With the onset of spring, the awakening of trees and shrubs in the garden begins.
Plants are starting a new season. There are several tricks to help them “wake up” and protect them from parasites and diseases. We will talk about one of these agricultural techniques in this article. Dear readers! For you, we have created communities on social networks in which useful articles and interesting ideas are published several times a day! Subscribe and receive useful content in a convenient format!
Why pour boiling water over currants?
During the winter, insect pests and spores of pathogenic fungi seek shelter. One of the most favorite plants for parasites is currants. On this shrub, bud mite larvae, aphids, and various fungi (most often powdery mildew spores) are waiting for the onset of warm weather.
If you spill boiling water on currants, the egg clutches, larvae and spores will die from the high temperature.
ON A NOTE. Dousing with hot water is essential for plants that are already infected. Mites and aphids reproduce very quickly. If you don’t fight them, they will eat all the greens and you will be left without a berry harvest.
Another reason to process currants with boiling water is as follows. During the summer season, currants have to be treated several times with chemicals to stimulate growth and fruit formation, prevent and protect against pests and diseases.
Even if the permissible concentration of active drugs is observed, a certain amount of toxins will accumulate in the plant over the course of a whole year. Treatment with very hot water allows the plant to release chemical elements.
The third reason to carry out the treatment is hardening off the bushes. Treated currants become more resistant to adverse environmental conditions, pests and diseases.
Alternative Processing Methods
For heat treatment of the bush, in addition to hot water, other means are used. Some gardeners use a blowtorch or gas torch. The bush is treated with fire in March, when pruning is done. The burner is held so that the flame is at a distance of at least 8 cm from the branches. Each branch is processed 2-3 times, moving the burner from tip to base. As a result, a small coating of soot forms on the shoots.
On a note!
Fire is not terrible for the plant. Healthy kidneys are tightly closed with valves. Therefore, high temperature will not harm them. If there are pests or infectious agents inside the loose buds, they die. This treatment is also possible in the fall, when insects are preparing for winter.
Another way to protect shrubs is steam treatment. The jet is directed directly at the branch, keeping the distance between the nozzle and the plant no more than 3-5 cm. If there is no steam generator, you can place a bucket of boiled water under the bush and cover the top of the plant with film. Hot steam destroys kidney mites and fungal spores.
When to pour boiling water over currants in spring?
There is no exact date for the procedure. Every year, based on the weather and the condition of the bushes, summer residents again choose the day to treat currants with boiling water.
The procedure is carried out when the snow has already begun to melt, but the plant has not yet woken up and sap flow has not begun.
IMPORTANT! If the kidneys begin to swell, then it is too late to carry out the procedure!
In cold weather, pouring boiling water over the plant is also not advisable. You need to wait for 5-10 degrees Celsius.
The approximate time frames for Russian regions are as follows:
- Southern and Southwestern regions - the first half of March;
- Central Russia - starting from the second decade of March;
- Moscow and Moscow region - starting from the second decade of March;
- Ural, Siberia, Northwestern Russia - first half of April;
- North - starting from the second ten days of April.
NOTE! This is an approximate time frame for the work. You need to focus on the weather and air temperature. In warm years, start the procedure earlier. If winter is delayed, take your time and wait for warmer weather.
How to properly pour boiling water over currants step by step
Step 1. First of all, you need to prepare. You will need a metal watering can or a kettle with a sprinkler and gloves to avoid burning your hands.
Step 2. We first tie the currant bushes so that all the branches are in one pile. This way there is less chance of missing a branch.
Step 3. Cover the roots if they are near the surface.
Step 4. We pick off the unnaturally large buds of the currants. They are called tick-borne because insects hibernate in them.
Step 5. Boil water, pour it into a watering can and let it cool a little. A comfortable temperature is considered to be between 60 and 80 degrees. There is no need to water the plants with boiling water. Let the water cool slightly.
Step 6. Quickly scald the bush with a watering can, trying to get on every branch.
ON A NOTE. Boiling water consumption is 1 bucket for 2-3 bushes, depending on their size.
Is it possible to carry out the procedure in summer?
In summer, currant bushes are in the phase of active growth, flowering and fruiting. During this period of time, it is impossible to treat with boiling water, since you are more likely to harm the plant than to destroy the pests.
In the summer, insecticides are used to control pests, as well as folk remedies that rid plants of pests. But they are all diluted in warm water, and not in boiling water.
Treat with boiling water in the fall, before leaf fall. That is, you need to scald the bushes before they go into hibernation. The fact is that during the winter the currants become woody, and the buds become covered with a kind of crust. As a result, pests that hide in the kidneys do not suffer from boiling water.
Spring treatment of berry bushes with boiling water
07/26/2019 Previously, when pesticides did not exist at all, gardeners practiced a very effective way of controlling pests and diseases by treating plants with hot water.
Even without the use of super-powerful modern insecticides, the harvests at that time were bountiful, the plants were less damaged by insects and diseases, and the fruits remained clean, from an environmental and health point of view.
Gardeners, as a rule, began spraying shrubs with boiling water in early spring, even before the buds bloomed. At the same time, overwintering eggs of aphids, gall midges, scale insects, bud moth larvae, various species of sawflies, as well as pathogenic fungal spores and harmful bacteria died en masse as a result of exposure to hot water.
The fact is that harmful insects and various pathogens usually spend the winter in the upper layers of the soil near the root circle, either hiding in last year’s foliage, or finding refuge on plant shoots in recesses in the bark. With the onset of warmth, they emerge from the state of diapause, leave their shelters and begin to actively feed, causing harm to plants.
But the method of scalding plants with boiling water in the spring allows you to get rid of most of the pests without using toxic chemicals.
In addition, spring treatment of plants with hot water hardens the bushes, strengthening their immune system and increasing vitality.
Pros and cons of treating shrubs with boiling water
Basic principles of treating shrubs with hot water
Most often, the spring scalding method is used for plants such as gooseberries and currants.
It should be noted that some gardeners spray plants with boiling water in late autumn, after harvesting.
However, it should be remembered that hot water is not able to reach small mites, which, with the onset of autumn, crawl inside the sleeping buds and are therefore covered with a dense protective crust. But with the onset of spring, as soon as the plants come to life, but the buds have not yet swelled, using hot water against these pests can be very effective.
Warning
After the buds on the bushes have begun to grow and bloom, it is no longer possible to use boiling water to treat them, since there is a danger of suppressing the growth of shoots and leaves. For this reason, many summer residents begin the procedure of scalding plants long before the first heat appears, sometimes raking the plants from under the snow for this purpose.
However, shrubs are usually treated with hot water as soon as the air temperature rises above 0°C (usually at this time the snow has not yet completely melted).
In any case, gardeners have to carry out this type of work taking into account both climatic and weather conditions.
Preparing for work
Before you start spraying plants with boiling water, you should plan and determine the work procedure in advance, as well as prepare all the necessary equipment and tools.
To avoid damage to the root system of plants whose roots are located close to the surface, the trunk circle should first be covered with some material. Fiberboard, plywood, boards, pieces of slate are suitable, or you can simply sprinkle the area around the plant with ordinary soil.
It is advisable to remove all dry leaves remaining on the bushes from last year, otherwise they may interfere with the spraying process by covering the stems.
For ease of processing, plants with a spreading crown should first be tied around the circumference with twine or any other rope so that the bush does not exceed 70 centimeters in diameter.
How to treat plants
The bush should be sprayed with hot water at a fairly high rate. In this case, it is advisable to have time to process each shoot centimeter by centimeter.
Water consumption per bush should be about 5 liters.
At the same time, it is impossible to water the soil at the base of the bush with boiling water for too long, since this can provoke the onset of sap flow, as a result of which the plant may suffer from sudden frosts.
A metal watering can with a long spout and a shower is suitable as a dish for hot water, allowing both surface spraying of stems and pouring boiling water directly onto the soil around the plants.
The water must first be heated in a separate container, and its temperature should be brought to +100°C. Then the resulting boiling water is carefully poured into a watering can, and you can begin processing the plants.
Hot water should be added immediately before starting work so that it does not have time to cool down.
Treatment of shrubs with boiling water includes two stages:
Easy scalding of shoots
Root watering of shrubs
Spraying for too long is a mistake, as this can cause injury to the plant by killing living buds. The maximum time that needs to be spent processing one shrub should not exceed 10–15 seconds. In this case, it is advisable to ensure that boiling water does not fall on the root collar of the bush, and that only the root soil is treated with hot water.
In addition, each bush should be treated in one go, since well-warmed buds after repeated treatment can receive severe burns and even die.
During treatment, it is very important to monitor the temperature of the water, since it cools quickly (water that has cooled below +60°C no longer has the desired effect on pests).
When processing raspberry bushes, it is advisable that the water temperature should not be higher than +65°C, while gooseberries and currants can easily withstand water temperatures up to +85°C.
Precautions when working with boiling water
Extreme care must be taken when working with hot water.
Firstly, there is no point in rushing and fussing. On the contrary, the gardener should be extremely careful and vigilant when processing plants.
Secondly, clothes and especially shoes should be comfortable and not restrict movement. When pouring and carrying containers with boiling water, it is advisable to use special oven mitts made of thick fabric.
If necessary, install the watering can with hot water on the ground firmly to prevent it from accidentally tipping over!
Share on social networks:
Features of scalding bushes
The procedure must be carried out quickly. Your task is to scald the bush, and not to wash it in boiling water.
The water should not be exactly 100 degrees. Cool it a little. 80 degrees is the optimal temperature for processing. Cooling below 60 degrees is also pointless. Such watering will not give any effect.
Another important detail that many people miss. Often, currants, especially old bushes, have roots close to the surface or even visible above the ground. They must be protected from direct exposure to boiling water. Cover the roots with film, boards or iron to avoid burning them.
ON A NOTE. Do not use plastic utensils. Due to boiling water, it will become deformed, and toxic plastic compounds will get into the water.
What other pest control methods are there?
The effectiveness of the method can be enhanced. There are several tricks that will help make processing even more effective.
How to use hot water and potassium permanganate solution
Potassium permanganate is an old and proven remedy in the fight against fungi and bacteria. A light pink potassium permanganate solution will kill more pathogens.
Please note that potassium permanganate must be added AFTER the water has boiled.
How to use a steam cleaner
The optimal temperature of steam should be the same as that of water – 60 – 80 degrees. You can even do it a little hotter, but then you will have to spray from a greater distance.
The disadvantage of the method is quite obvious. You need a steam generator and electricity.
Although there is a slightly more difficult method. You will need oilcloth and a bucket of boiling water. We make a cone from oilcloth and close the bush. We put a bucket of boiling water inside the cone and close the entire structure like a tent.
How to make a solution with urea
The best way to increase the effectiveness of boiling water treatment is to add urea and copper sulfate. A bucket needs 0.5 kg of urea and 0.05 kg of copper sulfate.
These drugs will not only harm pests and diseases, but also saturate the plant with nitrogen, which stimulates the formation of green mass and slightly delays the flowering of currants.
ON A NOTE. The urea needs to be stirred well so that there is no sediment or lumps. The water temperature should be a little colder - 60 - 70 degrees.
Required Tools
To spray hot water on currants, you need a regular metal watering can. Polyethylene is not used, since its walls are deformed under the influence of high temperatures. A bucket is also not suitable for this job. The liquid in it cools down very quickly.
Water is poured into a watering can when it boils, and they immediately begin to spray the branches. For effectiveness, a drug is added to the liquid that destroys parasites and infectious agents. Potassium permanganate, copper sulfate, and table salt are suitable for this. High solution temperatures do not reduce the effectiveness of these substances.
Common mistakes
- The most common and serious mistake that gardeners make is treating it with boiling water when the buds have begun to bloom on the plant. Yes, in this case, you will destroy the pests, but you will also harm the plant.
- Treatment with boiling water. The water must cool slightly, otherwise you will injure the currants.
- Treatment with warm, not hot water. Water colder than 60 degrees will not do any good.
- The roots were not covered. The roots are the most important part of the plant and must be protected. Therefore, when processing currants with boiling water, you need to spread an oilcloth under the bushes.
- The plant is exposed to very hot water for too long. The whole procedure should take no more than 5-10 seconds. There is no need to use boiling water longer. That is why, before watering, preparation is carried out, during which the branches are collected in one bunch.
- Not all shoots have been processed. If you haven’t doused some branches, the effectiveness of the procedure is reduced. An untreated shoot becomes a source of infection.
Answers to frequently asked questions
Why carry out the procedure?
Watering with boiling water helps fight pests and fungi, improves the plant's immunity, helps it remove toxins and awakens currants from hibernation.
What to add to boiling water to increase the effectiveness of the method?
Dilute urea and copper sulfate (Bordeaux) in hot water. These drugs will increase the percentage of destroyed pests and pathogenic microorganisms, and also saturate the currants with nitrogen.
What temperature should the water be?
Optimal is 80 degrees. There is no need to work with boiling water, and do not forget to cover the roots of the plant.
Do you need to process all the currants?
Practically. Do not scald very young bushes, as well as those where the buds are already swelling.
When else to carry out the procedure?
You can carry out scalding in the fall, after the end of the gardening season, but before the moment when the currants become woody.
What are the alternatives to dousing with boiling water?
One alternative method is steam treatment. You can use a steam generator, or you can hide a currant bush in a tent made of plastic film and put a bucket of boiling water inside.
An alternative to dousing with boiling water
There is a method that some gardeners find more convenient. In this case, the bush is covered with a large plastic bag, and a bucket is placed under it, into which hot water is poured. Hot steam comes from the boiling water, and it envelops all the shoots and branches, remaining there for quite a long time. It is enough for insect pests to leave their shelters. Another alternative method that is economical is the use of a steam generator.
It must be borne in mind that in reality one should not expect a strong effect from such a procedure. It is significantly lower than from the use of fungicidal and insecticidal preparations. However, pouring boiling water over black, yellow and red currant bushes in the spring is an old method of combating fungal diseases and pests, and it is also completely free and simple.
