How to get rid of barberry diseases and pests, what to do to combat them

The barberry bush is planted for landscaping the area, forming natural green barriers and decorating alpine slides. In addition, the fruits of the bush are attractive, and remain so throughout the winter. Despite the efforts of the gardener and preventive measures, the bushes are affected by diseases and are overcome by various harmful insects. Symptoms of barberry diseases are different: deformation of the bark, disruption of the structure of the stem part, leaf plates and sprouts.

Basic barberry diseases and treatment methods

Barberry plants are considered relatively disease resistant. Diseases that affect plants are cancerous or fungal in nature. When appropriate therapeutic measures are taken, the plant is restored.

Leaf rust

The disease is provoked by a fungus that develops due to a decrease in the protective functions of the plant. If the bush does not receive the necessary beneficial elements, it weakens. Symptoms of damage:

• orange-brown spots on leaf blades and shoots;
• On the lower surface of the leaf blade, myceliums are visible, whitish in color and round in shape.

You can get rid of it by spraying with sulfur-containing preparations. Bordeaux mixture is ideal. All foliage affected by the disease must be burned.

Leaf spot

The lesion is characterized by the appearance of white (with a grayish tint), brown, brownish and black spots. Each blight genus produces a different parasite. Poor quality treatment or not carried out on time leads to the death of the bush.

What to do if such signs are detected? Chemical agents and biological fungicides are effective. Fruit-bearing bushes need more gentle products, sprayed with them a couple of weeks before picking the berries.

Powdery mildew

The disease is caused by a fungus. When the leaves are covered with a white coating, it begins to dry out the plant. With severe damage, the foliage becomes twisted and covered with a web of cobwebs.

To treat shrubs, it is necessary to use comprehensive measures:

• treatment with a solution of soda ash and soap;
• in case of severe damage, treat with manganese solution;
• foliage needs to be burned;
• Treat the bush until flowers appear with the chemicals “Vectra”, “Skor”, and sulfur colloidal.

In case of severe damage, treat with Fitosporin. Also, for preventive purposes, seasonal spraying can be done.

Cortical necrosis

The defeat is characterized by the death of shoots, the formation of tubercles with spores that appear in the cracked bark. For treatment, cut off all diseased branches 15-17 cm beyond the area where the disease is spreading and burn. Spray the remaining branches with copper sulfate, and coat the cut areas with garden varnish.

Drying of stems

As a result of the disease, the bark is affected by fungal pathogens. Characteristic symptoms:

• the bark and crown dry out;
• branches die.

Further spread can be stopped by pruning diseased branches or spraying with a chemical or biological preparation.

Bacteriosis

The bacterium Pseudomonas provokes the development of a cancer-related disease. Characteristic symptoms:

• watery spots on the crown, sprouts, cuttings;
• cracking of the bark, cancerous formations;
• foliage quickly dies;
• the branches swell and swells of a brownish hue form.

To combat the disease, the affected branches are cut off, burned, and the bush is treated with a chemical.

Cancers

Cancerous lesions appear as:

• cones on branches;
• cracks;
• rotten.

Cancerous formations are cleaned out, treated with copper sulfate and chemicals (“Fundazol”, “Bayleton”). When the lower part of the plant is affected, it cannot be saved.

Barberry wilt

With this disease, leaves and individual shoots wither, and on one side of the bush.The leaves of the entire plant gradually wither and curl. Darkened rings of blood vessels are visible on the sections. The causative agent is a fungus from the genus Fusarium. Infection from the soil gets to the roots, rotting occurs, and the plant dries out.

Pests and how to protect a plant from them

Not only a plant affected by a disease can wither or die; it is often attacked by harmful insects. Vigilant inspection and preventive measures will help avoid such problems. Extermination of insects must be carried out at the initial stage, otherwise the bush will be lost.

Caterpillars

Caterpillars of moths, currant leaf rollers, moths, barberry sawflies, and cutworms eat barberry foliage, so it begins to wither, takes on a twisted appearance and dries out.

They are combated with the help of chemical and biological products. Why is it important to spray fruit-bearing bushes at least 20 days before harvest? The concentration of harmful substances in barberry fruits is reduced. Among folk methods, fumigation and spraying with a decoction of chamomile and wormwood are popular. It is important to trim foliage for sanitation purposes.

Aphids on barberry

Aphids, scale insects, and scale insects cause enormous damage to the plant. Insects suck out the juices of the bush, which leads to wilting and drying. An effective method of control is spraying with products containing sulfur. In tandem, it is recommended to use traditional methods: infusion of garlic, horse sorrel, potato tubers, dandelion, tobacco.

Mite

The mite produces swellings on branches, deforming sprouts and leaf blades. To exterminate the insect, it is treated with anti-mite agents. You can consolidate the result with an infusion of cyclamen tubers and medical alcohol.

Preventive actions

Preventive measures will help avoid damage to the bush by diseases and pests.

These include:

• purchasing and planting high-quality, healthy plants;
• nourish the bush, apply the necessary fertilizers;
• proper watering;
• creating the necessary conditions conducive to the strengthening of the plant;
• thoroughly and systematically inspect the plant;
• perform sanitary pruning, removing dry branches;
• burn fallen leaves where pathogens overwinter;
• Carry out preventive spraying of shrubs during the growing season.

Rating of the best folk and store remedies

Today, the chemical industry offers a large selection of biological products that are safe for humans and animals. Some of them can be used to process barberry until harvest. These include:

1. "Fitoverm" is an insecticide used to kill insects: aphids, whiteflies, and other pests. Use when they appear and again after 2 weeks.
2. "Boverin" is an insecticidal biological product against insects, the shelf life is 2 months, after which it is not suitable for use.
3. "Aktofit" is a means for exterminating insects on agricultural and ornamental plants. Apply as pest damage is detected.
4. "Bikol" - used to kill insects, effective against 80 types of pests.
5. “Phyto-Doctor” is a biological fungicide designed to combat harmful insects.
6. "Mikosan" - used to protect against fungi, viruses, bacteria. It is of natural origin, can be used during fruiting, is safe for people, animals, birds, bees, and strengthens the plant’s immunity.
7. “Fitosporin” is a microbiological preparation that is effective against fungal and bacterial diseases on any crops: flowers in the house, in the garden on trees, shrubs. Can be used at any time during the growing season, flowering or fruiting.
8. “Baktofit” is a biological preparation that effectively copes with fungal and bacterial infections of vegetables, grains, flowers and ornamental plants. During the treatment, the formation of resistance in pathogenic bacteria does not occur, so the treatment is allowed to be carried out repeatedly until the result is obtained.
9. “Alirin” is a biological fungicide for eliminating fungal diseases in the soil and on plants, similar in composition and action to “Fitosporin”. The product reduces soil toxicity after the use of chemicals, restores microflora, does not cause addiction in pathogens, and produces an immunomodulatory effect.
10. Bordeaux mixture is a chemical that has proven itself in the fight against various fungal diseases. With a correctly calculated dosage, the drug will not harm the plant, people and animals, while effectively eliminating the fungus.

Some gardeners share advice on what to spray using safe folk remedies:

• tobacco decoction: 450 g of shag, pour 10 liters of boiling liquid, leave;
• potato decoction: boil 2 kg of potato peelings, dilute in 10 liters of liquid;
• garlic decoction: 650 g of garlic per 10 liters of boiling liquid.

If you add grated soap to the solution, the effect is enhanced.

Processing times and scheme

Spraying is carried out with the preparations “Vectra”, “Skor”, “Cumulus” before and after the flowering process. If the disease develops strongly - in the fall, when the harvest is harvested.

The optimal time for spring treatment with a mixture of urea and copper sulfate is when the average air temperature is above zero, and the buds have already swollen, but have not released leaves. If the foliage has just appeared, you can also spray it; later it will be useless. In addition to pest control, nitrogen replenishment is carried out. The plant enters the growing season faster, and the flowering period shifts.

Pests are eliminated as they appear and again for prevention after 2 weeks.

It is impossible to say exactly the processing time by month, since they depend on the climatic characteristics of the region and the weather conditions of a particular year.