Why did yellow spots appear on currant leaves and how to improve the health of the bush?

Currant is a bush plant from the gooseberry family. Initially it grew in the wild, but after appreciating the benefits of the fruits and the shrub itself, it was cultivated and about 190 subspecies were bred, including ornamental ones. With proper care, currants will delight you with green foliage, tasty berries and a tart aroma.

Being an unpretentious plant, currants easily adapt to virtually any conditions. The biggest and most common problem gardeners face is yellowing and falling of the deciduous part of the bush with loss of yield. What this is connected with, how to deal with it and how to treat currants, we will consider in this article.

External symptoms

A healthy currant bush stands out from others with its rich dark green leaves. The following signs indicate that there is something wrong with the plant:

• massive yellowing of leaves throughout the bush;
• yellowing plates with green veins;
• yellow veins and dry edges of leaves;
• chaotic spotting and leaf fall;
• yellowness combined with leaf deformation.

Based on the characteristics of the distribution of yellowness, one can conclude about its root cause.

Table of the relationship between yellowness of leaves and causes.

Pests

Insect pests can also cause massive yellowing of currant leaves. Their detrimental effect on the growth and development of the plant is no less than that of diseases.

Kidney mite

A small worm-like insect that attacks black (less often white) currants. Most often, parasite larvae are transmitted through infected plant cuttings, as well as by wind. The development of the insect occurs inside the bud, so its presence can only be suspected from this part of the plant.

Depending on the time of year, the symptoms of kidney mites have their own characteristics:

1. In winter, excessive enlargement of the kidneys is observed.
2. In spring, some of the affected buds do not produce shoots or leaves at all. Those that formed on a diseased plant are characterized by uneven growth. The leaves on the diseased bush are deformed and poorly developed. The flowering of infected currants is sparse, and the ovary is insignificant.
3. In summer, the bushes take on a sloppy shape, and new shoots lag behind in development. The ovary on such currants is weak, and those fruits that have formed fall off prematurely. By the end of summer, the currant buds increase.
4. Autumn is characterized by an increase in the size of the buds, their unequal size and excessive roundness.

Deformed buds produce weak, diseased shoots that are unable to provide high yields.

Gall aphid

A small insect that lives on the leaves of red and white currants. Despite its small (up to 2 mm) size, the parasite can cause great harm to the plant:

• depletion of shoots as a result of active sucking of juices;
• high probability of currant infection with viral infections carried by aphids;
• attracting ants to the plantings, which contribute to the spread of the parasite and themselves feed on currant juice.

A plant affected by gall aphids begins to defend itself and produces specific tissues that look like yellow or red-brown tubercles. Over time, the leaves turn yellow, curl and fall off, and the berries become smaller and remain unripe.

In mid-July, aphids move to nearby crops and damage them. At the end of summer, the insect returns to the currant and forms an oviposition, from which a new generation will hatch by spring.

Glassware

The currant glass beetle is a small butterfly that feeds on flower pollen. At the same time, she lays eggs on currant branches, regardless of the variety. Laying is carried out on diseased or damaged branches - this makes it easier for the larvae to penetrate into the middle for further eating of the pulp. At the same time, the plant loses nutrients, becomes depleted, the branches dry out and break from the slightest mechanical impact. Read about glassware on currants here.

The leaves of a bush affected by an insect become small, turn yellow, quickly wither when exposed to sunlight and fall off prematurely. The affected shoot is hollow in cross section, may be filled with waste products of the parasite and contain an amber-colored caterpillar with a brown head.

Spider mite

A small insect with a red body that significantly weakens the plant, impairs winter hardiness, prevents the formation of flower buds, and reduces yield. The first symptoms of damage are light, almost imperceptible dots on some leaves, which gradually turn into spots and merge with each other. As a result of enveloping the leaf plates with cobwebs, they acquire a marble color. Marbling spreads to adjacent leaves and sometimes to berries.

Currant leaves first fade, turn yellow, curl, and then quickly dry out. This material will tell you about currant varieties resistant to bud mite.

Spider mites that live on currants for a long time almost always entail the development of powdery mildew. It is almost impossible to get rid of the combination of these problems.

Causes

The appearance of yellow leaves on currant bushes is most often associated with improper planting or care, less often it is the consequences of climatic conditions or soil inadequacy.

Biological old age of the bush

Currants begin to bear fruit 3-4 years after planting and produce crops for up to 15 years. If the plant has enough mineral fertilizers and moisture, and no traces of insect pests are found, then the bush has outlived its usefulness.

From year to year, the root system weakens, and the process of photosynthesis and exchange of useful substances becomes slower. At the end of spring, flowering does not appear in the required quantity, and the leaves are soft and dull, smaller than in previous seasons - this means the crop has aged. It is not possible to revive the bush even by pruning - it is dug up and replaced with a young shoot.

Weather

At the beginning of summer, temperature fluctuations are possible. Heat and dry winds lead to dehydration of the bush, the leaves dry out, the leaf stalk separates from the branch and falls off. This yellowing usually begins from the tips, gradually covering the entire large soil, the leaf becomes withered and crumbles under your hands.

Frequent rains also have a bad effect on the condition of the foliage: the yellowness darkens over time, softens and eventually rots.

Improper care and watering errors

Any plant, like humans and animals, loves care. Quite often, currants die due to basic mistakes in agricultural technology. The lack of a timely response to the appearance of yellow leaves has the most disastrous consequences for the fruit and the bush as a whole.

Currants love moisture; during drought, they are watered every other day, using about 10 liters of water per bush per week. Dry soil will cause the roots to dry out, followed by the leaves. It doesn’t hurt to spray the leaves of the crop with a spray bottle. Check the consistency of the soil and adjust the volume of liquid - it should be slightly moist.

Too much humidity also harms currants, especially when combined with a decrease in air temperature. In this case, the leaves first turn yellow, then darken, and the root system begins to rot. In this case, it is worth reducing watering and loosening the soil more often so that water does not stagnate in the soil.

Improper planting of seedlings and deformation of the root system

If the roots are close to the ground, then they are more exposed to external factors and do not receive proper nutrition. The necessary substances will not flow into the rhizome, but from it into the branches. In addition, currants are sensitive to the level of soil acidity. Dig the bush to a depth of 20 centimeters in shady places; direct rays of the sun can harm the crop. Avoid proximity to sea buckthorn, gooseberries, and raspberries.

If you plant seedlings before return frosts, the foliage will be yellow and the plant itself will be weak. The best time for planting is early September, so that the bush becomes established by its roots before the onset of frost.

If the roots form incorrectly or die, the leaves will immediately begin to turn yellow. Here are the main reasons:

• too little space for the development of root shoots;
• the neck of the bush is not dug to the required depth;
• lack of a drainage layer, which leads to root death;
• crowding: bushes are planted close to each other;
• there are many voids in the soil, the planting hole is poorly compacted with earth.

In such cases, the plant must be replanted in compliance with all planting rules.

Lack of loosening

The health of currants directly depends on the frequency and quality of loosening the soil. The leafy part is closely related to the root system; we can say that foliage is an indicator of the health of the currant. The soil should be loosened twice a month no deeper than 10 centimeters.

Problems with feeding

Currants indicate a deficiency or excess of each of the nutrients by yellowing of the foliage, and in each case it will have its own identifying signs:

• nitrogen - if there is a shortage, the plate itself turns yellow, the veins retain their original color. The leaves become longer, thinner and fall off. Urea, bird droppings, and cattle manure will solve the problem. With a lack of nitrogen, there are too many leaves, unlike fruits, but they do not have the required density and flexibility;
• magnesium - yellowness begins from the lower layers of the bush; the leaf itself turns yellow, without affecting the veins and cuttings. Fertilize with potassium chloride or potassium magnesium. Curling of the leaf indicates an excess of the substance;
• iron - with its deficiency, the leaf not only turns yellow, but also dries out, starting from the edges. For replenishment, ferrous sulfate is added to the root space by digging in;
• phosphorus - the leaves turn yellow and curl, the lumpy spots change their hue to purple. It should be fed with compost.

The main causes of yellowing of the currant bush

The leading position in the list of negative factors is occupied by improper care. In addition, the bush turns yellow and dries out due to insect pests. Fungal and viral diseases are one of the most dangerous causes of yellowness; in such cases, the fruit perennial requires emergency help.

Currant bushes may turn yellow both at the beginning of the growing season and by the end of summer:

1. Branches dry out in the spring mainly due to improper care and insufficient nutrition.
2. Young bushes at the beginning of growth suffer from a deficiency of potassium and nitrogen.

   
   Nitrogen deficiency

3. Currants turn yellow in May due to a lack of nutrients and moisture in the soil.
4. In summer, heavy rains wash away beneficial substances from the tree trunk. Timely feeding will help change the situation for the better.
5. If yellowed currant leaves are found in June, it means that pests are attacking. Some insects, such as the root-knot aphid, damage the crop in midsummer.

Diseases

Currant leaves may turn yellow due to a fungal or viral infection. The main thing here is to react in time, correctly identify the disease and begin treatment in order to save both the plant and the harvest.

Anthracnose

The first signs appear in early summer in June, reaching a peak during the period of fruit ripening. The fungus develops in high humidity, especially during the rainy season. Covers leaves en masse. It appears in the form of dark spots that lead to yellowing and drying of the foliage. The leaves do not fall, but remain on the bushes.

At the first signs of disease, the foliage is sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate, 5 g of Fitosporin dissolved in water, the frequency of the procedure is 10 days.

Powdery mildew

Most often it affects young bushes. If measures are not taken in a timely manner, the disease will spread to the berries, and then the bush will simply die. A white-gray coating appears on the plates, loose in structure. As the fungus spreads, the spots darken, the edges of the leaves begin to turn yellow, dry out and eventually fall off.

Wood ash, which is sprinkled over the entire bush by scattering, helps well, but only at the initial stage. A solution of iodine in the proportion of 1 bottle per bucket of water and iron sulfate actively destroys the fungus.

As for chemical preparations, bushes are treated with a solution of Fundazol, but in the most extreme cases.

Rust

Appears in two forms:

• goblet - in the form of voluminous spots of orange and brown colors,
• columnar - the leaves become rusty on top, and swellings form on the inside.

By mid-summer the leaves fall and the berries become covered with bloom. The bush can be cured only at an early stage; if the damage is large, it is better to dig it up.

Affected shoots are cut off and burned. The bush is treated with copper-based preparations and Bordeaux solution. Among the folk methods of fighting fungus, a mixture of tobacco and laundry soap is recommended.

spotting

A fungal disease, as a result of which many yellow-red spots appear on the leaves, which eventually turn yellow and the foliage falls off. Copper sulfate solution fights this disease well. For prevention, the bush is treated in early spring with Nitofen.

The main thing in the fight against fungus is to notice it in time; it can occur in a latent form and become more active during the flowering period, when the lesions spread throughout the foliage.

Circular spots on both sides of the leaf surface

If you notice dark brown spots on currant leaves that gradually merge, and the leaves turn yellow and fall off prematurely, this is anthracnose ( Pseudopeziza Ribis Kleb.).

The infection can appear at any time during the growing season. The main damage from it is the abundant fall of leaves, which can begin as early as the end of July. This will lead to loss of harvest next year. Spots can also appear on young shoots, leaf petioles, stems and berries.

Viral diseases that cause yellow leaves

The fight against viruses is generally ineffective and leads to the death of plants; they stop bearing fruit and dry out. The main task is to protect healthy bushes from possible infection.

Terry

This virus is a consequence of a spider mite attack on a plant. It is almost impossible to detect the disease at the initial stage, and useless at the later stage. This insidious virus can hibernate and become active again after a while.

The main symptoms are not only the appearance of yellowness, but also deformation of the leaf. It stretches out, becomes stiff, and the flowers separate into petals and acquire a purple color. The characteristic currant aroma also disappears.

A healthy plant can take over this virus from a diseased one through grafting or pruning. There is no drug that completely destroys this virus. In advanced cases, the bushes are dug up and burned. The bushes in the neighborhood must be treated with boron and manganese compounds.

Mosaic

A dangerous and harmful virus that cannot be cured. The affected bush changes leaf color: yellow-gray inclusions appear on a green background, intertwining with each other and looking like a stained glass mosaic. The distribution begins from the veins, moving to the entire surface.

Diseased bushes are removed along with the roots and sent to the firebox. The soil at the site of the bush is treated with potassium permanganate.

Yellow-brown spots on currant leaves

If you notice small brown tubercles surrounded by a yellow border on the upper side of currant leaves, it means that the currant has leaf rust ( Puccinia ribesii caricis). Over time, yellow and red columns appear in place of the pads. Gradually the entire sheet becomes covered with fluffy rust.

Harmful insects

All green plants are attacked by pests; young and juicy greens in May and June become a bait and source of food for many parasites. The situation is complicated by the undesirable use of chemicals, as they will affect the formation of fruits and their safety for human consumption. It is not difficult to detect insects - just carefully examine the root part, shoots and leaves of the currant to notice their presence.

Gall aphid

The favorite time for parasites to settle on a bush is the beginning of summer. Aphids extract juice from the leaves, and dried yellow and brown spots appear. Over time, the leaf dries out and dies. In the fall, the parasites lay larvae, which hatch in the spring and the bush becomes re-infected. If, in bright light, small, transparent insects are visible on the surface of the leaf, you need to immediately begin to fight them.

First, the plant is doused with boiling water, which kills both the parasites and the eggs they lay, and the base is coated with lime. The affected leaves or the entire branch are cut off and burned, and the cut is treated with paint. Among biological products, Actofit and Fitoverm are used - the death of the harmful plant occurs on the third day.

It is not recommended to use chemical methods so as not to harm the crop . In desperate situations, the following are recommended:

• Actellik - 2 mg of concentrate is diluted with 1 liter of water and the bush is treated. Death occurs within an hour. Expensive drug;
• Biotlin is a more affordable product. Consumption: 0.5 ml per 1.5 liters of water. Destroys parasites in 3-5 hours.

Since the preparations contain toxic substances, you need to carry out the treatment with a mask and gloves.

Glass caterpillars

They are active in early June, feeding on shoots and juice of currant bushes, gnawing out the middle and leaving traces in the form of excrement. Small butterflies may appear above the bush. The leaves decrease in size, become lethargic and, due to lack of nutrients, dry out and fall off. The caterpillar itself is not susceptible to chemical attack; the fight should be carried out with butterflies, and damaged shoots should be cut off and destroyed.

Fitoverm is used as a preventive measure. Before currants bloom, the chemical preparation Inta Vir is used in tablets.

Spider mite

The lower branches become entangled in gray cobwebs and sequential infection of the entire foliage begins. Ticks become more active in mid-spring. From this moment on, you need to carefully inspect the plant for ticks. The leaves show spots, yellow areas and dried edges. The infected crop loses its foliage.

To combat parasites from the arachnid family, use:

• Envidor - 5 ml of the product is diluted in 5 liters of water and irrigated the currant bush 3 weeks before harvest;
• Stop mite causes immediate death of parasites and has a prolonged effect;
• Bitoxibacillin destroys larvae. The leaves and trunk are sprayed with powder diluted in water.

Yellow spots on currant leaves

If you find round, vague, pale yellow spots with a light green center on the leaves of a red currant, located between large veins, and see that the leaf blade is growing unevenly, it means the plant is affected by mosaic ( Mosaica ) . Over time, the spots merge, the leaf turns completely yellow, the affected tissue between the veins turns white and dries out.

Folk recipes

In parallel with biological and chemical preparations, traditional methods are also used to eliminate yellowness and the causes of its appearance. In some cases, they are more effective and do not harm the future harvest:

• A mustard solution at the rate of 5 grams of powder per 1 liter of water helps against fungus. The bush is sprayed with this mixture, and clean powder is poured near the rhizome to repel;
• To combat ticks, use garlic tincture - 5 cloves of garlic are passed through a press and poured with a liter of water. Leave for a week, filter, dilute with water 1 to 1 and irrigate the crop;
• Ticks are afraid of tobacco solution - 100 g of tobacco mixture is poured with a liter of boiling water and brewed for 24 hours. Add 20 g of grated laundry soap, shake thoroughly and treat the plant;
• currant caterpillars are repelled by smell - pieces of rags are moistened in gasoline or turpentine and hung around the bush;
• You can save yourself from aphids with a soda solution - dissolve two tablespoons of grated laundry soap and 200 g of soda in 5 liters of warm water;
• Wood ash will save the plant from powdery mildew - 0.5 kg of ash is infused in four liters of water. After five days, add 100 ml of liquid soap and disinfect.

All work should be carried out in dry, windless weather in compliance with dosages and rules.

What to do if currant leaves turn yellow and the cause has not been established

If the currants receive proper care, they are treated for diseases and parasites, but the foliage still turns yellow, the cause may be rodents and chafer larvae.

Moles and rats damage the root when they dig holes. They feed on larvae located in the currant root system. If there are several larvae, they can destroy up to 20% of the root system. The passages of rodents form wide voids in the soil near the root, and it dries out.

How to save a berry bush:

1. Currants are dug up.
2. Remove damaged and dry areas.
3. Wash in a manganese solution and allow the liquid to dry.
4. The root is dipped into “Heteroauxin” to stimulate growth.
5. Transfer to another area and follow planting technology.
6. After placing it in the hole, sprinkle it with ash.
7. Trim all branches to two fruit buds.
8. A napkin soaked in formaldehyde is placed near the bush and sprinkled with soil. The pungent odor of the substance will repel rodents.

Currants turn yellow on unsuitable soil. The crop grows only on neutral soil. Using any convenient method, you need to check the acidity level and adjust the composition.

Preventive measures

Curing a plant is much more difficult than preventing possible diseases. Healthy currant foliage ensures fruitfulness of the bush and a bountiful harvest. You must follow the rules of planting, care and feeding in order to create conditions for the plant to flower and ripen the berries. The following procedures are required:

• annual pruning of branches;
• treatment with copper sulfate;
• removing dried branches and leaves as they appear;
• inspecting foliage for pests or lesions;
• destruction of damaged areas in fire;
• soil moisture control;
• proper feeding;
• replacing topsoil;
• timely treatment.

If all points are fulfilled, currant bushes will bring a bountiful harvest and delight the eyes with a bright green crown. The slightest appearance of yellow spots or drying out of the foliage indicates a disease in the crop. And in the case of pests, their appearance should be prevented and the plant protected. Determining the cause at an early stage will help save it from death and infection of neighboring bushes.

Prevention measures

Preventive procedures are carried out in the fall so that pests do not have a chance to lay eggs:

1. If the bush is affected by pests, additional treatment with insecticides is carried out in the fall. Preventive spraying is possible in the spring before the buds open.
2. Sanitary and regulatory pruning is required. All branches that thicken the bush must be removed. Sick, dried out, weak stems must be cut off. After the procedure, the sections are lubricated with garden varnish - this reduces the likelihood of harmful microorganisms penetrating into the stems.
3. After leaf fall, the crown is watered abundantly, the trunk circle is carefully loosened so as not to touch the surface roots. Sprinkle with wood ash, mustard or ground pepper.
4. All yellowed leaves are collected and burned.
5. Strong-smelling plants - garlic, onions, calendula - are planted near the bush.

To prevent the penetration of larvae into the bark, all maintenance work is carried out as carefully as possible so as not to damage it.

Gooseberry and currant leaves turn yellow due to lack of nutrients

Lack of nitrogen in the soil is another common reason why the leaves of currants and gooseberries turn yellow, seemingly for no apparent reason. Normally, this macroelement promotes the growth of vegetative mass, and is also a component of chlorophyll, without which such an important process as photosynthesis is impossible. That is why, when there is a lack or excess of nitrogen, the leaves are the first to suffer.

If there is a lack of nitrogen in gooseberries and currants, oxygen starvation occurs, as a result of which the plant begins to slow down its growth, the leaves fade and turn yellow, not reaching the desired size, the lower leaves curl and fall off. Nitrogen deficiency often occurs in soils with high acidity and an abundance of weeds.

What to do if there is a lack of nitrogen? Of course, use the appropriate fertilizers:

• Ammonium nitrate, where 35% of nitrogen is contained in ammonium and nitrate forms.
• Urea and urea are amide fertilizers that contain 46% nitrogen.
• Ammonium sulfate, or ammonium sulfate, with at least 20% nitrogen.

Nitrogen fertilizers are applied in spring and summer, making sure to work them deep into the soil; Their use in autumn is not advisable.

• Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium - signs of deficiency and excess in plants

  What do excess or deficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium lead to? Find out in our infographic!