Why do currant leaves curl?

Currant leaves in all cases indicate a problem. And depending on what other signs complement the unusual shape of the leaves, you need to select a solution. In order to determine what exactly happened to your fruit crop, carefully examine the deformed leaf.

The fact that currant leaves curl is due to diseases and pests, of which this plant can have quite a lot. Their appearance is facilitated by both weather conditions and violations of agricultural practices. But what to do if the currant is already sick, and most importantly, how to find out what exactly?

Anthracnose on currant leaves

Small reddish spots 1 mm in diameter appear on the foliage. Later they darken, swell and expand. The growing season of the disease is about two months, which means it may not be noticed immediately. Emergency treatment with one of the drugs to choose from according to the instructions will help save currants from anthracnose: Agromedicine, Forecast, Propi Plus, Profi, Chistoflor.

To prevent anthracnose, currants are treated annually with 1% Bordeaux mixture in the spring (repeated after harvesting). Since the fungus overwinters in fallen leaves, in the fall it must be carefully raked out from under the bushes and burned. Among the preventive measures is the treatment of plants with one of the drugs listed above according to the instructions.

Prevention measures

Both fungal diseases and damage caused by insect pests are easier to prevent than to treat. Moreover, all preventive measures relate to the usual rules of care:

bushes should be planted so that the distance between the crowns is at least 80 cm. In this case, the plants dry out faster after rain and do not create favorable conditions for the development of diseases;
it is necessary to remove the grass under the bushes, since both fungal spores and insects live in it. In spring and autumn, the soil must be dug up;
after watering, the tree trunk circle is mulched not only to retain moisture in the top layer of soil, but also to reduce the level of evaporation;
fallen leaves and branches must be collected and burned to reduce the risk of spread;
All anthills located close to the currants should be destroyed, otherwise you will not get rid of aphids;
In the spring, before the buds swell, currants should be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate solution. They cultivate not only the bush, but also the ground around it.

Leaves of diseased currants should not be placed in a compost pit. In such an environment, the fungus overwinters well and will infect the shrub next year.

Spheroteca (American powdery mildew) on currant leaves

A change in the shape of the leaves is preceded by their covering with a white coating. Later, the color becomes brownish-brown, and the leaves themselves bend inward, as if they want to close. Subsequently, the disease spreads to other parts of the plant. At the same time, the berries become smaller and the growth of the bush stops, which will die if urgent measures are not taken. Treatment with drugs such as Thiovit Jet, Topaz or Fitosporin-M according to the instructions will help. They are also used for prevention.

Since the development of the disease is promoted by dry or nitrogen-oversaturated soil, timely watering and fertilizing of currants, as well as normalizing the acidity of the soil underneath, are suitable biological measures.

How to care for currants in the spring so that the harvest pleases you
The key to a generous currant harvest is proper plant care in the spring.
Caring for currants after harvesting: what to feed, how to prune correctly
We tell you how to care for currants after harvesting so that next year there will be a lot of berries!

It must be said that the list of currant diseases, of course, is not limited to what is listed here. There are other, no less dangerous infections that affect not only currants, but also gooseberries. Many of them do not affect the shape of the leaves and appear differently.

Rules of agricultural technology

In addition to processing your plants, if necessary, you need to follow certain rules, as well as help currant plantings in other ways. Let's list the main ones.

1) On a regular basis, it is necessary to remove and destroy the stems and foliage of plants that have been affected by diseases or harmful insects. 2) Do not forget about the rules of beneficial proximity. You can plant certain plants next to currant bushes that will help in the fight against harmful insects. For this purpose, gardeners use tansy, marigold, and yarrow. Dill is also a good choice; it is an attractive plant for ladybugs and other insects that can help control aphids, mites and other pests. 3) In order for birds to help you cope with pests, you need to organize feeders. 4) If you see an anthill near the currant root system, it needs to be destroyed. As for the lower shoots on shrubs, they need to be treated with special garden glue. 5) If you see any butterflies above the currant bushes, then treat the plants with folk remedies that have a strong, sharp aroma; an infusion based on tobacco or garlic is good for this. 6) Do not ignore recommendations regarding the prevention of various diseases and pest attacks.

Aphids on currant leaves

Most often, currant leaves curl with the edges tucked inward precisely because of the attack of this insect. Aphids come in different forms, but in all cases they are unpleasant. And since its presence on currants can sometimes be confused with the manifestation of anthracnose, examine the foliage carefully: Aphids can always be seen with the naked eye (most often on the back of the leaf or on the stems of the plant): this is a very small insect of green, gray, brown or brown color. If a pest is detected, immediately begin processing the currants: Antitlin, Inta-Ts-M, Iskra, Karbotsin, Tabazol, Tobacco dust, Tanrek, Fufanon-Nova, Fury can help you. In parallel with aphids, it is highly advisable to discourage ants from the area, since they contribute to their appearance on your fruit crops.

For the purpose of prevention in the spring, even before the beginning of currant flowering, the bushes are treated with Biotlin, Biotlin Bau or Profilaktin.

If you are used to using folk remedies, then take an integrated approach. Spray bushes infested with aphids with water from a hose so that the plants remain intact and all insects are washed to the ground. They will not be able to get back up on their own, but we have already written above about the fight against the ants that drag them. Aphids cannot tolerate the smell of tar soap - a solution of 100 g of the substance per 10 liters of water will permanently rid your fruit bushes treated with a spray from the uninvited guest. Here's another good recipe: brew a glass of shag, tobacco leaves or just tobacco from cigarette butts in 5 liters of boiling water, leave for a day and strain. Just keep in mind that plants can be treated with this solution at least a week before harvest. You can also use an infusion of a crushed head of garlic, several pods of hot pepper or 3-5 horseradish roots per 3 liters of water. Leave for a day, then strain and spray the plants.

How to fight aphids - effective folk remedies
Aphids are one of the most dangerous garden pests. Find out how to get rid of this insect using traditional methods.

Pests and how to get rid of them

In addition to various viral and fungal diseases, currants can become a victim of attacks by insect pests, which can damage all parts of the plant and lead to its complete death.

Bugs

Various bugs pose a particular danger to the plant, in particular the currant borer, the larvae of which eat the core of the branches. As a result of the negative influence of the beetle, the shoots dry out, the crop yield sharply decreases, the berries become smaller and become sluggish.

Parasitic beetles appear in early summer and lay eggs on branches after 7–10 days. The larvae, which hatch after two weeks, penetrate the trunk and eat away its contents. To destroy the pest and prevent its further development, all affected parts of the bush should be destroyed.

In case of massive damage to a currant plantation, it is recommended to spray the bushes with insecticides. Treatment of foliage with Actellik, which is carried out three weeks after flowering, is highly effective.

Among the bugs, currants can also be affected by the weevil, which emerges in early spring. Individuals eat the vegetative organs of buds and flowers, and later completely destroy the leaves and buds.

The only effective way to combat weevils is to treat shrubs with chemicals. Spraying is carried out in the bud breaking phase, using pyrethroid or neonicotinoid agents.

Caterpillars

Caterpillars can cause great harm to currants: leaf roller and glass beetle. The first is a small brown butterfly with small folded wings. Leafworm caterpillars are also brown in color.

Parasites feed on the leaves of the crop, causing them to curl, turn yellow and become covered with cobwebs. The caterpillars also eat buds, flowers, and berries. Biological products and insecticides are used for the treatment and prevention of leaf rollers.

The glasswort is a small butterfly with transparent wings that lays eggs in cracks in the bark or near the buds in midsummer. The caterpillars, which hatch from the eggs after two weeks, make hollow passages in the shoots, after which the branches dry out.

Unfortunately, identifying glass is quite difficult. As a rule, it is discovered in the second year, after the branches begin to dry out sharply before the berry ripening phase. To cure currants from the parasite, it is advised to cut out and burn all affected parts. Treatment with insecticides is carried out only in the first stages of the attack, before the caterpillar has time to penetrate inside the branches.

Did you know? The most common are white, red and black currants. However, today there are varieties of the crop with different colors of berries: yellow, green, orange and even purple.

Sawflies

Berry sawflies, or rather their larvae, which develop in the ovaries and feed on seeds, cause big problems for gardeners.

Under the influence of the larvae, currant fruits ripen quite early, but are absolutely not suitable for food. Moreover, if the berries are not collected on time, the larvae come out and you have to fight with them throughout the next season.

The fight against the parasite should include the following steps:

Before currants bloom, spray with insecticidal preparations;
before ripening, all infected fruits must be collected and destroyed;
in autumn, clear the area of vegetation and carefully dig up the soil;
hill up the bushes and mulch them.

Currant fly

The currant fly or gall midge is a small mosquito-like insect that can damage all areas of the bush. In places where pest larvae develop, swellings are formed, which are called galls.

Three species of gall midges parasitize currants:

leafy - affects the leaves of the bush;
stem - develops on the stem;
floral - lays eggs in flower ovaries.

How to deal with currant gall midge?

Symptoms of gall midge infestation of bushes are:

yellowing and drying of foliage;
formation of red spots on the leaf blades;
leaf curling;
inhibition of growth of young shoots;
curling and falling of flowers.

All infected parts of the plant should be cut out and destroyed. In autumn, shrubs must be treated with Karbofos solution.

The best preventative measures against gall midges are:

thinning of plantings;
rejuvenation of bushes every 3 years;
cultivation of land with tobacco water.

Leaf roller on currant leaves

It is this pest that causes the leaves of currants and other crops to curl in the classical sense of the word, for which, apparently, it got its name. The larvae of the leaf roller butterfly are scary: these yellow or green caterpillars spoil the leaf tissue, thereby causing the leaf to curl. They pupate inside the leaf, and in the fall, along with the leaves, they end up on the ground, where they overwinter. And in the spring they become butterflies and return to the currants or gooseberries favored by the previous generation to give birth to new larvae. Bitoxibacillin, Iskra, Lepidotsid or Fufanon-Nova will help defeat the pest.

Biological measures will not hurt either - collecting and burning fallen leaves, loosening and hilling bushes in the fall, as well as mulching plants before flowering. During the growing season, currants, as well as gooseberries growing next to them, are treated with one of the drugs listed above according to the instructions.

Pests of currants and gooseberries - photos, descriptions, how to treat the bushes
Find out how to protect your favorite berries from dangerous insects.

conclusions

Curling and drying of leaves is a consequence of both some fungal diseases and the activity of insects. To establish the cause of the phenomenon, you need to pay attention to secondary signs.
To get rid of insects (scale insects, aphids), currants are sprayed with insecticides. Both chemicals and folk remedies are used.
Fungicides are used to treat fungal diseases that cause leaf curling - anthracnose, rust, scab. The first remedy against such ailments are copper-containing drugs.
Diseases are easier to prevent: for this plant in the spring, before the buds swell, they are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture or a solution of copper sulfate.
An indispensable element of prevention is timely cleaning and burning of leaves and diseased branches, as well as mulching and digging the earth.

Spider mites on currant leaves

This pest is universal, and it has many varieties that can affect completely different crops - from vegetables to indoor flowers. Currants are not one of the exceptions, which this insect entangles with a transparent web on the underside of the leaf. And since it feeds on the juice of the leaves, in the near future they change color and become deformed. Some (but not all) mites can be found on the plant - therefore, the identifying marks should be just a change in the shape and color of the leaf in combination with that same transparent cobweb. If measures are not taken in time, the bush depleted by the pest will stop bearing fruit, and subsequently die altogether.

As an immediate measure, treatment of plants with one of the drugs - Bitoxibacillin, Antiklesch, Kleschevit, Thiovit-Jet, Fitoverm - is suitable.

Preventive measures include moistening the soil and the plants themselves (mites reproduce best at a humidity of 30-50%), as well as feeding with complex preparations high in potassium and phosphorus.

Spider mites - how to recognize them on plants and fight them effectively
The smallest pests sometimes cause us the biggest problems. Spider mites in the garden and vegetable garden are dangerous for all crops.

Leaf marginal necrosis

The disease is non-infectious and is caused by excess chlorine in the soil. It appears towards the end of summer. A wide dry strip of ash-gray color forms along the edges of the leaves. There is a clearly defined border between this strip and healthy tissue. If such symptoms are detected in the next season, it is necessary to fertilize with urea twice (in the spring after the buds swell and after the end of flowering) (the norm is 20–30 g/m2).

Marginal necrosis of currant leaves has a clearly defined border.

If the dry strip has a darker color and its border is blurred, then this indicates potassium starvation. Accordingly, next season, at the beginning of summer, you need to add a solution of potassium monophosphate to the soil - add 20 g of fertilizer to a bucket of water and water the bushes (the norm is 20 g/m2).

Glassware on currant leaves

The butterfly itself, similar in appearance to a wasp, does not harm fruit crops. But its larvae penetrate inside the stems and eat them away. As a result of their activity, the leaves curl, but no additional external signs are observed. Subsequently, the affected branches dry out, starting from the top, and the curled leaves fall off. To make sure that your currant has fallen victim to glassworm larvae, remove the affected branch and cut it lengthwise. If voids are found inside and the inner walls of the stem are black, you are not mistaken in your suspicions.

For immediate treatment of plants, Inta-Vir or Lepidocid are suitable. In subsequent growing seasons, the bushes are sprayed after flowering, namely during the summer of butterflies, with Lepidocide or Bitoxibacillin according to the instructions (as for the gooseberry moth). Precise adherence to agricultural practices helps reduce the likelihood of infection.

White spot or septoria

This disease is widespread in central Russia. Many people do not even pay attention to this kind of damage to the bush, and in vain: if treatment is not carried out, the matter may result in loss of harvest and death of the plant.

The causative agent is a fungus from the genus Axomycetes. The main signs of the disease include the following:

the appearance of brown spots on the leaves;
drying of leaf plates.

Treatment is carried out by destroying the affected areas, spraying the bushes with 1% Bordeaux mixture or treating with fungicides (Bayleton, Ridomil Gold, etc.).

Most often appears in the first and second decades of June

At the first sign, immediate treatment is required

Gall midge on currant leaves

The length of white and red gall midge larvae, which cause damage directly to the leaves, does not exceed 1.5 mm, which is why it can be extremely difficult to detect them. As a result of the pest’s actions, the young currant leaves do not even have time to open, but simply dry out.

Iskra and Fufanon-Nova will immediately help you get rid of the gall midge. And in the future, for prevention during the growing season, plants are sprayed with Bitoxibacillin according to the instructions. Additionally, they implement the same set of preventive measures as for other pests: they burn fallen leaves and plant debris, loosen and hill up the bushes in the fall, and also mulch the bushes before they bloom.

Now you know how to identify and defeat currant diseases and pests that cause the plant’s leaves to curl.

The most common growing problems and their causes

When cultivating black currants, gardeners may encounter a number of problems caused by unfavorable climate conditions or untimely or illiterate implementation of basic agrotechnical techniques for caring for shrubs.

Growths on branches

Growths on currant branches are considered symptoms of nectria drying caused by spores of the fungus Nectria ribis. First, small orange dots form on the shoots, which later transform into large tuberous growths.

At the stage of spore development, the tubercles become black, while the young shoots of the bush dry out and die. In the absence of high-quality and timely treatment, the shrub completely dies.

At the first signs of the disease, infected shoots should be destroyed and the cuts should be treated with garden varnish.

The best prevention of the disease is: destruction of weeds, clearing the area of remnants of vegetation and compliance with crop feeding schemes.

currant curl

Gardeners often note that currant leaves begin to dry out at the edges and curl.

Curliness may also be accompanied by the following symptoms:

thickening of the leaf plate in some parts;
formation of swellings in the form of bubbles on the leaves;
reddening of leaf blades, gradual drying out and falling of leaves.

In most cases, the cause of curly hair is the Taphrine fungus or the insect aphid. To combat the latter, use a solution of Actellik or Karbofos. The fungus is destroyed using modern fungicidal drugs.

The buds open and immediately turn yellow

The cause of yellowing buds on currants may be the appearance of a bud mite, which destroys fruit buds, thereby negatively affecting the yield of the plant.

Important! The main fight against bud mites is to organize proper care of the bush and ensure proper watering.

Depending on the time of year, the signs of a kidney mite may vary:

in winter, the buds greatly increase in size;
in spring, the bud material swells and blooms, but quickly turns yellow;
bud growth is uneven, plant flowering is poor;
in autumn the buds become overly rounded and vary in size.

To combat the parasite, special preparations are used, for example, Karbofos, Phosfamide, colloidal sulfur.

There's emptiness inside the branches

The formation of voids inside the branches is evidence of the harmful effects of the pest - the glass moth. The female parasite can lay up to 60 eggs in cracks in the bark, from which caterpillars hatch and feed on the internal contents of the shoots.

Such damage leads to drying out of the branches, which occurs at the end of the flowering of the crop and at the beginning of the ripening of the fruits. To get rid of the pest, you should spray the bushes at the end of their flowering with an insecticide solution. Infected branches should be cut out and burned.