Getting rid of powdery mildew on gooseberries. How to get rid of powdery mildew on gooseberries, removing white spots from the plant

Gooseberries are popular among people due to their taste and health benefits. Just collect from it good harvest It doesn't always work out. This is due to powdery mildew, which constantly plagues gooseberry bushes.

Old varieties, which are the most delicious, are especially susceptible to the disease. Below we will look at how to treat gooseberries in spring from powdery mildew, preventing damage to the berries and death of the bushes. The main thing is not to waste time by carrying out spring treatment.

Indeed, if powdery mildew is not combated, it can completely destroy the crop, and within a few years the bush may even die. This is a fungal infection, which is officially called spherotheca.

It first infects young shoots and leaves, then spreads to fruits, and then spreads to perennial branches. Parts of the bush are covered with a white coating, which after some time becomes brown and even brown. Flowers begin to crumble, leaves wither and curl, berries do not develop, branches bend and dry out.

The fungus spreads through the air or through insects. At the end of May, the disease already becomes visible. Comfortable conditions warm and wet weather. This disease has already adapted to our weather conditions, so it tolerates cold well.

Spores persist on fallen leaves and shoots.

But don’t be discouraged if you notice this disease on your bushes. You can fight it quite successfully. The most important thing is not to delay treatment indefinitely.

When is the best time to carry out treatment?

To prevent the appearance of powdery mildew on the bushes, as well as to destroy existing spores, it is recommended to carry out 4 treatments of gooseberries:

Before the buds begin to bloom. It is better to do this with hot water, as described below.
Before flowering, along the green cone.
Immediately after flowering.
Autumn treatment that needs to be done before leaf fall.

If it was not possible to prevent the disease using preventive spraying, you should take action immediately after you notice the first signs of the disease.

Ready-made preparations for spraying gooseberries

There are many drugs that can cure plants from powdery mildew. We will distinguish 2 categories: chemical and biological products.

Chemical

It is believed that the use of chemicals helps to quickly get rid of the disease.

However, when the fruits have already formed, it is better to use safer means:

Nitrophen. 200 g of the drug are diluted in 10 liters of water. The bushes are processed strictly on bare shoots, until the buds open. The solution cannot be used if the buds have started to grow, as this can lead to their death.
A solution of one of the following fungicides: Topaz, Fundazol, Thiovit-Jet, Tilt, Vectra or the like. It is advisable to treat gooseberries with these preparations twice: before and after flowering. The proportions of dilution with water should be found on the packaging of each of these drugs.

Copper based

These include big number ready-made compositions, which are diluted with water before use. For example, Hom, Oxychom, Copper oxychloride, copper sulfate, etc. They are diluted with water in accordance with the instructions.

You should know! Preparations containing copper can only prevent the development of the disease, but they are not able to cure an existing disease. This is an excellent plant protection, but not a cure.

The fact is that the mycelium of powdery mildew live inside the cells of the plant, and only its spores are on the surface. Copper cannot reach the mycelium. Therefore, the best result gives spring treatment gooseberries with these substances.

Colloidal sulfur

The effect of sulfur on fungal infection lies in the fact that, penetrating inside the mushroom, sulfur combines with hydrogen molecules and displaces oxygen. The mycelium, not receiving oxygen, dies.

30-40 g of sulfur are diluted in 5 liters of water. The prepared solution must be used immediately, on the day of preparation, as it is not stored for a long time. Sulfur is not mixed with other drugs, but is used only in its pure form.

Important! Colloidal sulfur can be used in the temperature range from +20 to +35 degrees. At higher temperature burns and leaf fall are likely.

The protective effect of sulfur lasts 10-14 days. It is recommended to use it no more than 3 times per season, but it is advisable to carry out the last treatment no later than a week before harvesting. If the bushes have previously been treated with other pesticides, then before using sulfur you must wait 2 weeks.

Biological products

Let's list some of the dozens of possible options.

These products have been tested in practice and have a positive effect in the treatment of powdery mildew:

Gaupsin. It is a concentrate. To prepare the solution, 150 g of the drug are diluted in 10 liters of water.
Fitosporin. Available in powder, liquid or paste form. An aqueous solution is prepared, which is used for processing.
Baktofit. This is a broad-spectrum biological product produced in powder form.
Trichodermin. Available in powder form. Before use, dilute 10 g of powder in 5 liters of water.

Biological products contain colonies of microorganisms that feed on fungal spores.

The positive qualities of biological products are that they are safe for humans and plants, and plants can be sprayed with them at any time. Flaw - a short time actions. For example, Gaupsin is valid for only 15 days. True, during this period he manages to cope with fungi. Biological products cannot be combined with copper-based substances.

Folk remedies for processing gooseberries

Below will be given traditional methods combating powdery mildew on gooseberries.

Wood ash

Ash effectively destroys fungal spores and prevents the appearance of aphids, caterpillars and slugs on plants. In addition, it is a supplier of phosphorus, calcium and potassium, which are necessary for plants.

1 kg of sifted wood ash (2 liter jars) is infused for a week in 10 liters of water. The solution is filtered so that the sediment remains at the bottom, and then the bushes are treated with it at intervals of several days.

Multiple treatments are allowed throughout the season. But it gives the best results when used in early spring. Provided full compatibility with any substances. Ash is harmless to plants and humans.

Potassium permanganate solution

Approximately 1.5 g of manganese is taken per 10 liters of water. The bushes are processed twice: before and after flowering. Be sure to spray the tree trunk circles under the gooseberries with potassium permanganate to disinfect them. If manganese is applied in time, the disease can be stopped completely.

Infusion of mullein or rotted hay

Take 1 part of rotted manure or hay and dilute it in 3 parts of water. The mixture is infused for 3 days and then filtered. To obtain the finished solution, you need to add another 9 parts of water and spray the gooseberries. Microorganisms that actively develop in rotted manure or hay feed on the fungus and destroy it. Treatments can be repeated every 10 days.

Baking soda

Used in combination with laundry soap. 50 g of soap is pre-grated and poured into a bucket of water (10 l). After dissolving it, add 2 tablespoons of soda to the water. The solution is used for spraying bushes or for irrigating them using a watering can. The procedure must be done before flowering, and then after flowering.

Whey, kefir, skim milk, milk

Any fermented milk product, when applied to leaves or shoots, forms a strong oily film on their surface, blocking the access of oxygen to the mycelium. As a result, the fungus dies.

The dairy product is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 10. Plants are sprayed only in dry weather, several times, at intervals of 3 days. Increasing the number of treatments only benefits the plants, as the gooseberries receive additional nutrients.

Horsetail decoction

Both fresh and dry herbs are suitable for preparing a decoction. You need to take 1 kg of fresh grass, and 100 grams of dry grass. The grass is soaked in 10 liters of water for a day, after which it is boiled for 1 hour. The infusion needs to be cooled and diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5. Now you can spray the bushes.

Attention! Horsetail decoction can be stored for no more than 7 days.

The decoction can be used repeatedly throughout the season.

Decoction of tansy flowers

In order to prepare a decoction, you should take 300 g of fresh or 30 g of dried tansy flowers, leave for a day in a bucket of water, and then boil for 1 hour. No need to dilute. Use for treating bushes and the ground under bushes.

Onion peel

200 g of onion peels need to be soaked in a bucket of hot water for 2 days. After straining it can be used. Repeated processing of gooseberries is allowed throughout the season.

Prevention

If you carry out preventive measures with gooseberry bushes during the season, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of infection:

Bushes are pruned in early spring and autumn. Old and diseased shoots are removed, which helps better development bush. Diseased branches must be burned.
In the spring, you should remove fallen leaves under the bushes on which the fungal spores overwintered. After this, the soil under the bushes is dug up.
In early spring, before the buds open, it is recommended to effective procedure. Gooseberry shoots are doused with hot water at a temperature of 90 degrees. Hot water destroys spores not only of powdery mildew, but also of many other fungal infections. For getting best result can be added to water baking soda(2 tablespoons per bucket of water) or a diluted solution of potassium permanganate. Only one-time treatment of bushes with hot water is allowed!
Gooseberry resistance to powdery mildew increases when phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are applied to the bushes. Extract from wood ash - excellent remedy not only feed the bushes, but also protect them from the sphere library. But it is better not to use nitrogen fertilizers. The shoots may not ripen by autumn, which will increase the likelihood of their infection.
Planting dill, garlic, and blackbrows near gooseberries reduces the likelihood of infection.

Precautionary measures

Treatment of plants with topaz, colloidal sulfur or other fungicides should be carried out wearing protective equipment. It is also advisable to use a respirator or gauze bandage. If drugs come into contact with the skin or eyes, to avoid burns, rinse these areas with plenty of water.

It is recommended not to use any one drug, but to alternate them. This way you will be able to avoid the mycelium becoming addicted to any one substance. Also, you can choose the most effective and convenient options for treating powdery mildew.

The fight against powdery mildew should be carried out in a timely and complete manner, in several stages. In this case, it is possible to avoid the onset of the disease, as well as completely get rid of the manifestations of the disease.

It is found very often on gooseberries, especially on those bushes that descend from old plants planted by the grandparents of current summer residents. Several generations of gooseberry bushes retain not only tall taste qualities and the vitamin composition of their fruits, but also the ability to be exposed to the same diseases as their progenitor. From this point of view, it is much more profitable to plant new modern varieties on the site, because breeders have already taken care of immunity against this dangerous disease.

Spheroteka or powdery mildew is fungal disease, capable of destroying an adult healthy bush. The smallest spores of the fungus spread widely with the help of the wind or insects that carry them on their legs. The disease recurs for several years in a row. At first, its appearance contributes to a decrease in yield, then the growth of the plant is inhibited, it withers, and in the end, it inevitably dies if the fight is not started in a timely manner.

Powdery mildew mushrooms settle on young leaves, shoots, flowers, even ovaries and fruits and develop their mycelium. At first it looks like a thin cobweb, then it thickens to a white powdery coating, and when it grows, it turns into a brown felt cocoon that covers all the affected parts of the plant.

Mushrooms overwinter on fallen berries and on damaged twigs, and in the spring, when the buds open, new spores that have ripened after winter are released. Berries are most vulnerable at the beginning of their development. After the fruit has grown to half its adult size, it becomes more resistant to the disease, and so does the entire plant. Therefore, it is important to delay the maturation and release of spores, and this is achieved by using fungicides. It is very dangerous to get spores at the beginning of the growing season, when the buds are just opening and shoots are growing. After a month or two they won't cause as much damage.

Treating a bush in early spring means taking necessary measures to combat infection. The treated plant will not only tolerate the disease more easily, but also next year less will be affected by spores.

How to recognize

At the end of May, you can often see a delicate white coating on young gooseberry leaves - as if flour was sprinkled on the lower branches of the bush. You need to take this very seriously, look carefully at the entire plant. If spores in the form of white plaque This means that the plant is already affected by the spheroteca, you need to start fighting immediately. Even if the plaque is easily wiped off by hand, its quantity indicates that the spores have settled on the bush and have already begun to develop mycelium.

Many people have seen a berry covered with a light cobweb or white coating, or, even worse, a brown crust. This berry can no longer be eaten. If a person examined this plaque under a microscope, it would not occur to him to put these colonies of hairy mushrooms into his mouth.

The disease in its advanced stage looks like a hard brown crust on the berry, like a dark felt cocoon entangling the entire bush, stunted and dried out, with twisted branches that have stopped growing.

How to fight

The methods of struggle are different, but the fact that urgent measures need to be taken is undeniable. The very first thing you need to do if you suspect a powdery mildew infection is to carefully examine the entire plant, tear off all the leaves and shoots on which the slightest traces of spheroteca are found. Infected parts of the plant must be burned, preferably away from gooseberry, currant, raspberry, and yoshta bushes.

Since the fungus overwinters on fallen leaves and berries under the bush, it is imperative to remove plant debris and dig up the soil around the bush.

Some gardeners advise, on the contrary, to place nightshade tops under the bush, and then water them with EM preparations so that beneficial microorganisms process all the fallen leaves into compost and destroy pathogenic bacteria and organisms.

Every year you need to prune, remove not only old, but all weakened and damaged branches. Feeding the plants is important - fertilizers make the gooseberries stronger so that they can resist infection. But it’s important not to overdo it nitrogen fertilizers, because they promote the growth of new shoots. The growth of extra branches weakens the plant and expands the area of possible infection, thickening the bush. The fungus loves shade and moisture; a bush that is too thick creates all the conditions for its own destruction.

A good preventive measure is a hot shower for the bush and the ground around it. In early spring, be sure to pour very much onto the bush before the buds begin to swell. hot water, about +90 degrees. You can not water clean water, and a weak solution of potassium permanganate. As a result, most pathogens of fungal (and other) diseases die; by the time new spores grow, the bush will already have time to grow stronger, bloom, or even bear fruit, and will no longer be so susceptible to it.

The best products for processing gooseberries

If you notice signs of infection, if there is even the slightest suspicion of infection with the sphere library, then you need to fight using everything available methods and funds. Of course, most gardeners prefer to try folk remedies that will not harm the plant and its fruits. Lactic acid is considered very effective in the fight against fungal diseases. You need to take 1 liter of whey (kefir or yogurt), dilute it with 9 liters of water and spray the bush three times in three days.

A decoction of horsetail is sprayed on gooseberries throughout the season at intervals of one week. And a decoction of tansy is poured into the soil around the bushes in spring and autumn. Before and after flowering, the bush is treated with a soda-soap solution or a solution of soda ash and soap. Spray the bush with an infusion of onion peels three times (before flowering, after flowering and before losing foliage). Three times with an interval of one day at the very beginning of June, the gooseberries are sprayed with an infusion of wood ash, and the sediment is poured under the root.

Every two weeks throughout the season, plants can be treated with such well-known biological products as gaupsin and trichodermin. Using the same scheme, use a mash of soda, aspirin, liquid soap and vegetable oil. After flowering, you can treat the gooseberries with a solution of ammonium nitrate.

All this is very effective ways, have been tested more than once by a large number of people, but if they do not give results, you should resort to special means. “Topaz”, “HOM”, Bordeaux mixture, solution copper sulfate, as well as the combined use of "HOM" with "Fufanon" or "Decis" - these are already stronger drugs, they must be used strictly in specified deadlines, before use, carefully read the instructions.

When choosing gooseberries for your garden, you should pay attention to varieties that are resistant to powdery mildew. By creating thornless varieties, breeders tried to protect them from infection. You should pay attention to the following: “Ural Grapes”, “Kuibyshevsky”, “African”, “Grushenka”, “Finnish”, “Yubileiny” and others.

Video “Getting rid of powdery mildew”

Delicious gooseberry varieties are often affected by powdery mildew. This video will tell you about getting rid of the disease.

When powdery mildew prevails on gooseberries, measures to combat this disease are carefully selected. After all, it is most often noticed when the bushes are filled with berries. Hardly in summer period When treating gooseberries against powdery mildew, pesticides can be used, so we have prepared several folk recipes treatment and prevention of this disease.

Powdery mildew on gooseberries: control measures from folk remedies

As a rule, gardeners discover powdery mildew on gooseberries in the summer, when there are already berries, what should you do in this case? What to spray with? After all, fungicides have a waiting period of 3 weeks, but the berries ripen earlier. Let's go through the arsenal of folk remedies so as not to harm ourselves and the bush:

Infusion of onion peel. They take onion skins, add water and leave for several hours. Spraying with this solution can be used either as a preventive measure, or only at the very initial stages of the disease.
Wood ash solution. Dilute 1 liter of ash in a bucket of boiling water. Wood ash is preferred. Also add liquid or laundry soap so that it does not immediately wash off from the leaves. Spraying of the entire bush is carried out after two days - this solution should infuse well. Treatment of gooseberries with ash solution is carried out twice with an interval of 10 days.
Soda solution. 50 grams of regular baking soda are diluted in a bucket of hot water. They also add here liquid soap, or a few shavings of ordinary household stuff - this component is so that the solution does not just “drip” from the leaves, but lingers on it, destroying the fungus. After the solution has cooled, you can begin processing the currant leaves. The procedure is repeated after 7 days.
Serum solution. To prepare the solution, take whey, kefir, or any other fermented milk product, mix with water in a proportion of 1 part whey and 10 parts water. Spraying with this solution is carried out similarly to soda, only more often - once every three days for quite a long time. The action of the solution is such that the serum forms a dense film on the surface of the leaf, which does not allow the fungus to “breathe”, and thereby “strangles” its development. But for this action it is necessary that the film wraps around the sheet for as long as possible, so the procedure should be carried out only in dry weather.
Infusion of garlic arrows. Fill half a bucket of collected arrows with water and leave for 24 hours. Spraying the leaves with the prepared infusion must be done on both sides of the leaf.
Infusion of horsetail. This infusion is prepared within 24 hours. First, a concentrate is made - 100 g of horsetail is taken per 1 liter of water, soaked, and left for 20-24 hours. After this, the infusion must be boiled for 2 hours. Once the concentrate has cooled, it is filtered. Since it is intended for multiple uses, the solution is stored in the refrigerator. To spray diseased bushes, the concentrate is diluted with water 1/5, the procedure is carried out only 4 times every three days.
Solution with rapeseed oil. 10 mg of oil is diluted in a liter of water, resulting in approximately a 1% solution. Must be used immediately after preparation. Rapeseed oil effectively fights fungus, significantly reducing its number.
Tansy decoction. It is rather a preventative agent that destroys the fungus not on the bushes, but those spores that are in the soil and can spread to the plant. Approximately 300 grams of fresh tansy are placed in a bucket and filled with water, left for a day, then brought to a boil and left for 2 hours over low heat. After the solution has cooled, it is poured onto the soil near the gooseberry bushes. It is advisable to carry out this procedure only in the spring.
Dry mustard solution. Take 2 large spoons of dry mustard into a bucket of boiling water. After the solution has cooled, spraying can be carried out.
Iodine solution. To treat the bushes, use a mixture of 10 liters of water and 10 cubes of iodine. It will take two sprayings with an interval of 3 days.
Mullein infusion. To prepare the infusion, take 1 part mullein and 2 parts water. Usually they make a bucket. It is necessary to insist for 4 days, after which the concentrate will be ready for spraying. Under no circumstances should you spray gooseberries with pure infusion! It is imperative to dilute it with water in a ratio of 1/10, only after this can gooseberries be treated against powdery mildew. You need to spray in the evening, after the sun has gone down. Otherwise, the bush may get burned.

Effective ways to prevent and treat powdery mildew

Prevention of powdery mildew on gooseberries allows you to prevent the development of the disease and preserve the berry harvest.

1. Light transmission of plantings

Do not thicken the gooseberry plantings. The distance between adult bushes should be at least one and a half meters. Plant a berry garden only in well-lit areas of the garden. Thin the bushes in spring and fall, removing shoots that grow inward.

2. Hot shower with potassium permanganate

In early spring, after the snow melts (before the buds swell), pour hot water (temperature about 90°C) on all gooseberry branches with the addition of potassium permanganate crystals (the solution should have a soft pink tint). Instead of potassium permanganate, you can use baking soda (2 tablespoons per bucket of water). This shower prevents the development of all fungal diseases and destroys the egg laying of some pests.

3. Trimming

We advise you to carry out sanitary pruning of gooseberry bushes in early spring and autumn. All shoots with signs of disease, as well as dry, broken and weak branches must be removed. In the summer, cut off all branches that show signs of powderiness. Plant residues after the procedure must be disposed of by burning.

4. Cleaning up litter and carrion

In summer, you need to completely select all the berries from the ground under the bushes and bury them in a secluded corner or take them out of the area. In autumn, the tree trunks of bushes should be cleared as much as possible of leaves in which fungal spores overwinter.

5. Autumn digging

After harvesting plant debris, it used to be customary to dig up the soil around each bush to a depth of at least 12-15 cm. During such digging, fungal spores will end up underground or on the surface and freeze out over the winter.

Regularly loosen the soil under the bushes. Do not allow the branches of plants to touch the surface of the ground, for which use supports or wooden fences.

7. Spraying

Sick bushes should be sprayed in the spring before the leaves begin to bloom with a tank mixture of biofungicides. Another option is a solution of soda ash; it works well against the mycelium of the phytopathogen. The solution is prepared by dissolving 50 g of soda and the same amount of grated laundry soap in a bucket of water.

8. Treatment with ash infusion

You can irrigate plants with infusion of plant ash throughout the growing season. When the first symptoms of the presence of mycelium appear, the plants are treated, trying to ensure that the solution gets on both parts sheet plates. To prepare this natural fungicide, pour 1 kg of ash into a bucket of hot water and leave the liquid for about 4 days. After straining, 30 g of soap is added to the infusion to improve the adhesion of the composition. The event is performed three times with an interval of 1-2 days.

9. Bacterial prevention

An infusion of rotted mullein contains bacteria that inhibit the activity of the powdery mildew pathogen. The humus is poured with water 1:3, allowed to brew for three days, diluted with settled water 1:2 and used for spraying infected bushes.

10. Proper fertilizers

Do not use nitrogen preparations (urea, ammonium nitrate, fresh manure and bird droppings) to feed gooseberry bushes, as excess nitrogen increases the plants’ susceptibility to fungal spores. If you have not given up chemicals, apply potassium-phosphorus complex compounds, for example, potassium chloride and superphosphate, under the bushes. But fertilizers made from plant ash are safer.

By carefully caring for gooseberries, you can fully enjoy the juicy, aromatic berries every summer. And although the popular measures of struggle that we have given act more softly, but coupled with preventive methods you will get rid of diseases such as powdery mildew on gooseberries (and certainly will not be poisoned by pesticides).

Chemical drugs will save your time and quickly cure the disease

Folk remedies

For the first remedy you will need a tablespoon of soda, 75 g of laundry soap and 15 liters of water. First you need to prepare a solution of soap and water, then add soda. The prepared product is watered over the root zone of the plant, as well as the leaves using a watering can with a strainer attachment. The procedure is carried out once or twice with an interval of 7-8 days.
Dissolve 1.5 kg of ash in 5 liters of hot water and leave for 24 hours. Filter the infusion and use it for spraying crops. Carry out the treatment twice - before flowering and after. You can spray the plants after flowering 2 times if necessary. The interval between procedures should be 7-9 days.
Dilute 200 g of urine in 5 liters of water. The resulting product is sprayed immediately after flowering. The treatment can be repeated 3-4 times at the usual weekly intervals.
In the first stages of the disease, spraying with a solution of potassium permanganate is recommended. To prepare the product, add no more than 1.5 g of potassium permanganate to a bucket of water and mix.
1 part fresh mullein diluted with 3 parts clean water and leave for 4 days. The resulting solution is diluted again in the same way (1:3) and used for spraying plants. The treatment should be thorough, and for watering it is advisable to use a regular broom, with which you will be able to apply the product as liberally as possible to the leaves.

Powdery mildew can be defeated and folk remedies, but they need to be used several times

Powdery mildew is far from rare problem. And if you don’t want to deal with it, then you should plant varieties that are resistant to it on your plot. These include:

"Grushenka";
"Kolobok";
"Ural grapes";
"Kuibyshevsky";
"Finnish";
"African";
"Harlequin";
"Masheka";
"Senator"
"Houghton";
"Anniversary".

On a note! Least susceptible to powdery mildew!

But there is also a gooseberry that is highly susceptible to this disease:

"Date fruit";
"Seedling Lefort";
"Golden Light";
"Triumphal";
"Russian";
"Prune."

How to prevent the development of the disease?

And of course, we must not forget about prevention.

It is imperative to prune bushes in autumn or spring, and remove infected shoots and burn them outside the site.
Inspect the bushes in spring and summer for the presence of infected shoots and leaves and, if found, remove them immediately.
Before winter and early spring, carefully collect leaf litter under bushes, since powdery mildew spores can safely survive the winter in fallen leaves.
In the spring, before the buds begin to swell, pour boiling water over the bushes - this is an excellent prevention of not only powdery mildew, but also other fungal diseases.
It is advisable to fertilize the crop with potassium and phosphorus fertilizers and try to refrain from using nitrogen fertilizers, since the former increase resistance to powdery mildew, and the latter often do not allow the shoots to fully ripen, which leads to severe damage by this disease.

It is advisable to combine preventive measures and apply them comprehensively. Have a good harvest!

Gooseberries have a bright, unique taste and contain great amount vitamin C. The appearance of a white coating on the bush may indicate the presence of powdery mildew on the plant. This type The fungus quickly develops, infecting other plants and ultimately destroying them. Therefore, you should find out how to deal with powdery mildew on gooseberries and when prevention should be carried out.

How to recognize powdery mildew

Powdery mildew is a spharotheca fungus that spreads through spores, reaching vegetation from neighboring plants that are affected by it. It affects not only gooseberries, but also currants, cucumbers and other crops. Humid weather and temperatures of 17-28 degrees contribute to its development.

The main symptom of powdery mildew is a whitish-gray coating on the fruits and leaves. It is quite thin and looks like dust at the beginning of the disease, but over time it becomes denser and begins to turn black. Small balls appear on the surface of the leaf Brown- This fruiting bodies mushroom-spheroteca. Powdery mildew can be noticed already during the blooming period of the plant, then on ripening berries and new shoots.

How does powdery mildew spread?

Leaves that are sick begin to dry out, and the shoots become crooked at the ends, darken and die. Most often, the disease affects leaves and shoots that are located near the ground. But over time, the infection gradually rises higher and infects the entire plant. If you don’t figure out how to deal with powdery mildew on gooseberries, if the berries have already appeared, they will crack and rot.

IN winter period The sphere library is located on the tops of the current year's gooseberry shoots. Favorable conditions promote the development of the fungus, during which active release of spores occurs. The disease then spreads throughout the plant, inhibiting its vital functions. Affected bushes become crooked and stop developing. Powdery mildew should be combated, both on gooseberries, currants, and other plants that are susceptible to this disease.

Factors influencing the development of powdery mildew

Powdery mildew fungus begins to spread when high humidity in warm weather. Most favorable conditions For its growth, the air temperature is moderate, and the humidity should be about 90%. During hot days, when the thermometer shows values above 28 degrees, the fungus slows down its development and begins to die off.

The degree of development of powdery mildew greatly depends on the climate in the season when it appears on the plant. This is due to weather conditions, which may vary over several years. In a period of two to three days to a week, the disease affects all young growths and ovaries. In a hot year, when there is little rain, fungal spores develop poorly, so summer residents can enjoy a rich gooseberry harvest.

The spread of powdery mildew is influenced by the following factors:

· use of some soil disintegrants for growing plants;

· distance between gooseberry bushes;

· excessive watering, etc.

Powdery mildew attacks plants that grow in low areas of the garden faster and more abundantly. The soil there breathes worse, and water often collects in the lowlands, which is an opportunity for fungus ideal conditions for development.

Summer residents themselves can also provoke outbreaks of the disease on their vegetation. They can heavily flood gooseberry bushes and also use dark materials as mulch. When using such agrotechnical techniques, the humidity and temperature of the air directly near the plant increases, which has a beneficial effect on the fungus and its reproduction.

Some insects can also cause the disease. Leaves that have been eaten or dried out become most vulnerable to fungus. The appearance of a large number of shoots can cause excessive thinning and improper pruning.

How to deal with powdery mildew on gooseberries

In order to get rid of powdery mildew, first of all you need to tear off all the diseased parts and burn them. If this is not done, then they will accumulate a large number of harmful spores, in the spring they will infect new branches, as well as other shrubs. It is important to know how to deal with powdery mildew on gooseberries. In case of disease, plants are treated with fungicides at least a month before harvest.

Why does powdery mildew appear?

Powdery mildew spores are always present in the soil. They are discovered extremely rarely, because they begin to manifest themselves only under certain conditions. In sunny and warm weather, good watering and feeding plants, the fungus in rare cases can infect shrubs. When the temperature drops to 12-15 degrees, which lasts for some time, powdery mildew begins to actively manifest itself.

So, let’s highlight the main factors that contribute to plant infection:

damp, cool weather with high humidity air about 80%;

· excess nitrogen content in the soil;

· plants planted too densely;

· the soil was initially very dry and then flooded with water;

· watering the plant occurs even if upper layer the soil has not yet dried out after the previous irrigation.

Such conditions are favorable for fungal spores, in which case they wake up and can infect other plants. It is worth noting that they can be transported quite quickly by wind or water. Another option for their spread is the clothes and skin of the gardener, who, by coming into contact with infected plants, transfers the disease to healthy ones.

What measures are taken to combat the fungus?

The easiest way is to time it preventive measures, then what to do with treating gooseberries for powdery mildew. Strict execution certain rules will help you get a good harvest of berries. They begin to fight powdery mildew on gooseberries, both in autumn and early spring.

Measures to combat the fungus are divided into:

· agrotechnical;

natural and chemicals for external processing;

· preventive methods.

Such measures are aimed at improving the plant’s own protective capabilities, as well as at the fastest ripening of their integumentary tissues.

Disease prevention

In order to avoid the appearance of powdery mildew, you must:

· periodically thin out plants;

· tear off lower leaves, since they are in contact with the ground;

· water the plants when the soil is well dry;

· do not get carried away with nitrogen fertilizers;

· feed plants with phosphorus-potassium mixtures.

At the beginning of spring, before the trees bud, gooseberries are poured with boiling water. This procedure is carried out instantly, using a watering can. Pour over the branches completely, without lingering in one area. Such rapid exposure to boiling water will not harm the plant, but the powdery mildew spores will have time to die. You can also use a household steam cleaner.

Treatment of powdery mildew

To effectively treat the disease, the mycelium and spores of the fungus should be removed.

How to fight powdery mildew on gooseberries?

· stop all spraying;

· do not feed those gooseberry bushes where the fungus is already appearing;

· make the best possible lighting for plants;

· thin out planted bushes, get rid of dried leaves and branches;

· plants planted in pots need to renew the top layer of soil;

· water or spray the gooseberries and the ground around them with an anti-fungal agent.

Can be used special means or self-made substances.

How to fight powdery mildew on gooseberries using folk remedies

Soap ash emulsion:

liquid soap - 5 grams;

· soda ash - 25 grams;

· hot water - 5 liters.

It is necessary to add soda ash to hot water and stir the composition until it is completely dissolved, gradually adding liquid soap. After the mixture has cooled, treat the gooseberry bushes and the soil located near them (its top layer). The procedure should be performed at least 2 times every week.

Decoction of horsetail:

· fresh horsetail grass - 100 grams;

· water - 1 liter.

The plant is placed in water for a day. After which it is boiled for 2 hours. When the broth has cooled, it is filtered from the herbs. Store the infusion in a cool place, away from sun rays and light throughout the week. Before applying the product, it must be diluted with water 1:5. Treat gooseberry bushes every 5 days, doing the procedure 3-4 times.

Soap emulsion from vitriol:

soap - 50 grams;
vitriol - 5 grams;
water - 5 liters.

Dissolve in different glasses with warm water vitriol and soap. Then both remedies are combined, gradually pouring vitriol into soap solution, constantly stirring the resulting mixture. The prepared product is used to treat sick plants 2-3 times every 7 days.

Chemicals for powdery mildew

Topaz is a fungicide that is often used to treat various fungal infections and is the most used remedy by gardeners. Its main active ingredient is penconazole. To spray gooseberries, dissolve 1 ampoule in 10 liters of water and 5 liters for flowers. Use only fresh solution, distributing it evenly throughout the plant. Treat every 2 weeks, since its protective properties end after this time. Topaz is dangerous to fish and is moderately toxic to people and animals.

Tilt CE - systemic fungicide, which is used as a medicine and prevention of fungus. The active ingredient is propiconazole. It is a concentrated emulsion. The product can suppress the formation of fungal spores, which prevents the development of the disease. It can enter the plant tissue, which makes it moisture resistant. Has a long duration of action, with elevated temperature the effectiveness of the product is enhanced.

The emulsion is prepared shortly before treatment in a concentration of 0.4-0.5 ml. per liter of water. It should not be used at temperatures above 29 degrees and humidity less than 60%. The product protects plants for about 3 weeks, and a noticeable result occurs within 2 hours. The drug poses a danger to fish and bees.

Weaknesses of powdery mildew

Before you fight powdery mildew on gooseberries, you should take into account that the disease is fungal in nature. Three methods of plant treatment are used: agrotechnical, chemical, and agrochemical. When using the first method, you need to immediately cut off areas where the fungus accumulates, and also do scheduled pruning of shoots before the beginning and at the end of the plant’s growing season. It is better to do preliminary prevention of such a phenomenon as gooseberry powdery mildew. It is not too early to fight the disease in the spring; with the arrival of warmth, you need to begin to free the bushes from damaged and old branches, and the ground from last year’s foliage.

It should be taken into account that mushrooms form spores 2 times a year. Therefore, gooseberries need to be processed before and after they bloom, as well as when autumn comes. It is better to carry out the procedure in the evening, generously watering the entire plant and the soil under it. To do this, use a wide-spectrum sprayer, thoroughly irrigating the underside of the gooseberry leaves. Before you fight powdery mildew on gooseberries, you need to remove the affected areas before starting to process the plant.

If the shoots are formed correctly, they will be strong and able to resist powdery mildew. Gooseberries should be fed with potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. Avoid using nitrogen fertilizers; they inhibit the growth of shoots, which leads to their infection by fungus. If a large area with plants has been damaged, then strong chemicals must be used.

You should start fighting powdery mildew, both on gooseberries and other plants, with the onset of spring. Using natural ways or chemicals, bushes should be treated with them regularly. Experienced gardeners also recommend promptly starting treatment of the disease and carrying out periodic prevention. It is necessary to combat powdery mildew on gooseberries, both in June and in autumn, after the active growth of the plant has completed.