Gardeners and summer residents grow various crops separately or in parallel on their plots: vegetables, fruits, berries that require care. Currants are plants that do not require constant and careful attention. But red and black varieties are not protected from the effects of parasites and diseases. Brown spots and reddish shades indicate more than 10 possible diseases that threaten the harvest and lead to the death of the plant.
In order to carry out treatment procedures in a timely manner, it is necessary to determine the cause of infection and the source of damage to the crop. Obtaining information is possible in the initial stages of the disease.
Agrotechnical causes of brown, white, red and burgundy spots on currants
The gardener himself can provoke the formation of white or pink spots. In most cases, this is due to errors in caring for the plant.
Incorrect landing site
For southern cities and towns, a suitable place for currants will be irrigated lands in a relief depression. Areas where groundwater passes through are not suitable, as the roots will begin to rot. A weak plant attracts diseases, which is why burgundy spots appear on currants.
Poor watering and the wrong planting location lead to drying out of the bush.
Abundant or poor watering
Improper watering can be the main reason for the formation of growths and discoloration on shoots and leaves. The shrub must receive water throughout its development: in the hole, by drip, or throughout the entire area. What does watering with a hose do?
- the water flowing through the hose has time to warm up a little, so the roots will not get stressed;
- economical adjustment and water consumption.
Currants are watered after 5 pm. The moisture level is determined depending on the drought. The norm is considered to be up to three buckets per bush.
If the bush dries out due to constant rains, a drainage channel is made nearby and soil is added to the standard circle.
Weather
The plant depends on the weather and temperature changes. The culture itself is frost-resistant, so it can withstand frosts down to -35, but during flowering the berry is tender, it is afraid of temperatures as low as -1. It is uncomfortable for the plant to be in an area open to the winds.
The crop is also susceptible to diseases due to temperature changes. Increases and decreases of 10 degrees are acceptable; if the indicator is higher, the plant suffers. The buds begin to freeze. The most comfortable temperature for red or black currants will be 20 degrees during flowering. At higher rates, growth stops. The shrub not only does not tolerate heat well, but also air dryness. The dry season is from July to August. At this time, the foliage and tops of young shoots begin to burn. The root of a young plant suffers from heat and insufficient moisture. The activity of the root system is significantly reduced, and hairs that are more than 20 cm deep in the ground disappear.
Lack or excess of fertilizers
The foliage turns a light shade due to insufficient nitrogen or potassium content. Therefore, you need to take care of applying fertilizers containing such elements. The currant bush often turns yellow. This is a signal that the berry is being damaged by a veined or striped mosaic - a dangerous virus. As it begins to progress, the spot will become larger, and the interveinal areas will turn white and dry out.
What shades of leaves or spots on leaves can be: red, brown or brown. Such neoplasms occur due to the manifestation of a fungus. This type of disturbance occurs when the soil is overly moistened. In addition to spots, swelling also appears.
What do experienced gardeners advise?
Experienced gardeners believe that the health of currants begins from the moment of planting. More precisely, from the moment of purchasing planting material. It is recommended to abandon the dead-end practice of propagating currants using cuttings from old bushes.
Using such planting material increases the number of pests and diseases in the garden. It is necessary to purchase new varieties that are resistant to diseases and pests. When planting, treat it with insecticides or infusions of wormwood and tansy.
Caring for bushes:
- Autumn, spring – sanitary pruning.
- Autumn, spring - we dig up the rows and the ground around the bushes.
- Spring - pour mulch around the bush.
- Autumn, spring - preventive treatments with herbal infusions or chemicals.
- Remove infected plants and burn them.
- Autumn, spring - fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium.
Growing a healthy, fruit-bearing currant bush is not so difficult. A systematic approach and careful attention to currants are important. Regular inspections of bushes allow you to identify the disease and pest at an early stage and begin the fight in time.
Pests
Insects appear regardless of the condition of the plant. To prevent the appearance of pests, you need to check the plant regularly.
Aphid
If the formations on the leaves of the plant are orange or burgundy, inspect for the presence of aphids. This pest can be detected during hot weather. If red spots are noticed on a young plant, you need to start fighting the parasite manually or using chemicals.
The insect sucks all the nutrients from the leaves, the growth of new shoots stops, the leaves begin to dry out and fall off.
Aphids are small insects that pierce and suck the natural juices of a plant. In spring, a larva emerges from the egg and breaks through to a shoot or leaf. The affected areas become deformed and then die.
Ants are attracted to aphid secretions. If ants are visible on the plant, then aphids also live on it.
Harmful insects are destroyed by spraying the bush with a 4% soap-based solution (take 400 g per 10 liters of water). But this method will help at the initial stage, when there are few parasites. Shrubs are treated with 0.2% Metaphos or Karbofos. But the preparations should not be sprayed later than two weeks before harvest.
Why do branches begin to dry out - glass
The currant glassfly is a butterfly whose length is no more than two cm. It differs from others in its black scales and lilac tint. There are lightish parallel stripes on the body of the insect.
About 50 eggs from one female are placed in the bark of branches. The caterpillars that appeared before winter are white; they gnaw through the middle of the branches and go out for the winter. By autumn they turn into adult larvae 2 cm. But they will remain inside the currant for another year.
At the end of the second spring, the larvae gnaw through an exit for further pupation. In June the insect becomes a butterfly. When the plant stops flowering, the branches begin to dry out.
For preventive purposes, regular inspection of plants that show signs of glass is carried out. Gardeners prune and destroy damaged branches twice a season.
Ticks
Currants are often susceptible to attacks by spider mites. They come in two types: arachnoid and kidney. The first one works as follows: a bud is gnawed out from the middle, after which the leaf with the inflorescence will no longer appear. And spider mites cause the leaves to dry out. The first sign that the bush is affected is a thin, glowing web. This article will tell you what to do with round buds on currants.
Next, white spots form on the leaves, growing and completely covering the leaf blade. The plate becomes lighter after the chlorophyll is destroyed. As a result of this, the leaf falls off. Tick control is possible at any stage: the bushes are treated with Tiofos in early May. There are other means: Karbofos, Phosfamide, etc. Experienced gardeners irrigate from above, as mites do not tolerate water.
Diseases
In addition to parasites, there are also infections. They can be carried by insects.
Anthracnose
Anthracnose is a fungal disease of berry bushes. The disease develops in the presence of high humidity. The virus establishes itself in young shoots. At the beginning of crop damage, small dark spots form. As the disease progresses, they will constantly increase. Spots contribute to deformation of leaves and fruits, which will affect the taste and appearance. Due to anthracnose, premature leaf fall occurs with a decrease in the frost resistance of the crop.
To destroy the causative agent of anthracnose, gardeners use chemicals according to the instructions and advice of experts. The most famous of them are Acrobat and Ridomil.
Fungal spores overwinter on fallen leaves. For preventive purposes, fallen parts of the plant should be burned in a timely manner.
Rust
The following types of rust affecting currants are identified: columnar and goblet. The first type of disease is caused by the fungus Cronartium ribicola Dietr. This pathogenic microelement negatively affects the leaf.
In the affected part, orange growths appear on the underside, forming bright spores during irrigation. This provokes the formation of yellowish spots. Columnar rust can be seen on a currant bush in August, and it will spread until autumn. Due to this disease, there is a massive shedding of leaves and a decrease in yield.
Columnar rust, if left untreated for a long time, reduces the growth of young animals and reduces nutrient reserves. Glass rust is caused by another fungus. Reddish pads appear on leaves and shoots.
The fungus actively infects the plant at the moment the flowers appear. This leads to the fact that flowering with ovaries is damaged. Increased moisture in the vicinity of sedge is a favorable condition for the spread of harmful fungus. Almost all leaves and flowers are affected by goblet rust. The yield drops by 80%, and the plant itself does not receive enough nutrients.
In the first and second cases of infection, currants are cured in the same way. Fungicides like Topaz, Previkura, Fitosporin-M will help. These agents suppress the spread of the pathogen, so the spores do not mature and disperse.
At the initial stage of infection, the plant is treated with 1% Bordeaux mixture. To prevent the disease, you should transplant the currants to an elevated area, dry the soil, and remove sedge thickets. Find out about brown spots on grape leaves at this link.
Treatment and control methods
You can fight redness depending on what disease is present on the bush.
How to deal with disease that attracts insects
Gall aphids are destroyed, like other predatory pests, with the help of other insects located higher in the food chain. Ants and ladybugs feed on pests, but should not be kept in large numbers.
Will ladybugs help remove stains?
The ladybug is the main enemy of aphids. The beneficial insect lives in gardens in warm weather. But you can also lure the cow with aromatic crops: chamomile, basil, dill. If there are small clusters of plants, the bushes are treated with a solution of ash (one glass of the substance per bucket of water).
Lacewings
It is another type of predatory insect that feeds on aphids. The insect flies at dusk or at night. The adult feeds on pollination and nectars. Therefore, it is necessary to breed lacewing larvae, which feed on aphids, mites and flea fleas.
The female insect breeds near aphid colonies to provide food for her children. The daily norm of one larva is 150 pieces. aphids.
To attract adult individuals, chamomile, dill or yarrow are grown.
Striped mosaic
This is a viral disease. One of the characteristic symptoms is a change in the color of the leaves: patterned grayish-yellow spots appear on them. It is useless to carry out treatment in this case: it is necessary to dig up and burn the bush to prevent the spread of infection.
When digging, you must ensure that not even a tiny root of an infected crop remains in the soil. This may cause infection of another healthy plant.
This virus can also appear on grains: wheat, barley, oats
This disease cannot be cured
How can a plant be treated - preparations
There are a number of effective drugs that help provide preventive and therapeutic spraying of currants.
Topsin-m
This substance is a systemic fungicide and is sold in specialized stores in powder form. In one treatment it eliminates anthracnose and powdery mildew. Treatment is carried out before flowering or after harvest.
Before using these drugs, you need to read the instructions. These are toxic chemicals that are harmful to human health. After processing, leaves and other elements of the plant are burned. Otherwise, the pest will survive the winter.
Acidan
Acidan is sold as a powder for soaking, which provides protection against fungal and viral diseases. Thanks to this product, parasites that appear on currants are quickly destroyed. The basis of the substance is cypermethrin. It poses a danger to humans, so processing must be carried out in accordance with all standards. To spray a plant you need a 10 liter tablet.
The difficulty of treatment lies in the ovary. Spraying with pesticides is prohibited at this moment, as the future fruit will absorb negative substances and poison the person. If there are small numbers of aphids or mites on the plant, you can manually remove redness on the leaves and then spray the bushes with Fitoverm. This drug is not dangerous for currants or humans.
Agrotechnical measures
Agrotechnical techniques help to increase the effectiveness of treatment. If red leaves are found on the currants, then it is necessary to reconsider the care regimen. Be sure to remove the affected branches, weed the weeds and throw away the fallen leaves. Then they inspect the bush, cut off dry and broken shoots. The branches are cleared of lichen.
During the treatment process, watering and fertilizing are normalized. Currants prefer moderately moist soil. Nitrogen fertilizers and manure are applied in minimal quantities. Particular attention is paid to feeding the bush with potassium and phosphorus compounds. Such substances increase plant immunity and make treatment more effective.
How to get rid of it using folk remedies
If swollen reddish spots appear on the currant before the fruit ripens, traditional methods of treatment will come to the rescue. To cure a plant from a pest, decoctions based on chamomile or celandine will help. Garlic, tobacco, shag or ash will also help.
Soap solution
When preparing any solution, it is recommended to add soap: laundry or tar to increase the adhesion of the liquid. The prepared composition is sprayed over the bushes so that the liquid gets not only to the top, but also to the bottom of the plant. Find out about laundry soap against aphids here.
How to prepare a classic ash-soap solution that kills pests:
- Laundry soap is divided into several parts. One of them is finely grated and filled with three liters of water, left for a day.
- Ash in the amount of 300 g is poured into 2 liters of water, boiled for half an hour, cooled, and filtered.
- Mix the soap and ash solution and add 5-8 liters of water.
This medicine is suitable for processing currants, raspberries, and strawberries. This decoction not only protects against insects, but also helps with potassium supply.
Wood ash
Wood ash also helps get rid of various types of stains. Wood ash is prepared in the amount of half a glass. Pour in or add a liter of water and cook for 30 minutes. Then water is added, up to a liter. Place in a cool, warm place for the day. Next, you should strain, pour a little grated spoon of liquid soap into the mixture. This product is placed in a bottle and the bushes are sprayed with it. Read about ash as a fertilizer here.
Green soap
Professional gardeners know about Green Soap. This substance is non-toxic and will not harm the tree. It is active in the presence of living organisms. The insect's body is enveloped in a greasy potassium film, which blocks breathing. For 10 liters of liquid, use 300 grams of green soap. The remedy is used in parallel with fungicides. To do this, mix both drugs in one container in the ratio of 30 g of soap and 2 g of vitriol. Also used in equal proportions with soda.
Garlic
Prepared with tobacco dust. You should pour 200 g of dust per liter of water, to which a few cloves of garlic are added. Boil the mixture for 30 minutes. Water is added until it reaches exactly one liter. Infuse for a day in a cool place. After this, strain and pour a teaspoon of liquid soap with 20 grams of fine laundry soap (pieces) into the garlic broth. Place the mixture in a spray bottle and treat the plants. Read this article on how to pour ammonia over garlic.
Prevention
Preventive actions in the treatment of insects are spraying with Nitrafen. This should be done before the buds open. This substance can destroy larvae and eggs after wintering.
If reddish spots were visible on the currants before the winter period, copper sulfate should be applied to the buds, branches and shoots. In autumn, the foliage is raked for subsequent burning. This is necessary in order to destroy overwintering parasites located on individual elements. Half a month after the berries are picked, the bushes are sprayed again from above. If reddish spots have already been visible before, vitriol is applied every year until the formations on the foliage completely disappear.
The chance of fungus appearing is reduced if diseased and rotting elements are cut off during inspections. Old branches are removed, and the tops of young ones are cut off to avoid overgrowth. You should leave shoots that look outward. Severe thinning involves germination of spores. But overgrown bushes block the flow of sunlight. Increased dampness causes fungus. In autumn, mineral fertilizing will be required before wintering.
The black currant variety will require more phosphorus, and the red variety will require more potassium.
Planting material is placed on a darkened area. During planting, you need to remember that there must be at least 1.5 meters between crops. Excessive thicket inhibits the development of currants.
If seedlings have already been planted in a “bad” area, the planting material is thinned out to open up the light. The soil is fertilized with ammonium nitrate, which is applied in mid-summer. In the third year of berry development, potassium fertilizing with organic matter is applied. Fertilizer is applied only to moist soil to avoid burns.
