Blackcurrant dries: what to do

A well-groomed and healthy currant bush, as a rule, is not very vulnerable to pests and ailments, regularly pleases with a beautiful view and a rich harvest. If the gardener noticed that on his site currant leaves wither, turn yellow and dry, fruit-bearing branches deteriorate and break, berries shrivel, then you need to figure out why this is happening. Mistakes made during planting or further care, unfavorable climate, mechanical injuries of the plant can weaken it and cause damage by diseases or parasites. It is important to understand that you can lose not only a significant part of the crop, but the entire bush, if you do not take measures to eliminate the problem as soon as possible.

Why currants dry

The reasons why branches, leaves and even fruits dry in currants can be different:

• unfavorable environmental conditions (poorly chosen place for planting, unsuitable mineral composition of the soil, dry summer or, on the contrary, prolonged rains);
• errors in care (insufficient or excessive watering, improper fertilizing with fertilizers, not paying enough attention or not paying enough attention to soil mulching, pruning shoots, disease and pest prevention);
• currant diseases;
• activity of insect pests.

Unfavorable climatic conditions

If the place for planting a currant bush was initially determined incorrectly, the plant will weaken, dry, and eventually die.

When allocating a plot for currants in the garden, you should be extremely careful about all its preferences:

• the landing site should be sufficiently illuminated by the sun, although slight shading is possible, and be protected from strong gusts of wind;
• the soil (ideally, sod-podzolic or loam) needs to be well-drained, with normal acidity and no stagnant water;
• the groundwater level should not be higher than 1 m in order to avoid rotting of the roots of the plant.

It often happens that currant leaves dry en masse in a dry, hot summer, when there is no rain for a long time. During this period, additional watering should be provided so that the plants receive the required amount of moisture. It will be enough to water the currants once a week, spending on a bush 1-1,5 buckets of non-cold water that has settled during the day. Additionally, you can shade the bushes on the south side with the help of home-made shields made of dense fabric stretched over supports, this will protect the leaves from the scorching sun.

Excessive humidity will also harm currants. A prolonged rainy period may well lead to the fact that, due to excess water in the near-trunk circles, the young roots of the plant will begin to rot and die. As a result, the currant weakens, the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry. In this case, it is possible to establish an outflow of water from the roots by digging additional grooves around the bushes at a distance of about 60 cm. They should be covered when the rains stop.

If the soil on which the currant grows does not contain enough nutrients, the leaves of the plant also turn yellow, and then wither and dry.

The lack of certain trace elements can be expressed as follows:

The problem will help to solve a properly organized mode of introduction of dressings.

Improper care

In the event that there are no claims to the plot in the garden where the currant grows, the reasons that the leaves on the bushes dry, turn yellow and wither may lie in violation of the rules of planting and care.

A young plant purchased for planting on the site should have the following features:

• no injury or damage;
• the presence of 4-6 strong shoots;
• developed root system.

When planting a currant bush in the ground, all shoots should be cut short, giving the plant the opportunity to direct its forces to the growth and development of new high-quality shoots. If this is not done, a large number of formed leaves can destroy a young seedling. The green mass of the bush will begin to turn yellow and dry with whole shoots.

It is undesirable to plant currants next to large fruit trees, they shade the shrub from the sun, and their roots draw nutrients from the soil. Another unwanted “neighbor” is gooseberries. He suffers from the same diseases and pests as currants.

It must be remembered that currants, especially black currants, are very demanding on the degree of moisture in the soil and air. Even in years when there is no severe drought and prolonged rains, by the time the fruits ripen, the natural supply of moisture to the plant is usually not enough. This is manifested in the fact that the yield of bushes decreases, the currant berries become smaller and dry, they form a dense thick skin and relatively little pulp.

In years without tangible weather “whims”, currants are watered about 4-5 times:

• in June, when the ovaries are formed, – 1 time;
• in July, at the stage of berry ripening, – 2 times;
• in August, when the harvest is already harvested – 1 time;
• in September – 1 time.

It is preferable to organize furrow irrigation or sprinkling, adhering to the norm of 4-5 buckets per 1 sq. m.

It is recommended to feed currants annually with potash, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. If the acidity of the soil increases, lime should be added to it.

From the first year of the life of the currant, it is necessary to carry out formative pruning. Branches that dry, are damaged or sick are usually excised in the spring. Weak, excess shoots that thicken the bush are removed in the fall. A healthy adult blackcurrant bush should have 15-20 branches, the age of which does not exceed 5 years. After reaching 5 years of black and 8 years of red and white currants, old shoots are regularly pruned in order to rejuvenate the plant.

Incorrectly performed or not carried out pruning of currants at all will lead to the fact that within a few years the bush will become so thick that the fruit-bearing branches will not have enough nutrition, free space and light. The plant will weaken, begin to dry, become vulnerable to pests and diseases.

In addition, the guarantee of currant health will be periodic loosening of the soil in the near-trunk circles, regular weeding, as well as inspection of plants and preventive treatment against diseases and parasitic insects.

Diseases

Very often, currant leaves, shoots and even berries dry out as a result of the plant suffering from a disease caused by a virus or fungal spores.

Striped (veined) mosaic

Dangerous viral disease of currant. Its carriers are mites and gall aphids. Occasionally, an infected grafting material can become a source of infection for a plant. A characteristic feature of this mosaic is the appearance of light yellow or orange stripes along the main veins on leaf blades. The bush weakens, its productivity drops sharply. Gradually, yellowness spreads over the entire surface of the leaves, they dry and die.

You can re-plant currants in place of uprooted bushes no earlier than after 5 years.

Antraknoz

The popular name for this fungal disease is “flycat”. It appears on young shoots, leaf blades and cuttings. The surface of the infected currant organ is covered with small brown spots with tubercles, which eventually begin to merge, affecting an increasing area. The leaves curl, dry and fall off prematurely.

The spread of anthracnose is facilitated by prolonged rains or frequent fogs.

Cerkosporoz

The source of cercosporosis is fallen leaves affected by the disease. Otherwise, this disease is called “brown spot”. In the middle of summer, dark brown or chestnut spots appear on currant leaves with a thin light border around the edge. Small spots gradually grow, on the underside of the leaf plate a dark velvety coating grows in their places (spores of the pathogen – fungus). If the lesion is severe, the leaves dry quickly and fall off.

Mučnistaâ rosa

Two varieties of powdery mildew are widely known:

1. American, or sphere library. It affects mainly blackcurrant. Both old leaves and the tops of young shoots, ovaries, berries in early summer are densely covered with a gray-white coating of mealy texture. Gradually, it acquires a brown color and becomes like felt. Infected leaves quickly dry and fall off, the shoots are bent, and the berries lose their taste and presentation, becoming unsuitable for food.

   

2. European. This variety is not as common as the previous one, however, if young branches with berries dry on red currants or gooseberries, it may well be the “culprit”. At first, on the affected organs of the plant, you can notice a loose white coating, similar to a thin cobweb. Gradually, it thickens and darkens, forming a rough brown crust. The leaves rapidly turn yellow, curl and dry, the shoots are deformed and die off, and the berries crack and crumble, never having time to ripen.

   

Tuberculosis

In another way, this fungal infection is known as “shrunken branches.” During the flowering period of the currant, small red dots appear on the bark or the back of the leaves, which eventually grow into convex tubercles of a darker color. After the spores of the fungus mature, the damaged leaves and areas of the bark turn black and dry rapidly.

Rust

There are two types of this fungal disease that affect currants:

1. Columnar rust. It usually appears in early August on both sides of the leaf plate: numerous yellow or orange specks appear on top; the lower part is covered with brown growths – tiny “columns” in which fungus spores ripen. Diseased leaves massively dry and crumble, the growth of shoots slows down, the plant weakens.

   

2. Goblet rust. It can be found during the flowering period of the currant. On the back of the leaves, as well as on the flowers and ovaries, convex yellow-brown pads appear, similar to “glasses” or warts, inside which spores are contained – a fine brown powder. The yield of a diseased plant drops sharply, the affected organs turn yellow, dry and die.

   

vermin

If the leaves, shoots and fruits of the currant dry, the activity of a number of parasitic insects may well be the cause.

gall aphid

Small (up to 2 mm) pale green insects that feed on leaf sap. They settle in the spring on red and white, a little less often on black currants. The peak of their harmfulness comes in June. Some female gall aphids, “settlers”, have wings and are able to quickly move from bush to bush, when the affected plant is no longer able to feed the overgrown colony.

Initially, characteristic yellow or dark red tuberous growths, “tumors”, appear on the leaves. Then the leaf blades turn yellow, deform, dry and die. Often, even after the destruction of aphids, young shoots of currants continue to lag behind in growth and development, much fewer berries are tied to them.

spider mite

This microscopic pest is extremely dangerous not only for currants, but also for other berry plants. At first, round bright dots appear on the leaf blades, which gradually grow into large, colorless spots. If the degree of damage is high, the leaves become “marble”, dry quickly and fly around. The presence of this type of mite is indicated by a thin white cobweb on the back of the plate.

Currant glasscane

A small dark fly, slightly reminiscent of a wasp, with transparent wings and three transverse yellow stripes on the body. It affects all types of currants after flowering, laying eggs under the bark of the plant in places of cracks and damage. After hatching, the caterpillars eat through the passages inside the shoots, feeding on their soft core. In the first season, the damage is not particularly noticeable, but the leaves and berries on such branches become smaller. But next spring, during the period of leaf blooming, it becomes obvious which shoots are affected, they wither and dry. When such branches are removed, a longitudinal dark cavity can be seen at the cut site, often with excrement of larvae.

You can imagine what the currant glass larva looks like, see exactly how the shoots affected by it dry and get some useful tips on combating this pest by reading the plot:

gall midges

Currants, mostly black, are significantly damaged by gall midges – small (up to 5 mm) winged insects of a yellow-brown color that look like a mosquito. Two types are especially common:

1. Runaway gall. As a result of the activity of the larvae of this pest under the bark of the plant, the shoots that initially looked healthy begin to dry suddenly and break off easily. Just below the dried area, you can see a depression and darkening of the bark.

   

2. Leaf gall. Damages mainly the tops of young shoots. Such leaves are deformed, torn, look “wrinkled”, quickly turn brown and dry. Expanding the affected plate, you can often see a white or yellowish larva inside.

   

Gooseberries

This small (up to 1,5 cm) gray-brown butterfly parasitizes red and black currants. Ognevka hibernates in the ground next to the bushes. In the spring, she gets out, laying her eggs in flowers and currant ovaries. Its larvae are 16-legged caterpillars of a pale green color that darkens to gray over time, with a black head and pectoral shield. They bite into the ovaries, feed on the juice and seeds of berries. Due to this, currant fruits acquire a bright color too early, quickly darken and dry. They are entwined with a thick layer of cobwebs, in which the excrement of the larvae is clearly visible.

What to do if the currant dries

Having identified a disease that causes currant leaves to dry, the fight against it should begin as soon as possible. The sooner the necessary measures are taken, the more chances there will be to save the diseased plant, if there is such an opportunity, and to minimize the negative consequences for both currant plantings and the rest of the orchard.

The same applies to parasitic insects:

Preventive measures

In order for the branches, leaves, flowers and berries of the currant not to dry out, it is necessary to take care of the health of the plant throughout the year, create favorable conditions for its development and growth, and minimize the likelihood of disease or pest damage.

A set of preventive measures can provide this:

• the right place for planting currants;
• use of healthy and strong seedlings;
• regular inspection of the plant to identify leaves, shoots, flowers, ovaries, fruits that dry or get sick;
• annual autumn pruning of weak, dry and damaged currant branches, thinning of thickening shoots, timely rejuvenation of the bush;
• disinfection of cut sites with garden pitch;
• weed control near currants;
• in spring and autumn – digging the earth in the near-stem circle of the plant;
• collection and destruction of fallen leaves;
• regular watering of the plant, avoiding both excessive dryness of the soil and stagnation of moisture at the roots;
• timely application of top dressings (in early spring – nitrogen fertilizers, in summer – potash and phosphorus compounds, in autumn – mainly organic);
• in early spring, twice – before bud break and before flowering – carry out mandatory treatment of currant bushes and the soil under them with a solution of karbofos or nitrofen (2%).

Conclusion

Noticing that currant leaves dry on the site, young and old branches die off, or berries deteriorate, the gardener should not disregard these alarming symptoms. If measures to identify the cause of the trouble and eliminate it are not taken in time, you can lose the crop, destroy the plant, and in the worst case, allow the spread of a dangerous infection or pest throughout the orchard. At the same time, the right choice of a bush planting site and competent care for it, including preventive actions aimed at protecting the currant from diseases and pests, will allow the plant to successfully grow and develop, increasing a healthy green mass and delighting with generous harvests.