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Diseases of gooseberries can destroy even the strongest fruit bushes in the garden. To keep gooseberries healthy and strong, you need to know the symptoms of diseases and pests and effective control and prevention measures.
Gooseberry pests with descriptions and photos
Gooseberry bushes in the garden are quite often affected by pests, especially often insects appear on the plant in the absence of careful care. However, each of the pests can be successfully dealt with if you study the photos of gooseberry pests and their control.
shoot aphid
The pest shoot aphid feeds on young shoots and leaves of the plant. In size, the insect does not exceed 2 mm, the adult aphid has a pale green color and a slightly elongated body shape. In autumn, shoot aphids lay black small eggs at the base of the buds, and larvae emerge from them in early spring.
The peak of the defeat of gooseberry shoot aphids occurs in May and June, however, several generations of the pest may appear during the season. Plants affected by aphids can be recognized by deformed internodes and leaves twisted into lumps. The plant on which the aphid has bred loses its vitality, the leaves begin to dry and fall off.
To eliminate aphids, proven insecticidal agents are used – Karbofos, Aktellik, Vofatoks. Spray the plant in the spring before bud break to prevent aphid larvae from getting inside the shoots.
The Mite
The microscopic pest does not exceed 2 mm in size and resembles a very small white worm. The tick hibernates inside the gooseberry buds, and it affects the shrub very massively – several thousand larvae can settle in one bud. Symptoms are expressed in the fact that the kidneys are very rounded, swell, and the next year after settling, they begin to resemble bursting small cabbage heads. For a year, a bud mite gives 2 spring and 3 summer generations, if you do not fight it, then the pest greatly interferes with the development of the plant and worsens the yield.
The fight against kidney mites is carried out with acaricidal solutions – Topaz, Skor, Vitofors. It is also necessary to completely remove the affected kidneys.
Currant gall midges
The pest is similar to a mosquito about 3 mm long and lays translucent small eggs under the bark of the stems, from which colorless caterpillars about 4 mm long emerge. The pest feeds on the soft, juicy tissues of young stems, which is why the shoots darken, dry out and crack, and the leaves turn yellow and fall off. The gall midge begins to feed on the plant in spring, and the mass exit of adult insects from larvae occurs at the beginning of flowering.
In the fight against gall midge, gardeners prefer to use insecticidal agents and folk methods, for example, a soapy solution in combination with steamed tomato tops. You can also plant mint next to the gooseberry bushes – the gall midge does not like its smell.
Currant glasscane
This pest resembles a small dark butterfly, reaching about 3 cm in wingspan. The glasswort lays its eggs in cracks in the bark on the branches, and the larvae of the pest, white caterpillars, feed on the wood of the shoots. The first 2 winters, the larvae spend inside the branches and eat off, only in the third year do insects emerge and pupate, and adult butterflies appear in June.
The harm of glassware for gooseberries is expressed in the withering of shoots and the appearance of black spots on sections of dried branches. Insect control is carried out using radical pruning to completely eliminate the affected parts of the plant.
Caterpillars
Caterpillars of a wide variety of pests appear on gooseberry leaves in early spring, immediately during the period of bud opening. During the season, 2-3 generations of caterpillars may appear. You can notice the pest when examining the leaves, and the harm lies in the fact that the caterpillars are able to completely eat the foliage of the shrub.
Pest control is carried out mainly with insecticides Karbofos and Aktellik, it is recommended to spray after bud break and again after flowering. If the caterpillars are found after harvesting, then the processing will need to be carried out a third time.
Ognyevka
The gooseberry berry pest moth looks like a green caterpillar with a black head or a dark brown butterfly up to 3 cm in wingspan. Firefly lays eggs in gooseberry flowers in the spring, after which caterpillars emerge from the masonry, which settle in gooseberry ovaries and eat them away. A characteristic sign of a moth lesion is the thinnest cobweb on gooseberry fruits.
The harm to the plant lies in the fact that the berries ripen ahead of time, and then quickly dry out. The fight against moth is carried out by Karbofos, Aktellik and Ambush, and gooseberries are sprayed after flowering and immediately before it for the next year.
Sawfly
The pest is a bluish-green larvae up to 1 cm long, from which adult butterflies appear at the beginning of flowering in spring. In turn, they lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves, and after about 1,5 weeks, caterpillars emerge from the eggs, which begin to eat the leaves of the shrub. As a result, the plant loses foliage, the shoots begin to grow worse, the berries become smaller and fall off.
The fight against the sawfly is carried out with insecticidal solutions, if there are currant bushes next to the gooseberries, you need to process them too, the pest usually settles on several plants at once.
Pheidenitsa
The pest is a large spotted butterfly up to 5 cm in wingspan. Pest caterpillars appear in early spring, as soon as the gooseberry buds out. In the middle of summer, adult butterflies form from the caterpillars, which again lay their eggs on the underside of the gooseberry leaves. In just 2 weeks, the second pest invasion of the shrub occurs, this time the caterpillars eat the leaves.
The pest of gooseberry leaves, the moth, causes significant damage to the decorativeness and health of the plant, leads to its withering and drying out. The fight against the moth should be carried out with the help of Aktellik and Karbofos.
Currant goldfish
A small beetle, reaching several centimeters in length, lays larvae inside gooseberry shoots, and at the beginning of summer, adults that have appeared once again lay eggs on the bark and young leaves. The larvae of the borer eat the buds and foliage of the gooseberry, and also gnaw through the passages inside the shoots, as a result of which the gooseberry stops growing and bearing fruit.
As part of the pest control, all affected branches must be completely removed, even if the currants have to be cut at the root.
spider mite
Among the gooseberry pests and the fight against them, the spider mite, which has a brown, yellow or green color, is especially known. The pest lays eggs on the leaves from below and actively eats gooseberry leaves. It is easy to recognize a spider mite by the presence of a characteristic thin cobweb on the lower part of the leaves. If the plant is affected severely enough, then its foliage becomes “marbled” over time, dries and falls off, the gooseberry loses its winter hardiness, and its yield decreases.
The fight against spider mites is carried out in the spring during bud break, and solutions of Karbofos, Phosfamide, Metaphos and Cidial give the best effect.
How to spray gooseberries from pests
Insect control is usually carried out in early spring, as soon as the temperature rises above 5 ° C. The optimal time for spraying the plant is the period from mid-March to mid-April, and for preventive purposes, the gooseberry can be re-treated immediately after it has faded.
- Of the chemicals for pest control, Actellik and Karbofos are most often used, Vitofors, Phosphamide and other insecticidal preparations are also popular.
- From home remedies, soap and onion solutions, as well as colloidal sulfur, work well.
- It is recommended to spray gooseberries in cloudy weather without rain. Precipitation can instantly wash off insecticides from shrub leaves, and the sun dries the solutions too quickly and does not allow them to show their beneficial effect.
When dealing with insects with insecticides, it is important to pay attention to personal protection – wear thick gloves and a respirator, protect your eyes and nose so as not to inhale toxic substances. It is necessary to carry out the fight in working clothes, which are thoroughly washed immediately after spraying.
Diseases of the bush, leaves and berries of gooseberries with a photo and description
Not only pests can negatively affect the health of gooseberries, but also ailments – fungi and viruses. In order to cure the shrub in time, it is also necessary to know gooseberry diseases and their treatment, ways of spread and symptoms.
Spheroteka
Gooseberry disease with a white coating on the berries – spheroteka, or powdery mildew, it affects the shrub most often. The disease is caused by the fungus Sphaerotheca, which develops especially actively in warm and humid conditions. The main symptoms of the disease are a whitish coating on the leaves, which becomes denser over time, affects the ovaries and fruits, and leads to premature fruit drop.
The fight against the disease is carried out with the help of Bordeaux liquid and copper sulfate, you can also use a solution based on tar soap.
Antraknoz
Another disease that leads to the appearance of mold on gooseberries and deformation of the leaves is anthracnose. The disease is caused by a fungus of the genus Colletotrichum, which spreads to the plant from the soil. Symptoms of the disease are first small brown spots on the leaves. Subsequently, anthracnose leads to the fact that the gooseberry leaves turn completely brown, and the fruits become covered with dark mold.
The fungus breeds mainly in the rainy warm months. To combat it, you need to remove all the affected parts from the gooseberry and treat the bush with Bordeaux mixture, Kuprozan, colloidal sulfur and other fungicidal substances, and the disease is treated in early spring.
septoriosis
Septoria disease is caused by the fungus Septoriaribis Desm and appears primarily as gray spots with a dark border on gooseberry leaves. Then microscopic fruit bodies of the fungus appear on the spots, which look like dark dots. Gooseberry leaves begin to dry, deform and fall off, and in one summer the shrub can completely lose its crown. The fungus spreads from spores that have appeared in the ground at the roots of the gooseberry and, if left untreated, can destroy the plant.
The fight against the disease is carried out with the help of fungicides – Bordeaux liquid and copper sulfate. It is also necessary to remove all affected parts of the shrub and clear the ground at its roots.
Rust
Fungal rust disease appears on gooseberries most often when the shrub is in close proximity to cedars or sedges. The disease manifests itself by the appearance of yellowish pads on the underside of the leaves, on flowers and fruit ovaries, and the fungus forms in these pads. Over time, rust forms a dense dark coating on leaves and fruits, as a result of which the gooseberry begins to fall off and bears less fruit.
To combat the disease, spraying with Bordeaux liquid and other fungicides is used. In this case, the treatment must be carried out three times – after the appearance of leaves, during the budding period and immediately after flowering.
Gray mold
The disease gray rot, or scab, appears due to the fungus Botrytiscinerea and affects the lower shoots and roots of the gooseberry. The berries of the shrub are first covered with a gray bloom, and then they begin to rot and crumble, the health of the plant is greatly deteriorating.
Gray rot occurs most often in conditions of neglect of the gooseberry and poor ventilation of its shoots. The disease can manifest itself at any time during the spring and summer. The disease lends itself well to treatment, but to heal the shrub, you will have to cut off all diseased parts, and pour charcoal under the roots.
Ascochitosis
The ascochitosis disease is provoked by the fungus Ascochytaribesia Sacc, which reproduces in plant debris under the roots of the gooseberry. The disease affects mainly the leaves of the plant – in spring, whitish or light brown spots with a dark border appear on them, and by autumn dark growths form – fruiting bodies in which the fungus overwinters. Gooseberries, affected by ascochitosis, begin to dry and fall off, its frost resistance and productivity decrease.
To combat ascochitosis, you need to cut off all parts of the shrub that have already been affected by the disease. Healthy leaves and shoots are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid and other fungicides.
Verticillary wilting
Verticillium disease is caused by spores of a fungus from the genus Verticillium, and the symptoms of the disease are manifested in the defeat of the gooseberry roots. Against this background, the leaves of the plant turn yellow and wither, but do not fall off, but remain on the shrub. Verticillosis in the initial stages proceeds almost imperceptibly, and then develops very quickly. If emergency treatment is not carried out, the shrub will die completely, the fungus will gradually rise along its shoots, clogging the vascular system with itself, and will not allow the plant to receive nutrients.
The treatment of shrubs from verticillium is that the plant is sprayed with Fundazol or Topaz compounds. It is important to observe prevention – regularly trim and fertilize the shrub, monitor the cleanliness of the soil around it.
Mosaic
Mosaic refers to viral diseases of gooseberries – it can spread to the plant from other fruit bushes, and aphids often become the cause of mosaic infection. In the photo of the treatment of gooseberry diseases, you can see the symptoms – bright pale yellow patterns appear on the leaves of the shrub that run along the main veins. If the mosaic is not treated, then over time the leaves begin to dry and become wrinkled, the gooseberry will stop bearing fruit and stop developing.
It is very difficult to cure the mosaic – chemical and home preparations almost do not help against the disease. The only treatment option is to remove all affected parts of the shrub and continue to carry out regular treatment from pests that can carry the disease.
Alternaria
The disease is caused by the fungus Alternaria grossularia Jacz and affects not only leaves, but also shoots, as well as gooseberry fruits. The first symptoms of alternariosis are gray-black spots that appear in the spring at the edges of the leaf plates, and by autumn a black-green velvety coating appears on the leaves and shoots. Gooseberry leaves begin to dry out and fall off, the shrub weakens and becomes less resistant to cold. Alternariosis most often enters the plant from plant residues on the soil surface, in which fungus spores develop.
Alternaria is treated with Bordeaux mixture before flowering and after fruiting. It is also important to remove fallen leaves and other plant debris from the area where gooseberries grow in time.
Shrinkage drying
The disease is of fungal origin, and the spores of the fungus usually fall on the gooseberry from uncleaned land, on which lie the remains of foliage and small twigs. The disease affects the bark of the plant, it becomes less elastic and becomes covered with cracks, in which, over time, small rounded growths of black color appear, representing the actual body of the fungus.
The treatment of the disease is carried out by radical pruning of all diseased parts, and gooseberries must also be treated with copper sulfate and Bordeaux mixture.
How to treat gooseberry diseases
Any gooseberry disease must be urgently treated to prevent the death of the plant. Usually processing is carried out by the following means:
- copper sulphate and garden pitch;
- Bordeaux liquid and Fundazol;
- manganese sulfate;
- iron and copper oxychloride;
- zinc and boron solutions.
Home remedies are also popular, such as tar soap, soda ash, lye and ash, which can remove a variety of fungi.
Treatment of plants from the fungus can be carried out throughout the warm season – from spring to autumn. Particular attention should be paid to prevention and treatment during the period of budding and flowering. But during fruiting, gooseberries should not be sprayed – chemical and toxic substances can make the fruits of the shrub unsuitable for human consumption.
Processing is usually carried out on cloudy days, so that the medicinal solutions from the leaves and shoots do not wash off the rain and do not dry out the sun. It is necessary not only to spray the leaves and shoots of the gooseberry, but also to shed the soil around it with medicinal solutions in order to protect the roots from diseases.
Preventive treatment of gooseberries from pests and diseases
The fight against pests and diseases of gooseberries is largely preventive – protecting a plant from diseases and insects is much easier than curing it. In the process of growing a plant, the following preventive measures must be observed:
- regularly dig and loosen the earth at the roots;
- timely remove all plant residues from the soil;
- annual pruning of weak and broken branches, it is customary to burn all removed parts of the plant;
- Inspect gooseberries regularly for any pests or symptoms of fungus.
Every spring and autumn, the plant must be sprayed prophylactically with Bordeaux liquid or mullein infusion, it is useful to add a solution of wood ash to the soil, all these substances eliminate fungi and insect larvae in the early stages.
How to treat gooseberries in the spring from diseases and pests
Spring processing of gooseberries and currants from pests and ailments involves the use of the following chemical and natural remedies:
- Prevention;
- copper sulfate mixed with urea;
- ammonium nitrate;
- infusion of wormwood or tobacco;
- Actofit and Aktellik;
- Score and Topaz.
In addition to spraying the gooseberries in the spring from pests and diseases, before the appearance of buds on the gooseberry branches, you can treat with boiling water. For this, boiling water is poured into ordinary watering cans and each bush is abundantly irrigated, making sure that hot water gets on all the shoots of the plant. Boiling water will not harm the gooseberry roots, because the earth is still cold, and hot water penetrates only into its upper layer. But the larvae of pests and fungal spores will not survive the heat treatment of gooseberries in the spring from diseases and pests.
How to treat gooseberries from pests and diseases in the fall
Since many pests and fungal diseases affect gooseberries in the summer and appear only the next year, it is recommended to carry out the autumn treatment of the plant. It is carried out after the leaves fall, and usually a 5% solution of baking soda, a 3% solution of iron sulfate and a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture are used.
Also in the fall, gooseberries can be treated with Karbofos, infusion of wood ash or homemade infusions on garlic and onion peel. Before the onset of winter, it is especially important to clean the soil around the gooseberries, burn all plant debris and mulch the soil with a dense layer of peat.
Conclusion
Diseases of gooseberries are mostly treatable, but it is very important to notice illnesses or pests in time. It is recommended to regularly inspect gooseberry bushes for damage, and if pests or fungus are found on the leaves, immediately spray with proven means.
