Powdery mildew on gooseberries: signs, causes, control measures, prevention

Powdery mildew (spheroteca) is one of the most common diseases of gooseberries. The infection is caused by a fungus of the same name. It is because of powdery mildew that gooseberries most often die.

The disease leads to shedding of leaves, stunting of growth, deformation and drying out of shoots, reduced winter hardiness of the bush and ultimately to its death. Despite the fact that the disease is very dangerous, it can be cured, especially if noticed in the initial stages of development. Various control measures are used. The fungus is removed using chemicals and folk remedies.

Signs of powdery mildew

The appearance of powdery mildew is usually expected in the spring, as during this period there is high humidity and low temperature. Gooseberries can also be damaged in summer.

To save gooseberries, it is important to recognize the disease in a timely manner. This is not difficult to do, since the signs of powdery mildew are specific:

1. First of all, the fungus attacks the lower part of the bush. A loose whitish coating forms on the leaves and shoots. It is dry to the touch and resembles flour, but does not crumble when the wind blows or the plant is shaken. If you rub the affected area with your finger, you can erase the white residue.
2. The defeat spreads throughout the bush. The upper leaves and shoots turn white. At the very end, the disease spreads to the ovaries or fruits. The whole bush looks dusted with flour.
3. The plaque becomes denser and is not erased with a finger. Then it acquires a gray or brown tint.
4. Affected berries become deformed, become smaller and dry out.
5. The leaves curl, dry out and fall off. The shoots become deformed and stop developing.
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Photosynthesis is disrupted in affected plants. The bush becomes weak and does not tolerate negative environmental factors and winter cold. As a result, the gooseberry dies.

Note! Powdery mildew spreads quickly throughout the garden. It affects not only gooseberries, but also currants, honeysuckle and other fruit and berry crops.

The essence of the disease, how it manifests itself

Powdery mildew is caused by fungi that produce spores twice a year: in spring and summer. The mycelium grows throughout the bush, affecting leaves, berries, and shoots. Powdery mildew can be easily detected by noticing the following lesions:

• the formation of a whitish coating on the berries in the form of a cobweb;
• gradually the web becomes brown and resembles felt;
• the berries become cracked and fall off;
• the leaves are covered with a powdery coating, they darken and curl;
• shoots are bent;
• the bush stops growing.

If treatment is not started on time, fruiting stops and the plant dies, affected by mycelium, which covers the entire plant.

Note: To strengthen the immunity of the berry crop, it is planted in the sun, in well-windowed places and fed with phosphorus-potassium compounds.

Causes of the disease

Powdery mildew fungus overwinters in the soil, on fallen leaves and other plant debris. Its development is provoked by the following factors:

1. High humidity in warm weather. That is why the disease usually affects the plant in the spring, in early May.
2. Fluid stagnation. This is facilitated by excessively frequent and abundant watering and lack of loosening of the soil.
3. Favorable conditions for wintering. They are created by the gardener, leaving fallen leaves, tops of cultivated plants and weeds on the site in the fall.
4. Densified plantings contribute to disruption of air exchange, creating favorable conditions for the development of fungus.
5. No sanitary pruning. Too thick a crown prevents normal air exchange. Sanitary pruning is carried out in order to promptly identify and remove branches affected by infection.
6. No weeding. Weeds are carriers of fungus.
7. Pests spread fungal and viral infections.
8. Lingering rains. After prolonged cloudy weather, the risk of plant infection increases significantly.

Not all of the factors described can be influenced by the gardener. Those that a person can eliminate are given special attention, including to avoid re-infection.

This is interesting! Powdery mildew is often called American mildew. It is believed that it was brought to our country from America.

What kind of disease is this?

Powdery mildew begins its harmful activity by destroying young leaves and branches. As the number of the pest colony grows, old gooseberry branches become infected. The disease is detected by the appearance of white spots on the leaves, and then on all parts of the plant. They resemble spilled flour and are easily removed.

These spots are mycelium of fungal spores. They don't always stay white. As the spores develop, their color changes to brown, and then brown. At this stage of the disease, gooseberry leaves begin to curl and fall off. How it looks - see photo.

If the disease occurs during the flowering period, then there can be no talk of any fruit set. Over time, the gooseberry branches begin to deform and dry out. What should a gardener do?

Spread of the disease

Powdery mildew spores are negligible in size. They are easily carried by the wind. They are also transferred to neighboring plants by insects. The development of the disease begins with the onset of warm May days, and active reproduction and growth of spores occurs in warm weather when humidity is high.

This fungus is not afraid of our harsh winters. The spores comfortably survive severe frosts in the soil, in tops left on the beds, even in dry foliage. Don't leave it all over the winter. It’s not for nothing that summer residents light fires in the fall. All waste and dry material must be burned, and the soil under the gooseberry bushes must be disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Measures to combat powdery mildew on gooseberries

The earlier the disease is noticed, the easier it is to get rid of it. If the plaque has already acquired a gray or brown color, it will take longer to treat the gooseberries.

The fungus releases spores in spring and summer. Therefore, the plant is treated at least 3 times a year, even if the signs of the disease have disappeared after the first spraying.

When to treat gooseberries for powdery mildew:

• before flowering begins;
• after flowering;
• after leaf fall.

It is possible to get rid of the disease even in advanced stages. In the early stages, chemicals are not needed; in this case, folk remedies are used.

Before starting to treat the disease, remove all affected leaves and shoots. They are taken away from the site and burned. After this, the plants are sprayed.

It is important to process the gooseberries generously so that all parts are covered with a thick layer of product. Particular attention is paid to the inside of the leaves.

Powdery mildew on gooseberries should be treated urgently with this product

Folk remedies

Folk remedies are effective in treating gooseberries when signs of the disease just appear. Such preparations do not contain chemicals and are therefore considered safe for humans and the environment. After using them, there is no risk of poisoning from the berries; they are allowed to be used even during the fruiting period.

There are many folk remedies that can remove the fungus that causes powdery mildew on gooseberries. Below we will talk about the most effective of them:

1. Soda, aspirin, soap and oil. 2 tbsp. l. soda, 4 aspirin tablets, ¼ piece of laundry soap, grated, and 2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil is diluted in a bucket of water.
2. Ash with soap . A 10 liter bucket is filled with 2 kg of ash and 1 piece of grated laundry soap. The product is allowed to brew for two days, after which it is mixed and sprayed on the plants.
3. Soda ash with soap . 0.5 pieces of laundry soap (preferably dark) are grated and poured into a 10 liter bucket of water. Add 50 g of soda ash to it. The remaining volume is diluted with hot water. The ingredients are mixed until dissolved. The preparation is allowed to cool to room temperature, after which the gooseberries are processed.
4. Sour milk, whey or kefir. 2 liters of dairy product are diluted with 8 liters of water. To enhance the effect, add 30 drops of iodine to the product.
5. Mullein. 1 kg of mullein is added to 3 liters of water. The product is allowed to brew for three days, after which 12 liters of liquid are diluted. The resulting preparation is sprayed on gooseberries.
6. Onion and garlic peels . 0.5 kg of onion peels and 200 g of garlic peelings are poured into 10 liters of boiling water. The product is allowed to brew for 4 days.
7. Tansy. 0.5 cups of dry tansy pour 10 liters of boiling water. The product is infused for 24 hours, then boiled for 2 hours over low heat, filtered.
8. Spruce needles. The bucket is filled one third full with spruce needles. The rest of the volume is topped up with boiling water. The product is allowed to brew for three days. Then filter and add 0.5 pieces of laundry soap.
9. Horsetail 1 kg of horsetail is poured into 3 liters of water and boiled for 2 hours. The decoction along with horsetail is poured into a 10 liter bucket of water, the rest of the volume is topped up with water at room temperature. The product is infused for 2 days.
10. Milk with soda. Pour 1 liter of milk into a 10 liter bucket and add 0.5 kg of soda. Pour the ingredients with water and stir until the soda is completely dissolved.
11. Zelenka. Dissolve 20 drops of brilliant green in a bucket of water.
12. Ammonia and cinnamon . 100 mg of ammonia is poured into a bucket of water and 20 g of cinnamon is added. Let the product brew for 4 hours, then stir and use to spray gooseberries.

Using folk remedies, gooseberries with powdery mildew are sprayed 1-2 times a week until the problem is eliminated. They are also used after long rains, even if the plant has not become sick. Treatments are required before and after flowering, as well as after leaf fall.

Spray the entire bush, including the inside of the leaves. In addition, solutions are used to water the soil around the plants. Before this, all weeds are removed and the soil is loosened.

The treatment is carried out in dry weather when the sun is inactive. Otherwise, the product will be washed off by rain.

Advice. It is recommended to spray not only the diseased plant, but also the fruit and berry bushes growing next to it.

Biological products

If the plant already has ovaries and full-fledged berries, biological preparations are used. They are washed off with water, do not harm the environment and do not pose a threat to human health. The last treatment is done no later than 10 days before harvest.

The most popular biological products:

1. "Fitosporin". The preparation is not only sprayed on all parts of the bush, but also the soil underneath it is watered. Gooseberries are treated with the product every 2 weeks.
2. "Alirin-B". The product destroys fungus and removes nitrates from the plant. It is believed to increase the amount of vitamin C in the berries. They treat plants and the soil around them.

IT'S TIME TO SAVE GOOSEBERRY from powdery mildew! 5 safe recipes for processing berries

Chemical substances

If powdery mildew has managed to affect most of the bush, folk remedies may be ineffective. Then chemicals are used. They not only destroy the fungus, but also prevent its reappearance.

The disadvantage of chemicals is that they have a negative impact on the environment and human health. If the gooseberries were processed during flowering or fruiting, the berries are dangerous to eat.

Next, we’ll tell you how to fight powdery mildew on gooseberries using chemicals:

1. “Raek” is an emulsion, the active substance of which interferes with the synthesis processes in the cells of the fungus, stops its growth and prevents the formation of mycelium. This drug with low toxicity is not washed off by rain and works for a long time. To prepare, dilute 2 ml of the drug in 10 liters of water. This amount is enough for 3-5 bushes. Treatment is carried out 4 times with an interval of 7-8 days.
2. "Topaz" is one of the most effective remedies against powdery mildew. Its main active ingredient is aimed at destroying the spheroteca. Eliminates the possibility of re-infection. Destroys the fungus in 3 days and prevents re-infection for another 7 days. Does not wash off with water. To prepare a solution, dilute 6 ml of emulsion in 10 liters of water. Treat 3 times at intervals of a week.
3. "Vectra". Effective against most fungal diseases. Destroys fungus, penetrates plant tissue, and prevents re-infection. Doesn't wash off in the rain. To prepare a solution, dilute 2 ml of the drug in 19 liters of water.
4. "Tiovit-Jet". The active substance disrupts the vital processes of the fungus, releasing sulfur. The product is sold in powder form. It is not washed off by rain and protects the plant from re-infection for 10 days. To treat gooseberries, dilute 30-80 g of the drug in 10 liters of water.

The described fungicides have hazard class 3 and are slightly toxic to humans, animals and the environment. Processing gooseberries with them during flowering is prohibited.

Important! When working with chemicals, wear a protective mask and gloves.

How to process gooseberries

Measures to combat the disease on gooseberries depend on when the crop is affected and how widespread the problem is. If a disease appears on the plant in the spring, it is necessary to take urgent response measures, otherwise the condition of the plant will worsen and, as a result, the gooseberry may not produce a harvest at all! So, how to treat gooseberries in the spring so that they recover and recover in a short time? For this purpose, chemical or biological fungicides are used.

Effective remedies for powdery mildew on gooseberries

• “HOM” is the most effective remedy for powdery mildew, but it is chemical and therefore not all gardeners risk using it. 40 g of the substance is diluted in 10 liters of water, stirred and used once until buds appear on the gooseberries.
• A solution of copper sulfate is the first option for treating gooseberries in the spring if fungus is noticed on them. For 5 liters of water, take 75 g of crushed laundry soap, 20 g of copper sulfate. The resulting solution has a blue tint and a uniform consistency. Spraying is carried out until buds appear on the bushes.
• "Topaz" is a strong fungicide against powdery mildew. It is used strictly according to the instructions so as not to harm the crops - 2 ml of the substance is mixed with 10 liters of water. Spraying with this product is usually carried out after flowering. But, if the disease is advanced, then the treatment is carried out 2 times - before and after flowering.

Photo of Powdery mildew on gooseberries

Important!

If powdery mildew appears frequently on gooseberries, spraying against it is carried out 2-3 times per season. In this case, you need to use a new drug each time, then the fungus will not be able to adapt to it.

Such products as “Previkur”, “Vitaros”, “Skor” are also effective.

Is it possible to eat the berries of a recovered plant?

Berries covered with a whitish coating look unattractive. They are unpleasant to eat, but the disease does not affect the taste.

Fruits that are not completely covered with a thin layer of plaque are washed so that no white spots remain on them and eaten.

The berries, covered with a thick layer of plaque that is not washed off, are peeled. They are used in processed form (jam, pie filling, compotes).

Attention! People prone to allergies should avoid berries contaminated with powdery mildew. Fungal spores can cause an allergic reaction.

What is a sphere library?

Powdery mildew on currants: control measures

When powdery mildew appears on gooseberries, control measures are taken immediately, because the disease spreads throughout the area at high speed. Spores are carried from bush to bush by wind, insects or splashes of water during irrigation (rain).

The coating that can be seen on all parts of the gooseberry really does look like grayish-white flour. This is the mycelium, on the surface of which by the end of the growing season cleistocarps - fruiting bodies - will appear. Outwardly, they look like microscopic dark brown felt balls and contain spore bags inside. In this form, the spheroteca overwinters and continues to infect plants in the spring.

Gooseberry Spheroteka

The progressive stage of the disease is characterized by a brown film enveloping the shoots and berries. If most of the leaf blade has darkened, we can talk about the final phase of dew damage.

Phases of the disease with spheroteca

Phase	On what parts of the plant does it appear?	Signs of infection
Initial	Shoots, foliage	Whitish-gray loose coating, easily removed by hand
Progressive	Spreads further - on the ovary	The scab becomes viscous and viscous
Critical	Fruits are affected	The plaque changes color to a brown tint, the shoots dry out, the leaves and fruits mummify
Final (secondary wave of infection)	The whole plant is in a powdery web	Berries and foliage fall off, 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 spheroteca are high humidity and warmth. If the plant managed to pick up a 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 garden;
• seedlings with weak immunity were used;
• the planting scheme was not followed, which is why the berry patch turned out to be thickened;
• excess nitrogen fertilizers.

To stop the spread of infection, treatment of gooseberries against powdery mildew is carried out in the spring before budding, during flowering, in summer and autumn just before frost. In this case, the bushes need not just be sprayed, but the gooseberries should be poured generously, capturing every particle of the plant, not forgetting to thoroughly cultivate the ground around it, as well as neighboring crops.

Powdery mildew must be combated comprehensively, using chemicals, folk remedies, and also observing the basic rules of agricultural technology.

Disease prevention

Although powdery mildew is treatable, it is not easy to remove. The disease reduces the winter hardiness of the plant, which is why the gardener will have to pay increased attention to caring for gooseberries and preparing for cold weather.

To avoid these problems, it is important to take preventive measures:

1. Landing. The risk of infection is reduced if the gooseberries are planted in an open area of ​​the garden. It is important that the plant receives enough sun. Another condition for prevention is planting shrubs at a distance from each other.
2. Trimming. In spring or autumn, old, damaged branches, as well as shoots that thicken the crown, are pruned.
3. Compliance with watering rules . The shrub is watered no more than once a week, subject to dry weather. After watering and precipitation, the soil is loosened.
4. Removing weeds . The area around the bush is weeded regularly. To slow down the growth of weeds, mulch the soil.
5. Scalding. Most diseases can be prevented by pouring boiling water over the bushes immediately after the snow melts. It is important that hot water gets not only onto the ground around the gooseberry, but also onto its branches. If the buds have already opened, this cannot be done.
6. Preventive treatment. In early May, gooseberries are sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate or “Fitosporin”.

Fighting methods

The shrub is treated twice: before flowering and in the fall.

Experienced gardeners recommend not spraying gooseberries, but washing the leaves, shoots, stems, and berries. In addition, we must not forget that fungal spores can live in the litter for quite a long time. List of required funds:

• ammonium nitrate;
• aspirin with soda;
• boiled water;
• haupsin;
• trichodermin;
• ash;
• soda ash;
• kefir;
• mullein;
• onion peel;
• milk serum;
• tansy;
• baking soda;
• phytosporin.

Let's take a closer look at some of the methods and preparations.

Ammonium nitrate

Ammonium nitrate is dissolved in water - fifty grams of nitrate per ten liters of water. Treatment is carried out after the plant finishes flowering.

Aspirin with baking soda

In some cases, traditional methods of treatment help to cope with the disease.

Aspirin with baking soda is considered an effective remedy.

1. For one tablespoon of baking soda, take one aspirin tablet, a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent, and a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
2. All this is mixed and filled with five liters of water.
3. Gooseberries are treated with this composition every two weeks.

Using regular boiled water

Simple boiled water has good recommendations. Plain water is brought to a boil, then the gooseberries are poured over at the beginning of March . Haupsin or trichodermin are also used . One hundred and fifty milliliters are diluted in ten liters of liquid. The plant is sprayed during the growing season every fourteen days.

Ash

You can use ash.

1. A kilogram of ash is poured with ten liters of liquid.
2. The solution should be infused for seven days, stirring periodically.
3. The solution is filtered, leaving a sediment.

It is allowed to use ash in another way.

1. Take three hundred grams of ash, add 10 liters of liquid, stir.
2. The mixture should be brought to a boil and boiled for half an hour.
3. Cool, strain.

Ash is often used not only as a fertilizer, but also to treat plants against diseases.

You can simply pour boiling water over the ash at the rate of 10 liters per 3 kg of substance, leave for twenty-four hours, and separate the sediment . In all three cases, the resulting solution must be sprayed on the plant three times, starting in the second half of May, with an interval of one day.

The remaining sediment is used for root irrigation.

Soda Ash

1. Soda ash must be dissolved in a small amount of hot liquid , mixed until a slurry forms.
2. Add water so that the entire mixture is at least 10 liters, add ten grams of liquid soap.
3. with the resulting mixture until it begins to bloom , and the gooseberry is subjected to this treatment a second time before fruiting begins.

Treating gooseberries with soda ash will help effectively get rid of powdery mildew.

Kefir and milk

1. It is recommended to dilute 1 liter of kefir or just sour milk with nine liters of liquid.
2. Wash the plant three times every three days.

Korovnyak

1. Mullein is effective when mixed with water.
2. The dose of mullein is one part, the dose of water is three parts, leave for three days.
3. The resulting solution is again mixed with water in a ratio of 1:3 and strained. Wash the entire bush before flowering, before fruiting, after harvesting.

Cow dung can help control powdery mildew quite well.

Onion peel

1. Two hundred grams of onion peels should be poured into a bucket of boiling water and left for two days.
2. Wash three times every seventy-two hours.
3. Add one liter jar with a ten-liter bucket of water, stir, then do leaf and stem washing three times with an interval of seventy-two hours.

Tansy

Dry tansy is poured into a bucket of liquid, left for a day, then boiled for two hours and strained.

Treatment is carried out around the plant twice - in spring and autumn.

Dried tansy flowers, steamed with boiling water, will help get rid of powdery mildew.

Rotten hay

But they also often resort to using rotted hay.

1. To do this, an ordinary bucket should be filled at least a third with ground hay, add water to the brim, and leave to steep for three days.
2. Then take one part of the finished infusion, add three parts of water, and strain off the sediment.
3. Wash three times - before the flowers are released, after the gooseberries have faded, before the leaves begin to fall.

Other mixtures

This solution is very effective and efficient.

• In the case of using baking soda and laundry soap , the dosage is calculated - 2 tablespoons of soda, 50 grams of laundry soap, a ten-liter bucket of water.
• An effective remedy is a mixture of superphosphate (20g), potassium chloride (50g), urea (30g), potassium permanganate (5g) - the ingredients are mixed and dissolved in 10 liters of water. The bushes are sprayed after they bloom. It is acceptable to use an aqueous solution of phytosporin – 150 g/10 l – for washing the stems twice a day.

How to prevent the development of the disease: prevention

Caterpillars on gooseberries have eaten leaves, how to deal with pests

The main task of preventing spheroteca is regular adherence to agrotechnical practices. In order not to wonder: how to treat white plaque on gooseberries, you need to take care of prevention in advance.

Prevention of powdery mildew

Activities should begin from the moment of purchasing planting material. It is better to plant cuttings in a well-lit and dry place, since the fungus prefers shady and damp areas.

Attention! Planting of cuttings should also be carried out at a distance of at least 1 m from each other and with a space of 1.5 m between rows.

Such nuances are important to achieve good planting ventilation and drying of the soil. It is also important to be guided by gooseberry predecessors when choosing a location. It is not recommended to plant it after raspberries, currants and other berry bushes.

In general, prevention consists of the following measures:

• selection of gooseberry varieties with immunity to powdery mildew;
• regular weed removal;
• cleaning followed by burning grass and fallen leaves;
• annual pruning of damaged and dry branches;
• loosening of the root area;
• fertilizer with phosphorus and potassium compounds;
• soil mulching;
• spraying the bush with infusions or fungicides.

Attention! Preventive measures are effective for healthy plants, as well as in combination with the treatment of powdery mildew.

Means of prevention and control

Spraying gooseberries as a preventative action is mandatory. But even the protective measures taken in time do not always work, and the plants can get sick. Therefore, you need to treat 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

Grape itch control measures

List of recommended chemicals for powdery mildew control

Name	Description
For spring treatment
Vectra	Used as soon as signs of the disease are detected. The drug is especially effective if you water the plant four times at short intervals.
Raek	The product is recommended not only for the 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 effect of the drug provides protection for a week
Thiovit-Jet	This chemical is effective at low temperatures, so the bushes are sprayed while the temperature is within 15 degrees
Topaz	The effect is effective only in the initial stage of the disease and requires re-treatment after 10 days
Fundazol	A systemic remedy developed specifically against fungal diseases. For treatment, a 0.2% concentration is used, for prevention it is half as weak.
DNOC	It is a systemic spray and is designed to destroy scab spores that have overwintered on the bush. Treatment is carried out in early spring, as soon as the snow melts
For summer work
Nitrafen	The contact action drug is 95% effective in the initial stage of the lesion. The treatment is carried out at the moment of fruit filling, but you can also spray the gooseberries before the buds swell in the spring and at the time of flowering
Acrex	Provides almost 100% protection. The product is recommended to be used throughout the season
Apirin-B	The drug is complex - it not only provides protection against powdery mildew, but also restores the beneficial microflora of the soil, removes nitrates, and fills the fruits with ascorbic acid
Fitosporin	Designed for frequent use - bushes are treated every 15 days throughout the growing season (with mandatory soil irrigation with this preparation)

Interesting. Most gardeners prefer Bordeaux mixture as a universal remedy for various misfortunes. The chemical industry also produces analogues of this drug: Phthalan, Copper oxychloride, Oxychom. Iron sulfate, colloidal sulfur, SKOR, Phyton also give good results.

The last two products in the table are biological products that do not affect the quality of the fruit. Therefore, they are safely used in the middle of summer, when many berries have already grown on the branches. Chemical fungicides are a spring method of control, but they can also be used in early summer (June), and some of the protective measures can be postponed to autumn.

Prevention

In early spring, when not a single bud has yet appeared, as well as in the fall after leaf fall, it is necessary to spray the gooseberries with a solution of DNOC (1%). This is a powerful preventative against spheroteca - after such treatment, powdery mildew is not observed on the site. To consolidate the effect, it is necessary to comply with the conditions of agricultural technology:

• the fight against powdery mildew begins in the fall, when the leaves fall from the bushes; it is all collected, taken out of the site and burned;
• Regular weeding is carried out in the berry garden - weeds are potential virus carriers;
• Do not ignore cuttings of branches - this will ensure air circulation; dense bushes become a fertile place for the proliferation of fungal spores;
• Sanitary removal of diseased and damaged stems is also important;
• watering should be regular, but moderate - guided by the drying of the top layer of soil;
• control of insects appearing on the site is mandatory - pests quickly spread 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 garden has grown and is partially in the shade, then it is advisable to transplant some plants to a new area.

On a note. As gooseberries age, their immunity decreases and they begin to get sick more and more often. In this case, it is worth updating the plantings by purchasing varieties that are resistant to powdery mildew for the dacha. Previously, the American type of culture had this ability.

Now, thanks to the efforts of breeders, in addition to the old favorite gooseberry varieties, new, domestic ones have appeared, which no longer care about the sphere library.

Consequence of the disease

Varieties resistant to powdery mildew

Name	Description
Harlequin	Medium-sized bush with sparse thorns. Gives large yields and is frost resistant
African	Feels comfortable in humid climates without being affected by fungi. There are no thorns on the shoots, and the berry has a currant flavor. The variety withstands winters
Grushenka	Medium height, thornless, with drooping branches. Belongs to mid-late varieties. Quite resistant to drought and frost. Prone to fruit friability
Kolobok	A bush with drooping branches that almost lie on the ground, which are recommended to be pruned frequently. Gives large yields of large berries
Commander	From early varieties, with fruits that taste like grapes. The variety is low, low-thorned
Kuibyshevsky	A beautiful spherical plant with a small number of thorns on the shoots. Requires constant thinning, but withstands severe frosts. Produces a dark, juicy berry with a thin, tough skin
Firework	It is valued not only for its resistance to powdery mildew, but also for its high yields, as well as the quality of the fruits, which hang on the branches for a long time without overripening or losing their taste.
Ural grapes	The color of ripe berries of the variety is soft green. But the taste deteriorates if the fruits are not collected in time. They quickly overripe and fall off
Anniversary	A small plant, abundantly strewn with thorns. Tolerates dry summers and cold winters well. The berries do not fall off and can remain for a long time after harvesting.

If there are gooseberries growing on the plot, inherited from the grandmother, there is a reason to refresh the plantation by replacing the crop with new, more scab-resistant varieties.

Protecting gooseberries from pests

Protecting shrubs from aphids

As soon as shoots begin to grow on the gooseberry bush, you need to carefully examine the bases of the leaf blades from the underside along the veins. A sign that your gooseberry has been subjected to a massive attack by aphids is the curling of the leaves at the tops of the branches, the curvature of young shoots, and the cessation of their growth.

If aphids are detected, you must immediately begin to protect and process the gooseberries. If there are few pests, then you just need to tear off and destroy the affected gooseberry leaves. If there are a lot of aphids, the bush should be sprayed with a solution of 0.7% soda ash with the addition of 40 g of soap per 10 liters of water.

Fighting gooseberry moth

The gooseberry moth is a very common and dangerous pest that can destroy a significant part of the berries. You need to fight the moth by spraying gooseberry bushes with mustard infusion.

This infusion is prepared as follows: one hundred grams of dry mustard must be infused for two days in ten liters of water. Then the resulting infusion should be diluted again with cold water 1:1, and forty grams of soap should be added.

Mustard infusion should be used immediately after flowering.

An infusion of potato or tomato tops also helps protect gooseberry bushes from pests. To do this, you need to pour boiling water over 4-5 kg ​​of tops, leave well in a sealed container, strain, and then add another 50 g of soap.

Protecting gooseberries from sawfly

You can fight the sawfly with wood ash (spray the bush with water and then sprinkle it with ash) or with mustard infusion.

Experienced gardeners advise fighting pests when they are still in the pupal stage. To do this, in early spring, immediately after the snow melts, dilute river silt with water to a creamy mass and pour it into the center of the bush. The silt will spread and form a dense shell on the soil, through which pests will not be able to get to the surface and will die.

As repellent plants that repel pests with their aroma, you can use black elderberry (lay its branches around the gooseberry bush while it blooms), edible tomato and marigolds (planted between the bushes).

Recently, “track glue” has become very popular in the fight against caterpillars. This mass should be applied around the trunks in the form of a catch ring 5-10cm wide at a height of 15-30cm from the soil. Insects that climb or descend the gooseberry will stick to this glue and die.

The sticky ring needs to be renewed from time to time. By the way, this glue is absolutely harmless to humans.

Biological means of protecting gooseberries from pests.

In the fight against plant pests and at the same time protecting gooseberries from leaf-eating insect pests of agricultural, vegetable, fruit and grain crops, biological means of protection must be used.

These products include concentrated lepidocide and stabilized lepidocide, which is recommended for the fight against gooseberry moth, currant budworm, sawfly, moths, etc.

20-30 grams of the drug should be diluted in 10 liters of water. The solution is used for spraying shrubs during the growing season against each generation of pests with an interval of 7-8 days.

Within a day after treating the gooseberry bushes, damage to the leaves by the caterpillars is removed, and after 2-3 days the caterpillars die.

The drug bitoxibacillin is also very effective for protecting fruit and berry crops, including gooseberries. The affected plant must be treated in the early stages of caterpillar development, due to which within a day the number of insects is significantly reduced, and after another day or two, their mass death can be observed.

Rules for the use of biological products:

To prepare a working suspension, the dry preparation must first be poured with a small amount of water, mixed thoroughly, and only then diluted with the required amount of water.

In order for the drug to protect the gooseberries longer, the treatment should take place in dry weather (best during the day in cloudy weather or in the evening, in the absence of direct sunlight). This is explained by the fact that the indicated period is the time of active feeding of the caterpillars. Also, you need to remember that ultraviolet radiation has a detrimental effect on microorganisms that form the basis of biological products.

Biological preparations are not advisable to use at air temperatures below 14 degrees. The optimal temperature at which it is necessary to carry out treatment with microbiological preparations is 24-28°C.

The consumption rate of the drug is indicated as a minimum; if the air temperature is lower than recommended, then the consumption rate must be increased.

Treatment with biological agents is carried out against younger caterpillars. Earliest processing time: 1-2 days before the caterpillars emerge from the eggs.

As a rule, treatment with biological products is carried out twice, with an interval of 7-10 days.

Chemicals.

Chemicals to control pests and diseases are used only in cases of extreme necessity, when all other methods have proven ineffective.

Chemicals include copper sulfate (soluble powder). It is used to combat gooseberry diseases such as anthracnose, septoria, goblet and columnar rust. The solution is prepared from one hundred grams of powder and ten liters of water. The plant must be treated before the buds open, at the rate of 1-1.5 liters of solution per bush.

In this article, I tried to talk in as much detail as possible about the protection of gooseberries. Dear gardeners, I have a small request, if you, with your extensive experience, know any other folk remedies to protect gooseberries. I look forward to your comments. Thanks a lot.

elenka2012.com

Powdery mildew: what is it and how does it affect the crop?

Fungal infection with ectoparasites (erisypha), affecting leaves, above-ground parts of the plant and fruits. The disease is recognized by the condition of the foliage and berries. When infected with a fungus, the berries become covered with a whitish coating, which, after drying, turns into a brown film.

In gooseberries affected by powdery mildew, the leaves curl and then dry out. The berries become small and deformed. The disease spreads quickly and leads to the death of the bush. The harvest is dwindling.