If the gooseberry on your site has been growing for a long time, then you know firsthand about a disease such as powdery mildew. This ailment is manifested by a whitish coating on the stems and leaves. The fungus can affect both shoots and foliage, as well as already formed fruits. Of course, every gardener wants to know an effective way to get rid of this problem. But first you need to study the "enemy." This and how dangerous the powdery mildew is and how to get rid of it will be described later in the review.
What is powdery mildew?
Sphereotka (powdery mildew) is a dangerous type of disease in many plants. Initially, the representative of the flora is covered with a whitish coating, which later acquires a dirty, brownish hue, and in structure the formation resembles felt. Affected wood parts are deformed, and the fruits ripen poorly.
Infection can destroy the crop: the surface of the fruit cracks, after which they rot.
What triggers the occurrence of the disease
Fungal ailment occurs as a result of the activity of erysiphous or powdery mildew (Erysiphales) fungi, which throw out spores in the spring and in the autumn. It is then that powdery mildew appears. Warm weather with high humidity favors the reproduction of mycelium.
Important! In the cold season, the fungus does not die, but remains on the surface of the shrub and in the soil.
Signs and stages of the disease
Having seen the initial manifestations of the disease, one should not dramatize the situation. The disease manifests itself gradually. But one must learn to understand the degrees of its development.
Primary symptoms
Disputes between cultures are carried by wind, insects or with rain plums (as an option, it can spread through irrigation). An early sign is barely noticeable, white with a gray tint, plaque. The stem and leaves are covered with an almost invisible “hoarfrost”. This is the mycelium, on the surface of which later cleistocarpies appear - fruiting bodies.
On closer inspection, they resemble felt balls of dark brown color. Inside the sphere contains spore bags. In this form, the fungus winters, and in the spring begins to grow. Then the fungus continues to spread spores, and the bush is affected more and more. At the initial stage, plaque is easily removed manually.
Important! As soon as the pest appeared on the gooseberry, the fight begins immediately.
Secondary stage
It is easy to recognize the progressing phase: a brown film appears, which envelops the fruits and stems. A distinctive feature - the coating becomes viscous-viscous.
Critical stage
Foliage withers, dries. The inflorescences crumble, the shoots are bent, the berry grows smaller, mummifies and falls off. As a rule, only an emergency, cardinal measure helps at this stage. In advanced cases, the growth of branches stops, and the bush dies. Darkening of the leaf plate indicates the final phase of the disease (secondary wave of infection).
The main signs of the final phase:
- the whole bush is covered with powdery mildew;
- fruits and foliage crumble;
- the trunk is cracking;
- growth of young shoots stops.
Control measures
There are many ways to deal with the sphere library. But not a single remedy will help, if you do not follow simple agricultural practices. Not only the plant is processed, but also the trunk circle. And the bushes themselves are not just sprayed, but moistened abundantly, without missing a single stem, not a single leaf.
Did you know? Gooseberries contain a lot of pectin. It is he who helps to cope with the influence of adverse ecology on the body, removing toxins and salts of heavy metals from tissues.
Chemical fungicides
Modern formulations of fungicidal orientation make it possible to quickly get rid of a serious ailment. The fight against the use of fungicides is quite effective, since the active substances of the drug penetrate into the cells of the plant, eliminate the problem and create reliable protection.
It doesn’t matter what tool to use, often it is not necessary to process the shrub. Enough 1–4 times with an interval of one to two weeks. Chemicals used in crop production.
| A drug | Application features |
| "Topaz" | Flowering completion. In the case of an advanced stage, the treatment is performed two times: before the flower buds open and after. Re-treatment after 7-10 days is required. |
| "Vectra" | The culture is treated immediately after detecting the first signs of the disease. The maximum effect can be achieved by applying four-fold spraying with short interruptions. |
| "Rayok" | This tool will be needed not only for prevention, but also at the moment when you need to urgently save gooseberries. The drug is not washed off by precipitation, but is recommended for use in dry weather. After processing, it provides protection for 7–10 days. |
| Tiovit Jet | The effect persists at low temperatures. Therefore, the bushes are treated in early spring, while temperature indicators are in the range + 5 ... + 15 ° C. |
| Fundazole | An effective drug that affects the American appearance of powdery mildew. The systemic tool is used in the form of a 2% solution. For preventive purposes, the concentration is halved. |
| DNOC | A systemic drug aimed at destroying a winter fungus on a bush. Spray the plant immediately after the snow has melted. |
| HOM | Use a solution of 4% concentration. For this, 40 g (1-2 sachets) are diluted in a bucket of water. Apply the composition until the beginning of flowering. |
| Nitrafen | Means of contact action. At the initial stage of plant infection, the efficiency reaches 95%. Irrigate the landing during the loading of berries. For prevention, the shrub can be treated before the start of active sap flow and at the time of flowering. |
| Fitosporin | Allows you to successfully deal with the sphere library. 150 g of the drug are dissolved in a bucket of water. |
Processing of landings is carried out in calm weather, in the morning or evening hours. In this case, the dosage prescribed in the instructions is strictly observed. Any drug is prepared in a special container, which is not used for food purposes. Unused residues must be disposed of. They are buried in the ground at a safe distance from the site. What is medicine for gooseberries is poison for humans.
Important! In the period of flowering and fruiting, fungicides are not recommended. If the disease attacked the plant precisely in this phase of vegetation, the affected parts are completely removed and burned.
To avoid damage to the respiratory tract, to protect yourself from chemical burns, when treating bushes with chemicals, observe safety precautions, wearing protective equipment:
- overalls;
- protective glasses;
- respirator;
- gloves.
Folk remedies
Powdery mildew is a serious problem that must be disposed of carefully. After all, it is not always possible to apply a chemical. Harvest ripens quickly. Therefore, folk recipes come to the rescue. It is worth considering that most of these measures require an integrated approach and regular implementation.
Optimum processing time is spring. Folk preparations can be processed any fruit shrubs (currants, raspberries, etc.). The most popular and safest recipes.
| Material | Cooking method | Terms of use |
| Cattle manure | Diluted with water (1: 3) and insisted for three days. Then diluted with additional water and filtered. | Spray the bushes three times: before flowering, after it and when the leaves begin to fall. |
| Hot water | The water is brought to + 100 ° C and immediately used. | Bushes are watered at the end of winter using a garden watering can with a jet divider. |
| Ash | 3 kg of ash per bucket of water. Withstand 24 hours, filter. | The time for spraying is spring. The procedure is performed three times, adhering to the daily interval. |
| Onion peel | 200 g is poured with a bucket of hot water. Infused for two days. | It must be processed before the disclosure of flowering buds and with the beginning of leaf fall. |
| Kefir (can be replaced with whey or yogurt) | 1 liter of fermented milk is mixed with 10 liters of water. | Apply a natural preparation by spraying the bush before flowering, three times every other day. |
| Dry tansy | 30 g of raw material is poured with a bucket of hot water and insisted day. After this time, the solution is boiled for 2 hours. Filter, cool. This remedy is as effective as a chemical preparation. | The processing period is spring and autumn. |
| Ammonium nitrate | 50 g of the drug is dissolved in 12 l of water. | Bushes are processed during flowering. |
| Soda and Aspirin |
| Gooseberries are sprayed with the composition during the season, with a frequency of 1 time in 2 weeks. |
| Fresh hay or forest flooring | Hay is placed in a bucket (1/3 of the container volume), poured to the brim with water and left to infuse for 3 days. The strained infusion is diluted additionally with water (1: 3). | Gooseberries should be protected with such a composition before flowering and before leaf fall. |
Did you know? Gooseberries - the closest relative of currant. As a result of crossing blackcurrants and gooseberries, yoshta berry culture was developed.
Disease prevention
There are several preventive measures aimed at preventing the appearance and spread of powdery mildew.
Prevention consists of the following actions:
- Keeping the landings clean. Weeds are removed immediately, as soon as they begin to appear, thin out the shoots in time.
- When a berry is formed, only varietal, zoned young plants are acquired. Place of purchase of planting material should be a certified nursery or garden center.
- Trimming the bush regularly. It is not enough to cure the plant, it is necessary to remove the trimmed parts of the plant from the site and burn it outside the territory.
- Another measure is the cleaning of the territory in anticipation of the winter season. The soil of the trunk space is carefully weeded, and a mulching layer is laid near the bush.
- You can not "overfeed" nitrogen fertilizers. They only stimulate the active growth of greenery and reduce the immunity of the bush. Potassium and phosphorus top dressing will help strengthen resistance. Iodine also reduces susceptibility.
- With insect pests are timely control. They are active carriers of spore infections.
You can forget about powdery mildew if you grow gooseberry varieties that are resistant to fungi:
- Harlequin;
- African;
- Beryl;
- Grace;
- Grossular;
- Jocelyn;
- Carpathians;
- Gingerbread man (popular folk variety);
- Commander
- Lada;
- Pearl;
- Spring;
- Pink;
- Russian;
- Sadko;
- Salute;
- Sirius;
- Houghton;
- Anniversary.
There are many methods for protecting gooseberries from an insidious fungus. Most of them have proven their effectiveness for more than a year. It remains to choose a more suitable method and enjoy a tasty, rich harvest.
