-potassium |
| Kidney opening | Baking soda with aspirin, soda ash, ash | Nitrofen | Complex of minerals and trace elements |
| Budding | Fermented milk products | Acrex | Superphosphate and potassium sulfate |
| Pouring fruit | Marigold | Nitrofen | Do not apply |
| At the end of the growing season | Tansy | Acrex | Potassium sulfate, superphosphate, nitrogen |
All work on spraying gooseberries should be carried out in the early morning or evening hours, choosing calm weather. Knowing how and with what to process gooseberries from scab in spring and in other seasons, it will be easier for summer residents to ensure normal fruiting of shrubs.
