Pathogenic microflora that affects berry bushes most often negatively affects the productivity and quality characteristics of the resulting crop. In very difficult cases, diseases may well cause the death of a plant.

The fungal infection is accompanied by the appearance on the berries of a very quickly spreading grayish-white bloom, which after a while acquires a pronounced brownish tint. The fungus is perfectly adapted to severe Russian frosts.

The disease spreads through the foliage, stems and fruits of the bush.

How to fight

Bushes should be processed in early spring at the stage of active flowering and one and a half weeks after the plant has faded. For this purpose, a mixture is used, prepared on the basis of 150 g of copper sulfate, 200 g of lime and 5 liters of water.

Gooseberry anthracnose

A fungal infection that affects the foliage of the gooseberry and causes the appearance of small, vague spots of a dark brown color on them. On a diseased plant, the yield decreases, and the growth of young shoots is also reduced.

The disease is characteristic of currants and gooseberries, manifests itself in both plants in the same way

Control measures

In addition to burning fallen leaves, it is necessary to remove the leaves affected by the fungus from the plant, and then spray the aerial part of the gooseberry bush with a solution based on copper sulfate (20 g per 5 l of water).

White spot or septoria

It is characterized by the ability to infect a wide variety of horticultural crops, causing the appearance of small and even rounded spots of an off-white or brownish color with a dark border on the leaves.

The causative agent of the disease is a fungus of the genus Septoria

How to fight

When the first signs of the disease appear, all infected leaves must be removed and disposed of. At the initial stage of flowering, it is necessary to thoroughly spray the branches of the bush with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid.

Goblet rust

The leaves of the bush affected by a fungal infection are deformed, wither and dry out prematurely, and then fall off. In the absence of therapeutic measures, the whole plant dies after a while.

It manifests itself on flowers, ovaries and leaves

Control measures

Sanitary pruning of branches with subsequent treatment of the plant with special fungicidal preparations "Abiga-Peak", "Topaz", "Bayleton", "Hom" or a standard solution of Bordeaux liquid.

Gooseberry mosaic

The viral infection is accompanied by the appearance of a yellow peculiar pattern along the veins of the leaves, stopping the vegetation of the plant, the formation of small and wrinkled young foliage, and the absence of berries.

The disease is not treatable

Control measures

The main condition for maintaining the health of plantings is the timely prevention of the disease and the destruction of aphids. Sick bushes must be uprooted and then burned outside the site.

Scab

Microscopic fungi and bacteria cause the formation of brown spots on foliage, ovaries and branches, the appearance of green and brown growths on fruits, leaf fall, peeling on berries and their deformation.

A dense brown film on the fruit is a sign of severe infection

How to fight

Treatment of the aboveground part of the plant with the biological preparation "Fitosporin-M" before and immediately after flowering, as well as at the beginning of the formation of the crop in order to destroy fungi and increase the immunity of the bush.

Mold

Gray rot appears on gooseberries quite rarely. In the first stages, the disease affects the shoots from below, after which it causes massive decay of berries and a complete or partial loss of yield.

May show up in wet weather if the gooseberry bush is too thick

Control measures

Treatment of a plant with a low-toxic preparation of a wide spectrum of action "Fundazol" immediately before the beginning of flowering, as well as immediately after the final harvest.

Video: Diseases of the gooseberry

Gooseberries turn yellow

In addition to seasonal changes, as well as weather phenomena, insufficient moisture and nutrients, the yellowness of a berry crop can be triggered by some diseases, including spheroteca and verticillosis.

Complaints may be: insufficient nutrition or dangerous diseases

What to do

Observe the rules of agricultural technology, timely irrigation measures, regular feeding. To combat pathogenic microflora after harvesting, the shrub is additionally treated with Isofen.

The berry falls

Too much drop of gooseberry berries can be caused not only by natural causes, including excess moisture and lack of nutrients, but also by certain diseases, among which powdery mildew is most common.

Falling gooseberries can also signal insufficient watering.

Control measures

Compliance with agricultural techniques, timely irrigation measures, regular feeding. Preventive treatment with a mixture based on 150 g of copper sulfate, 200 g of lime and 5 liters of water.

The main pests of gooseberries and their control

Aphid

Small inactive insects of black, dark brown or light green color are distinguished by rapid reproduction, cause twisting of shoots, as well as the appearance of honeydew and a large number of ants on the leaves.

Plants affected by gooseberry aphids develop slowly in the next season.

In order to combat, it is necessary to treat the aboveground part of the plants with special preparations "Fufanon", "Bi-58", "Aktara", "Aktellik" or "Arrivo" and "Inta-vir" in accordance with the instructions attached by the manufacturer.

Caterpillars

Gooseberry leaves infect several types of caterpillars, among which the most common are fireflies, sawfly larvae and moths. The pest damages leaves and shoots, eats away all the inner parts of berries and flowers.

One of the most annoying bush pests

At the stage of swelling of the buds, the preparation "Inta-Vir" is used. Reprocessing can be carried out when pests are found. In conditions of mass destruction, it is recommended to use the Iskra-M agent.

The insect disguises itself as a wasp

As a treatment, urgent treatment is required, which is performed with chemicals or bioinsecticides, which include Bitoxibacillin (80-100 g / 10 L), Dendrobacillin (30-50 g / 10 L) and Lepidocide (30 g / 10 l).

Mite

The pest appears on the plant in early spring, settles on the underside of the foliage, which is abundantly entangled with cobwebs. The insect feeds on the juice of the berry culture, as a result of which the leaves turn yellow and gradually die off.

Despite its small size, the insect can cause serious damage to the bush.

Control measures: the aboveground part of the bushes is carefully treated with an inorganic fungicide. You can make your own spray solution based on 5 g of colloidal sulfur and ½ liter of water.

Gooseberry processing

The effectiveness of all preventive measures and medical treatment of berry crops directly depends on the correct choice of funds, as well as compliance with the method and scheme of its use.

The listed funds can not be used at all stages of the gooseberry vegetation, but it is these funds that show the highest efficiency and most often have a combined effect.

Table - Various drugs to fight diseases

Table - Folk methods of gooseberry pest control

Diseases and pests of garden gooseberries often cause not only a decrease in the yield of a berry crop, but can also cause the death of a shrub, so it is important to detect the damaging factor in time and choose the best way to fight.

Gooseberry is one of the most common plants in our region, producing a rich harvest of delicious fruits filled with vitamins and saturated acids. But, like any other plant, it is often affected by various diseases, including very dangerous ones, such as powdery mildew. Today we will talk about the most effective measures to combat the unpleasant white bloom on gooseberries and when to spray them.

Powdery mildew: general information, main signs

Powdery mildew is an extremely dangerous fungal disease for gooseberries, the causative agent of which is several types of fungus. The danger of this disease is that the damaged plant not only loses its decorative appearance, but also becomes practically incapacitated: the parts of the plant affected by the disease turn black and die, and the inflorescences do not form ovaries. The disease affects negatively even those plants that were only slightly affected by it: shoots and buds will become less resistant to cold, which will lead to their complete freezing with the onset of winter.

Most often, the disease manifests itself in early summer, when spores emerge from the mushroom. The rapid development of this disease is facilitated to a large extent by hot weather with a lack of precipitation and the presence of sharp temperature fluctuations. Powdery mildew spores are spread with the help of wind or water spray when watering gooseberries and even when a diseased plant comes into contact with a healthy one.

Powdery mildew on gooseberries

You can recognize powdery mildew by the following signs:

1. On the leaves, shoots and even gooseberry fruits, a white loose bloom appears, outwardly resembling a layer of flour. Over time, it turns into a yellowish brown film that dries up and becomes a crusty, dense formation. It is worth noting that the disease is extremely rare on gooseberry leaves (this picture is more often observed on currant bushes).
2. The fruits of the plant begin to change their shape, gradually decrease in size, stop developing and ultimately simply dry out.
3. Gooseberry shoots begin to bend, their ends darken and gradually die off, and the leaves curl up and dry out.

Advice. Powdery mildew develops on gooseberries at an incredible rate, so it is necessary to take a set of measures to destroy it when the first symptoms appear, otherwise it can destroy not only the affected plant, but also spread to nearby growing ones.

Disease control methods

When symptoms of the disease appear, the first step is to destroy the parts of the gooseberry affected by the disease, and only after that, start treating the plant with chemicals or natural solutions (at your discretion). Below are some of the most effective methods of dealing with the disease.

The best folk remedies

There are many recipes for "confronting" powdery mildew, we will consider a few of the most effective:

• To create a solution, we need about 3 kg of wood ash and a bucket of water. The ash is filled with very hot water and infused during the day. After that, the solution must be filtered and treated with the bushes before flowering and after it ends. The procedure is repeated several times until the signs of the disease completely disappear with an interval of a week. Keep in mind that each gooseberry bush will take about 3 liters of solution.
• Fermented herb. To create it, we need ordinary garden weeds and water. So, weeds previously pulled out in the garden must be finely chopped and then filled with hot water. We use about 5 kg of weeds (half a bucket), then fill it up to the top with water. Mix everything thoroughly and leave to brew for several days. Before processing the plant, the infusion must be filtered through cheesecloth. It is advisable to spray in the evening.

If you don't want to use chemicals, try folk remedies.

• Mullein can also be an excellent gooseberry remedy. To prepare it, you will need fresh mullein and water. Pour the mullein into a bucket (1/3 is enough) and fill it up to the top with cold water. Leave it to infuse for several days (2-3 days will be enough). Do not forget to stir the infusion periodically, and strain before spraying.
• Oddly enough, even dairy products can help get rid of powdery mildew. Homemade or store-bought fermented milk whey is suitable for these purposes. You will also need water to prepare the solution. Its amount should be 10 times the amount of serum. The composition must be thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. The finished mixture is used to periodically process the plants until they are completely recovered.

Chemicals

Among the variety of chemicals for the treatment of gooseberry powdery mildew, the following can be distinguished:

• Copper sulfate is a magical remedy that helps to cope with the spread of the disease. Copper sulfate and water are used to prepare the product. 100 g of vitriol is enough for a bucket of water. Gooseberry processing is carried out in early spring until the buds have blossomed - not only the bush itself should be processed, but also the soil under it with last year's foliage.

Advice. You can try to reduce the amount of vitriol by replacing it with laundry soap. So, instead of 100 g of copper sulfate for a ten-liter bucket, we need only 1/5 of it, to which we add 150 soap. Dissolve the soap, previously well crushed. Separately, dissolve copper sulfate in warm water, which is then carefully poured into a solution with soap.

• The drug called "Topaz" is incredibly popular with experienced gardeners. Spraying with the drug is carried out in two stages: before the beginning of the flowering period and immediately after its completion.
• The drug called "HOM" is an excellent remedy (a kind of alternative to Bordeaux liquid). For a bucket of water, 40 g of the drug is enough. You can prepare a combined preparation with the addition of some kind of pest control. Everything is diluted separately in a small amount of water, and then combined and brought to the required volume with water.

Carry out preventive treatment so that later you do not lose the entire crop

Preventive measures

To prevent the likelihood of gooseberry powdery mildew disease, a number of simple preventive measures should be taken:

• High-quality and timely pruning of bushes in the autumn-spring period. This will allow the formation of a healthy and developed plant, and it is precisely this that is able to withstand various diseases, including powdery mildew.

Advice. When carrying out the pruning procedure, it is important to remove damaged or diseased branches, which are either destroyed or buried in the ground away from the place where the gooseberry grows.

• In the spring-summer period (that is, during the period of active growth of the plant), you should carefully monitor the appearance of affected branches on the bushes. Their timely removal will increase the chances of preventing the development of the disease. It is believed that the spores of the fungus-causative agent of the disease winter on gooseberry shoots and fallen leaves. Therefore, it is important to also remove it in the spring.
• With the arrival of spring, when the snow is gone and the temperature does not drop below zero, you can give the gooseberry a "shock shower" (the main thing is to do this before the buds swell) using very hot water. You can add a little potassium permanganate or soda (a couple of teaspoons will be enough). Oddly enough, but such a procedure is an excellent preventive measure against many diseases.
• To increase the gooseberry's resistance to powdery mildew, feed the plant with fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium, but nitrogen should be discarded.

As you could see, even though powdery mildew is a serious disease, it is quite possible to fight it, and even without negative consequences for the plant itself. Follow the tips in this article and you can grow healthy gooseberries that will delight you with a rich harvest. Good luck!

Powdery mildew on gooseberries: video

White bloom on gooseberries: photo

Many gardeners who have been growing gooseberry bushes on their plots for several years are often faced with similar phenomena, such as small berries, sour taste, small amount of harvest, faded or dark color of the gooseberry year and other not the most pleasant phenomena associated with the harvest.

All to blame are many common diseases of this bush. As an amateur gardener, I will sanctify the most common and unpleasant diseases of gooseberries with harmful common fungi.

This disease is popularly called a white bloom. Also, white bloom is a symptom of one of the most common diseases of gooseberries, strawberries, cucumbers and other cultivated garden plants - powdery mildew or spheroteca.

It is divided into 2 types: American and European. Both species are similar in appearance, but differ only in the type of fungus, which is the cause of the disease.

Signs

Symptoms appear either in early summer or by spring. This usually happens as soon as the bush blooms. Young vegetative parts of the gooseberry (most often from the inside) are covered with a predominantly white bloom, loose in structure.

In the early stages of the disease, plaque is easily erased from the surface of the leaves, this is due to the fact that many novice gardeners can confuse the symptom of infection with ordinary dirt. Over time, fungal colonies spread to the ovary of the plant and the berries themselves.

Gradually, the plaque becomes denser and in the later stages it acquires a dark brown shade.

One of the consequences of this disease is a slowdown followed by a halt in the growth and development of gooseberry shoots, their deformation.

The leaves of the infected plant dry out and fall off. The maximum damage to the disease with powdery mildew is manifested in the harvest: gooseberry berries stop growing, a dense layer of plaque forms on their surface, they burst, and begin to crack.

If you do not start timely treatment, the infected bushes can die in two to three seasons, and the fungal pores will certainly be transferred to other bushes located next to the infected bush.

This disease persists on fallen, dead leaves, branches, despite the rather low temperatures, the disease can again attack the plant.

Treatment

Upon detection of powdery mildew disease, it will be necessary to continue the fight against spheroteca throughout the season. It is imperative to remember about preventive methods.

At the moment, several methods of treating gooseberries have been identified, of different effectiveness:

1. The diseased parts of the gooseberry, as well as the berries, must be removed from the plant and taken outside your area, after which they are completely destroyed.
2. By the beginning of spring, it is required to process gooseberry bushes with hot water, since high temperatures completely affect fungal diseases such as white bloom.
3. By the time the first ovaries are formed, it is recommended to resort to the use of fungicides. The most common is Bordeaux liquid (copper sulfate + milk) or soda ash in solution (50 g per ten liters of ordinary water). To enhance the reaction and maximum interaction with the bush, it is recommended to add about 50 g of laundry soap to the mixture. It is recommended to spray with various chemistry before twelve o'clock in the afternoon, so that the sprayed leaves of the plant do not burn out the sun.
4. If the disease has already damaged your bush quite well, you can apply an infusion of wood ash. There are ten liters of water for three hundred grams of dry ash. This solution is used to treat the lower part of the plant, near the ground, and the top of the bush.
5. If your whole bush has been damaged, as well as the plants near this very bush, you need to apply various fungicides in combination. For example, you can use "Topaz", "Fundazol", "phytosporin".
6. An additional measure is the introduction of various organic fertilizers, such as chicken manure, cow, humus (mixing ratio: 1 to 3 with water). After feeding, the vital activity of bacteria begins to gain strength, after which they begin to feed on the mycelium of the spheroteca.

Some of the existing gooseberry species have increased resistance to various fungal diseases.

Including spheroteka disease. If you have previously observed a powdery mildew infection of your bushes, it is recommended to plant resistant varieties of bushes.

Anthracnose

The next most common disease among all that gooseberries are susceptible to after powdery mildew. Anthracnose is also a fungal disease. Anthracnose activity begins to break through by mid-summer, especially if it is humid and rainy.

Gooseberry leaves are initially affected. They are covered with small white spots of a glossy structure, which over time begin to merge with each other and spread throughout the shrub. Finally, the spots turn brown as well.

It is necessary to start the fight against anthracnose in a timely manner, or the leaves will dry out and fall off. The volume of new shoots is greatly reduced and the amount of the crop will be undeniably spoiled.

Treatment

This fungus is quite well treated with the help of properly selected drugs. First, it is necessary to clear the soil of fallen leaves, get rid of previously infected vegetative parts of the bush, and then destroy this entire nursery.

Fungicide is used in the form of Bordeaux liquid, as one of the treatment options, a solution of 100 grams per 100 liters of water is calculated. It is required to process infected gooseberries at least about four times in one season, following an interval of 10-20 days.

Septoria (white spot)

Septoria is a type of anthracnose. An important difference between anthracnose and septoria is the type of fungus that infects the gooseberry. In case of septoria disease, the leaves are also covered with small spots with a grayish tint, covered with a dark brown border.

During the course of the disease, the plaque is covered with black dots, inside which there is an especially large number of spores. As a result of the disease, the leaves of the gooseberry curl and they crumble.

In the extreme case of the disease, septoria infects the entire gooseberry bush and this leads to its death and drying out.

Treatment

As a treatment, the same fungicides are used that help with anthracosis. It should be noted that for preventive purposes, soil treatment is used with a non-concentrated solution of potassium permanganate, boric acid or potassium cyanide. Spraying is recommended twice during the season - in the spring and autumn seasons.

Diseases of gooseberry berries

Most common gooseberry diseases can affect berries from an infected bush. The defeat of gooseberry berries impairs both the quality and quantity of the crop.

If you find any symptoms, it is necessary to determine the disease as soon as possible, since each disease in gooseberries is treated with different methods and solutions.

The most popular diseases of the gooseberry fruit:

Prophylaxis

It consists in a few simple rules of care:

• The affected parts are removed and incinerated immediately
• Plant repelling insects (onions, garlic) are planted next to the gooseberry
• Choose your gooseberry variety carefully
• Carry out at least two treatments during the season
• Comply with all processing rules
• Timely use the necessary fertilizers
• Pruning gooseberries, renewing the gene pool of plants, planting new bushes

The gooseberry is considered a very high-yielding crop. Subject to agricultural technology, one bush can bear fruit for more than 20 years. There were cases when the bushes yielded up to 40 years, but for this, of course, the plants need to be paid a lot of attention.

In general, the culture is undemanding, but there are some features that must be taken into account when planting and further growing.

The area for planting gooseberries should be as illuminated as possible. In the shade, the yield will be low, the berries are small, and the bush itself will often hurt.

No less important for the culture is moderate humidity, which it is desirable to maintain constantly.

Gooseberries are hygrophilous, but excessive moisture is just as harmful to it as drought. If the plant is constantly in moist soil, rotting of the root collar of the shoots develops, which leads to the death of the entire bush.

Do not plant gooseberries in heavy clay or podzolic soils - in such soil, the likelihood of fungal diseases also increases.

In order for the bush to give high yields, the soil around it must be loosened frequently and thoroughly - this procedure increases the air permeability of the soil.

In autumn, the soil around the bushes must be well dug up and fertilized (humus, compost, superphosphate, saltpeter). During digging, it should be borne in mind that the root system is located close to the surface, therefore, along the perimeter of the bush, the soil can only be carefully loosened, and outside the perimeter and in the aisles it can be radically dug up.

Weed control is very important for the healthy appearance of plants. Many weeds are a good breeding ground for various viruses and bacteria that can easily migrate to gooseberry bushes.

In late autumn, after the foliage has fallen or in the spring, before the buds appear, it is necessary to form bushes (cut off dry and excess shoots). Excessive density of branches and leaves leads to the fact that the bush is poorly ventilated, moisture stagnates on the leaves, which leads to the development of fungal diseases.

Various harmful insects (aphids, sawflies, moths) often settle on the gooseberry. To combat them, it is necessary to spray the bushes with insecticides, biological products (for example, "Karbofos"), ash solution.

One of the biggest challenges in growing gooseberries is their susceptibility to fungal diseases. Berries, leaves and even shoots rot, become moldy, which also requires regular processing of the bushes.

Many problems can be avoided by choosing the right crop planting site. If the gooseberry is planted in the sun, then the likelihood of fungal infection is significantly reduced, since wet leaves and berries quickly dry out from rain, dew, after watering. In addition, the soil under the bushes also dries up in a timely manner. If plaque constantly appears on your gooseberry, try replanting it in a sunny place - it is most likely that it will begin to grow and bear fruit better there.

A white, gray or greenish bloom on gooseberries is a sign of fungal infection. The most common fungal disease is powdery mildew. The spores of this fungus are very tenacious - they winter safely in the ground, and in spring, when the soil is still wet, but already warmed up, they show their activity.

The disease can be recognized by the following signs:

• first, the berries are covered with a dense or slightly friable white bloom;
• then the coating becomes denser, acquires a yellow or grayish tint;
• over time, the entire bush is covered with bloom, including leaves and shoots;
• if the bushes are not processed in time, the plaque dries up and becomes brown in color;
• if the bush grows in the shade or in excessive moisture, the mold on the berries may be slightly fluffy, gray or greenish in color.

The spread of powdery mildew on gooseberries begins from the bottom of the bush, since it is the lower tiers that are closer to the ground.

First of all, the fungus appears on the berries - this is due to the fact that the mycelium is nourished through the integumentary layers of the fruit. Over time, under the influence of wind, insects, spores are transferred to the branches and leaves of the gooseberry.

Of course, the disease, first of all, affects the appearance of the berries, but one should not forget that in the absence of therapeutic measures, the complete death of the bush is possible. Leaves affected by the fungus curl and dry, the berries dry up and crumble, and in a very humid environment, fruit rot is possible.

This video is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of a fungal disease that affects all parts of the gooseberry (leaves, ovaries, berries and young shoots).

The appearance of bloom on berries does not depend on the gooseberry variety or the climate of the region where it grows. As mentioned above, the main reason for the development of powdery mildew on gooseberries is a fungus that throws out its spores under certain conditions. There are a number of prerequisites and factors for its activation:

• high humidity of the soil and air - during the rainy season, in cloudy weather, with too intensive watering, the most favorable conditions are created for the development of the disease;
• insufficient distance between gooseberry bushes - even if only one bush is affected, fungal spores quickly spread to nearby plants if they are planted at a distance closer than 1.5–2 m;
• proximity to weeds - weeds are good carriers of infections and bacteria;
• heavy soil - dense soil is very poorly permeable to air and dries out slowly, which also contributes to the development of fungal flora;
• pollinating insects - most often the fungus infects gooseberries during or after flowering, and it is at this moment that its spores are easily carried by insects.

The surest way to fight fungal diseases is prevention. You need to spray gooseberries at least three times per season: before flowering, immediately after its completion and in the fall before the leaves begin to fall. The last time, before wintering, the bushes are treated especially carefully, since with the fallen leaves the fungus will fall into the ground, and in the spring it will manifest itself again. Spores are perfectly preserved in dry foliage, therefore, after falling off, it must be collected and burned.

If powdery mildew still appeared on the gooseberry, then there are several ways to deal with it, which will be described below.

Spraying with a solution of soap and copper sulfate. It is necessary to dissolve 20 g of vitriol and 100-150 g of laundry soap in 10 liters of water. Technically, it is not easy to make such a solution, since both components are poorly soluble in water. In order for the soap to dissolve as soon as possible, it must be grated. Vitriol is stirred in hot water and only then poured into a soapy solution.

Fungicide treatment. Before and during flowering, gooseberries can be sprayed with special preparations against powdery mildew (Topaz, Vectra, Cumulus). When processing, it is very important to observe the dosage indicated in the instructions.

Treatment of the soil around the bush. To prevent the appearance of mold on gooseberries, you can water the ground around the bush with a solution of vitriol (10-15g / 5-7 liters of water) before the buds appear. A more natural way to prevent plaque on berries is to use a solution of soap and baking soda (2 tablespoons of baking soda, 50 g soap / 10 L of water). You can not only water the ground with a soda solution, but also spray the plant itself.

Spraying with a solution of soda and aspirin. For the working solution, you need to take 1 spoonful of soda, liquid soap and vegetable oil, 1 aspirin tablet and stir it all in 5 liters of water. This solution can be used to treat gooseberries during the entire spring-summer period with an interval of 2 weeks between sprays.

Treatment of bushes and soil with an ash solution. Furnace ash (2 kg) must be poured with water (10 l), mixed and boiled for 30 minutes. The cooled solution is filtered and the bushes are sprayed from the end of May, when the flowers begin to bloom, and until mid-June, until the ovaries form. The rest of the solution is poured over the ground around the bushes.

Kefir or sour milk. The product is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 liter of kefir (milk) to 9 liters of water and the bushes are sprayed with the agent three times with a break of 3 days from the moment when the inflorescences begin to bloom on the gooseberry.

Infusion of onion peels. The dried husk (200 g) is poured with boiling water (10 l) and insisted for 2 days. The resulting infusion is sprayed on the bushes before and after flowering, and then in late autumn, when the leaves on the gooseberry turn yellow.

Liquid mullein. For 3 parts of water, you need to take 1 part of manure, stir and insist for 3 days. Then strain the resulting solution, dilute with water to a volume of 10 liters and process the bushes three times: before and after flowering, as well as before the foliage falls.

These simple recipes or ready-to-use remedies can help restore health to your gooseberries. However, try not to let the fruits become bloom, carry out prevention on time, and then the bushes will delight you with delicious berries every summer.

However, the plant is often affected by various diseases that can cause loss of yield, including such a dangerous one as powdery mildew. Most often, it is she who causes the so-called mold on gooseberries. In this article, we will tell you how to timely recognize such an attack, and effectively deal with white bloom on the bush.

But first, a few words about the symptoms of which diseases can be white bloom on gooseberries. In general, there are several such diseases at once. So, mold on berries can appear if the shrub is affected by the following fungal infections:

• Spheroteka or American powdery mildew;
• Gray rot;
• European powdery mildew;
• Goblet rust.

As mentioned above, most often the cause of white mold is spheroteka or American powdery mildew. This disease has one characteristic feature - it appears immediately after the flowering of the plant. At the same time, the leaves, and young shoots, and berries are covered with a white powdery bloom, which looks very much like mold.

However, soon the fungus grows rapidly, and the color of the plaque changes from white to brown. And if earlier it could be simply removed by hand, then at this stage the plaque is not even washed off. Young shoots begin to lag behind in growth, bend, the berries are mummified, and the bush itself dies after two or three years.

Powdery mildew at the first stage is very similar in characteristics to a spherotek. But unlike the American fungus, the disease begins to develop only in the second half of summer. In addition, the bloom does not change its color, and the latter appears only on the leaves and on the shoots. This white color of the shrub is quite easily erased with your fingers, but over time, the leaves begin to turn yellow and fall off, and the shoots dry out.

But a fungus called Gray Rot, on the contrary, affects only berries, which then simply dry up on the branches. The rainy summer encourages spores to germinate through the skin of the fruit, which is why the gooseberry berries are covered with a gray bloom. Fortunately, this bush disease is rare.

Goblet rust can infect a plant if planted in a damp area with a lot of sedge. Bright orange spots are a clear sign of this disease. This fungus infects berries and leaves at the beginning of summer. This mold has a rusty color, and it leads to the fact that both fruits and leaves crumble by the middle of summer.

In addition to the diseases described above, there are other ailments that gooseberries can suffer from; with them, the plant becomes covered with gray, brown, black spots, and even soot, but there is no mold from them.

Let us add that the diseases that cause mold do not come naturally. As a rule, they arise against the background of a rainy summer, a too humid location of the site, with a large number of new shoots and a strong thickening of the shrub, an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, the growth of weeds, and infection from insects, plants and humans. And this is not to mention the fact that fungal spores are actively carried with the wind.

It goes without saying that if a plant is weakened, then it tolerates much worse t and violation of agricultural technology and unfavorable climatic conditions. But if the gooseberry bush is healthy, then it can withstand the effects of various infections for a long time, especially if you help it in time.

To get rid of the spheroteka, it is best to process the gooseberries and the ground under them with a 3% solution of ferrous sulfate. In this case, all affected areas - berries, shoots, leaves - are removed and burned. Next spring, the shrub will again need to be treated with a solution of ferrous sulfate, and then also sprayed with a solution of soda. This double processing gives good results. We add that treatment with special drugs must also be carried out several times.

As already mentioned, one of the reasons for the development of spheroteca and other fungi may be the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers. But if you feed the gooseberry with potash and phosphorus fertilizers, this, on the contrary, will help the plant to cope with the disease.

There are other measures to combat these diseases. By the way, currants and gooseberries have such problems. And therefore, if you have the first crop on your site, then troubles will surely happen with the second one.

So, in order to get rid of the white bloom on gooseberry berries, experienced gardeners advise using an infusion of ash, which, in addition, is an excellent top dressing. To prepare this effective remedy, a kilogram of ash is diluted in a twelve-liter bucket of water and insisted for three days. And it's better to add a little liquid soap there too - for good adhesion to the leaves.

Liquid mullein has also proven itself excellently - also for disinfecting and feeding plants. To prepare it, take one part of the mullein and three parts of water. Such a mixture should be infused for three days, after which it is filtered and water is added to the volume of a full bucket. Or you can use sour milk or kefir, which are diluted with water in a ratio of one to nine. With this tool, the bushes can be processed even during flowering, especially since it is harmless to bees.

If you do not miss the moment when the gooseberry disease has just appeared, then a milk solution will help get rid of it. This alkaline solution can be prepared by diluting a liter of whole milk in a bucket of water.

We add that the treatment with the means described above should be carried out several times - until the plant is completely healed.

Often, the question of how to get rid of plaque on gooseberries, many gardeners solve and more radically - using fungicides. And, indeed, modern tools can be very effective. So, if the fruits, leaves and shoots of your pet are covered with mold, then the following biological and chemical preparations can be used:

• Strobe;
• Topaz;
• Nitrofen;
• Fitosporin-M;
• Oxyhom;
• Fundazol.

Resistant varieties and prevention

So that the question does not arise of how to process or how to feed the gooseberry, if it is covered with white mold, it is necessary to observe preventive measures and choose varieties resistant to diseases for planting. Modern science has made it possible to create crops practically without thorns, resistant to frost and sudden changes in temperature, as well as resistant to most of the known gooseberry diseases. These varieties include, for example, Beryl, Commander, Kazachok, Senator, as well as Russian, African, Malachite, Stanichny and Harlequin.

But, of course, prevention and proper care are extremely important. So that no infection appears on the gooseberry fruits, you should choose the right place for planting, process the bushes during the season, regularly get rid of weeds and properly prepare the plant for wintering.