Causes of gooseberry diseases and pests, treatment and control of them

Many summer residents plant gooseberry bushes in the garden, which are easy to grow. This plant does not require careful care and grows well in any climatic conditions. However, sometimes bushes become infected with diseases that negatively affect productivity. Therefore, before planting, you need to familiarize yourself in detail with gooseberry diseases and methods of treating them.

Why do gooseberry bushes get sick?

There are several reasons why a planted gooseberry bush can contract one or another disease and die.

External factors

Plant diseases often appear due to exposure to external factors. Experienced gardeners do not recommend growing berries at low temperatures and high humidity. Under such conditions, rot forms on the root system, which leads to further death of the bushes.

Diseases also appear in the second half of summer, when the bushes weaken due to the heat and rapid drying of the soil. To prevent yellowing and falling leaves due to lack of moisture, the plants will have to be watered daily.

Errors in care

Some diseases begin to affect bushes due to improper care. There are several common mistakes that inexperienced gardeners make:

• Application of sprinkler irrigation method. If you use sprinkler irrigation, yellow plaque and mold appear on the surface of the leaves. When exposed to a large amount of moisture, the leaves begin to dry out.
• Careless loosening. Sometimes people loosen the soil carelessly and accidentally hit the root system with a hoe. This leads to the development of fungal and infectious diseases.
• Wrong fertilizer. It is recommended to treat the soil with organic and mineral fertilizer mixtures to saturate it with nutritional components. If this is not done, the gooseberry will weaken and begin to hurt.

Poor quality planting material

Infectious or fungal infection of bushes can occur due to the use of low-quality planting material. For planting, select the healthiest green seedlings whose leaves have not begun to curl. If there is a white or red coating on the leaves, you should not plant them.

Wrong place

Another reason why plants begin to get sick is the wrong choice of place for planting and further cultivation. Gooseberries should not often be in the shade, and therefore planting should be carried out in the most illuminated area of ​​the garden. Shaded areas are not suitable for planting, as the gooseberry fruit will develop worse in the shade. Also in shaded areas there is increased soil moisture, which contributes to the emergence and development of certain diseases.

Main gooseberry diseases: characteristic symptoms and control methods

Before planting gooseberries, it is necessary to study in more detail gooseberry diseases and measures to combat them. A description of diseases and methods for eliminating them will help to quickly cure gooseberry bushes.

Spheroteka

Most often, gardeners growing gooseberries have to deal with spheroteca. The first symptoms of the disease appear after flowering ends. The main signs of spheroteca include a brown coating on the surface of the leaves, which can be wiped off. Gradually, the disease spreads to every leaf of the bush. If the spheroteca is not treated in a timely manner, the bushes will die.

When treating the disease, the following means are used:

• Watering plants with hot water. The best time to use boiling water for irrigation is spring.It is in the spring that spheroteca spores are found in the ground and infect the bushes.
• Feeding. To prevent the appearance and development of the disease, a mixture prepared from wood ash is periodically added to the soil.

Anthracnose

Summer is the time when many gooseberry bushes become infected with anthracnose. In order to detect the disease in a timely manner, it is necessary to periodically inspect the leaves. As anthracnose develops, a darkish coating appears on them, which gradually covers the entire surface. All affected leaves begin to turn yellow, dry out and fall off. When the first signs of anthracnose appear, treatment is immediately carried out, during which they use:

• Potassium salt. This is a highly effective solution that helps get rid of the disease. Infected bushes should be sprayed 2-3 times a week.
• Manganese solution. The mixture is used to prevent anthracnose. It is used in early spring, before flowering begins.

White spot or septoria

Septoria blight is a common pathology that can kill any berry. The causative agent of the disease is a fungus that develops on the leaf blade. In bushes that are infected with white spot, the foliage turns yellow and falls off.

Experienced gardeners advise treating spotting with a solution that includes wood ash. This product is used to spray the surface of the soil and bushes.

Glass rust

Goblet rust appears at the beginning of the growing season. Most often, signs of the disease appear at high temperatures and high humidity. Gooseberries become infected with rust from weeds that may grow nearby. Therefore, to protect the bushes, it is recommended to regularly remove the grass.

Among the symptoms of rust are spots on the leaves, which have a brown color. Gradually, brown spots from the leaves move to the stems of the bushes and berries. If you do not get rid of goblet rust, the gooseberry's fruiting will worsen. Ammonia and Bordeaux mixture will help get rid of the disease.

Gooseberry mosaic

The main cause of the disease is considered to be the use of undisinfected garden tools when pruning stems. With the development of pathology, a long spot appears along the veins of the leaves, which has a gray color and a yellowish tint. Bushes infected with mosaic stop growing. The leaves also curl, causing them to become wrinkled and small.

Mosaic cannot be cured, and therefore diseased plants will have to be disposed of. All diseased bushes are dug up with roots, dried and burned.

Powdery mildew

The most common diseases that can cause leaves to turn yellow and fall off is powdery mildew. The peculiarities of the pathology include the fact that it cannot be cured by any remedy.

Plants infected with powdery mildew have leaves and ovaries that dry out. The surface of the foliage and stems gradually begins to be covered with a white powdery coating. The disease also spreads to the fruits, causing the yield to decrease significantly.

To prevent the disease from spreading to healthy gooseberry bushes, infected plants will have to be dug up.

Columnar rust

Autumn is the period when gooseberries become infected with columnar rust. The disease develops in cloudy weather and high humidity. Also, the development of rust is promoted by an increased level of soil acidity.

First, signs of the disease appear on the leaves located below.Then the copper-colored coating spreads to branches, ovaries, flowers and even berries. If you do not get rid of rust right away, the plant will slowly die. Spraying plants with Bordeaux solution will help eliminate the disease.

Symptoms and treatment of gray mold

Gray rot is considered a dangerous fungal disease, due to which gooseberry bushes can die. Most often it appears if you do not care for the berries well.

Symptoms of pathology appear immediately and therefore it is quite easy to find diseased bushes in a timely manner. The development of gray rot is indicated by brown-gray spots on the stems, which will eventually appear on the surface of young berries.

To treat rot, use a mixture containing ash and copper sulfate. About five liters of solution are consumed per square meter of area.

Symptoms and treatment of drying shoots

People who have been growing berries for many years often experience drying out of the shoots. The main sign of the disease is that the bark of the branches becomes covered with cracks and becomes less elastic. If this fungal disease is not treated, the affected branches will die completely.

To eliminate the disease, use Bordeaux solution, which is used to treat the bushes at least once every ten days.

Mechanical damage to gooseberries

There are cases when gooseberry bushes die due to mechanical damage. The most common damage is a broken bud or branch. This problem occurs due to construction work near plants, heavy snowfall or wind gusts.

The broken area begins to rot, which leads to the branch drying out. To preserve a broken twig, the damaged area is disinfected with a solution containing alcohol and covered with oil paint.

Gooseberry pests and their control

Gooseberry pests often lead to deterioration in the growth and fruiting of bushes. There are several insects that most often attack berries.

Currant borer

This is a dangerous insect that is often encountered when growing berries. The main damage is caused by the young larval caterpillar, which penetrates inside the shoots and feeds on them. The stems containing the borer stop growing and become covered with yellow dots. If you do not use the anti-borer remedy in a timely manner, the gooseberry shoots will begin to die.

When eliminating the pest, citric acid or urea is used. The bushes are sprayed 3-4 times a week.

Currant gall midge

Some gardeners believe that only currants suffer from this pest, but this is not so. The pest often attacks young gooseberry seedlings and impairs yield. Adults lay eggs in the bark of plants. Over time, larvae grow from the eggs, penetrate inside the shoots and feed on the sap.

A folk solution made from urea and vitriol will help get rid of pests. You can also use insecticidal agents such as Karbofos and Topaz.

Gooseberry moth

This insect has a short life cycle, but this does not prevent it from harming many plants. Adults lay larvae in a web-like cocoon. After 10-15 days, larvae grow, which gradually penetrate the gooseberry leaves and begin to suck the juice out of them. First, a small eaten dot appears on each leaf. However, over time, practically nothing remains of the leaves.

In the fight against moths, Fitosporin and other biological products are used.

Gooseberry sawfly

The sawfly is a dangerous insect with a yellow color and spots that are black.The pest penetrates the leaves in the spring and eats small holes on their surface. If the gooseberry is not processed in time, the sawfly will eat the entire leaf blade. Biological preparations, which include Dendrobacillin and Lepidocide, are considered effective against this insect.

Gooseberry moth

Many people are interested in why gooseberries fall off. Often the reason for the fall of gooseberry fruits is the moth. This small butterfly can reduce the yield of bushes by 2-3 times.

Adult butterflies lay eggs on leaves, from which larvae emerge. They gradually eat leaves and stems. This leads to yellowing and drying of seedlings.

Gardeners advise periodically removing moth larvae from leaves. However, this does not always help get rid of the pest and you have to use more effective means, which include a tar solution made from soap.

Currant glass

A common autumn pest whose larvae feed on plant sap and leaf blades. Glasswort attacks all varieties of currants and gooseberries.

Getting rid of glass beetles is not easy, since most of the time they are located inside the branches. When cleaning a bush from a pest, boron solution and chemicals are used.

Spider mite

This is a dangerous insect that attacks not only berries, but also indoor plants. It is difficult to notice spider mites, since they are located on the inside of the leaves. Ticks must be gotten rid of immediately, as they multiply quickly.

A mixture containing laundry soap and soda is considered an effective remedy against the pest. Gooseberries are sprayed with soapy liquid 3-4 times a month.

Shoot aphid

Aphids are a massive pest that can destroy a bush within two days. The main measure to prevent the appearance of aphids is digging up the soil. It is recommended to start digging the site in September or October. If aphids have already attacked the plant, use iron sulfate or Bordeaux mixture and spray the branches with it.

Prevention of diseases and insect infestations

To prevent scab and other dangerous diseases from appearing on gooseberries, preventive measures must be taken in advance. There are several preventative measures that will help protect plants:

• Maintaining crop rotation. It is recommended to replant the bushes to a new location every 5-6 years.
• Cleaning the area. It is necessary to periodically clear the area of ​​weeds.
• Proper care. Plants that are properly cared for are less likely to get sick. When caring for gooseberries, they are periodically watered and fed so that the bushes have enough nutrients and moisture.

Conclusion

Many gardeners are engaged in growing gooseberries. Before planting this berry, you need to familiarize yourself with the main causes of bush disease, as well as understand the most effective methods of combating infectious and fungal varieties.