How to deal with powdery mildew on gooseberries

Powdery mildew is a dangerous disease. The fungus Sphaerotheca mors-uvae quickly develops on gooseberries, passes to neighboring plants, such as currants. If you do not take action, the bushes will die. It is important to identify the disease in time and start the fight. There are many ways to prevent and treat a lesion.

How to recognize powdery mildew on gooseberries

At the first stage (condinal), there is a white powdery coating - spores of the fungus. It can be removed with a light touch of the fingers. Through the mycelium, a massive and rapid spread of the disease occurs.
In the spring, on the fruit bodies, the formation of bagspores, which throw out spores, begins. In this way, the fungus enters neighboring plants and infects them.

In the summer, powdery mildew passes into the marsupial stage. The plaque acquires a brownish color. In this case, a hard crust appears on it. This is a mixture of mycelium and fruiting bodies.

The fungus waits for the cold season on sick kidneys, shoots. It affects only the young tissues of the bush: ovaries, new leaves and branches, fruits.

Powdery mildew symptoms can be observed a couple of weeks after the lesion. If the fungus hit the gooseberries in the fall, then its symptoms are visible when the leaves appear. In addition to plaque, the disease can be identified by the following signs:

• deformation of sheet plates;
• scattering of ovaries;
• wrinkling of berries, the appearance of brown spots on them;
• curvature of shoots;
• developmental arrest;
• the death of the bush.

Folk remedies for powdery mildew

There are many popular ways to combat the disease. They are recommended to be used in the evening.

Chemicals for spraying gooseberries

When the disease is started, the fight should be based on the use of chemicals. They are purchased in specialized stores or online.

Powdery Mildew Prevention

The causative agent begins to develop with errors in planting and care. To prevent powdery mildew from affecting gooseberries, the following preventative measures must be observed:

• Plant bushes at a distance of 1.5 m from each other. From all sides the plants should be well lit. The fungus does not like the sun.
• Thin out bushes in a timely manner, make sure that the planting is not very thickened.
• 2 times per season to trim damaged, dried, diseased pagons. Remove fallen leaves. The collected plant residues burn.
• In March-April, pour with a pale pinkish solution of potassium permanganate, heated to +90 ° C. Instead, you can use baking soda (2 tablespoons per bucket). These funds prevent the development of fungal infections, destroy the eggs of insect pests.
• In the autumn, after the vegetative period, dig the earth around the bush to a depth of 15 cm. Fungal spores in the soil will fall to the surface and freeze in winter. Additionally, the soil can be poured with the purchased drug Fitosporin-M.
• All vegetation, the earth next to the gooseberry loosen. Branches and fruits should not reach its surface.
• Periodically spray with a solution of wood ash. To prepare it, you need to fill 1 kg of the product with a bucket of water. Insist 4 days and add 30 g of soap shavings. Spray 3 times with an interval of 24-48 hours.
• Water the earth around the shrub with tansy infusion: pour 300 g of the plant into 10 liters of water. Insist in a dark room for 1 day. After that, boil over low heat for a couple of hours. The product can only be used after cooling.
• Do not use manure as a top dressing. It may contain spores of mycelium. High nitrogen fertilizers are also not recommended. This element increases the susceptibility of the culture to powdery mildew. It can be used no more than 1 time per year in early spring, when the bush is in extreme need of it. It is better to give preference to mineral mixtures with a low level of this substance.

Compliance with these requirements, of course, will not be able to protect against powdery mildew by 100%. However, thanks to the recommendations, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of a fungal infection.

Mr. Dachnik recommends: gooseberry varieties resistant to powdery mildew

Breeders bred special varieties resistant to fungal infection. In order not to waste time, nerves, and energy on the treatment of culture, you can buy them and plant them in the garden.

Varieties that are not affected by the disease:

• Kolobok is a red variety with high productivity. Easy to maintain.
• Finnish - not picky about care, resistant to frost. He loves moisture, sun, acid soil.
• Jubilee - a tall, slightly spreading bush. Yellow-fruited, with sweet berries.
• Kuibyshevsky is a medium-sized bush, dense. Large fruits 3.6-8 g.
• Ural grape is an early variety. Fruits are emerald green, with juicy and sweet pulp.
• Houghton - berries are maroon, small, but this compensates for their large number on the branches.
• Senator - resistant to drought and frost. The fruits are red, when fully ripened, almost black.
• African - 1-1.2 m high. With proper care, fruiting can be observed already a year after planting.
• Harlequin - winter-hardy, high-yielding species. Berries can be used both for making jam, jam, compote, and eat fresh.

If these varieties are not satisfied, you can pay attention to species without spikes on pagons. They are less likely to get sick.
There are varieties that are more susceptible to the disease:

• Russian;
• Golden Twinkle;
• Triumphal;
• Lephora's seedling;
• Prune

Although powdery mildew poses a serious threat to gooseberries, it can still be dealt with. However, this will take a lot of time and effort. Experienced gardeners recommend choosing not one method of struggle, but several at once for greater efficiency. When some method does not help, do not give up. You just need to replace it with another means.

If the plant still died, its remains must be dug up under the root and destroyed. The soil in the area where the gooseberries grew must be disinfected. If this is not done, then the crops planted after it can also become ill.

Watch the video: How to Treat Powdery Mildew Organically (April 2024).