Mold on gooseberries: how to fight, what to do

Mold on gooseberries is a common occurrence. If you know how to prevent its occurrence and start treatment on time, you can save the crop.

What diseases cause mold

Mold is most often caused by fungal diseases. It is difficult to deal with them, so they usually try to take preventive measures. Failure to comply with the conditions of planting and care lead to the occurrence of such diseases.

Gray mold

Gray rot rarely appears on gooseberries, but leads to the formation of mold. This usually happens if the plant is not properly cared for. Shoots are affected from below, the berries begin to rot and eventually fall off. All diseased parts of the plant must be removed immediately, otherwise the mold will spread throughout the plant. Decrease in humidity and maintaining a sufficient distance between gooseberry bushes will help to avoid rot.

goblet rust

Appears as bright orange spots. The disease develops in early summer, fruits and leaves are affected. Mold looks like rust. In the middle of summer, such fruits fall along with the affected leaves. Dampness contributes to the rapid spread of mold on gooseberries.

American and European powdery mildew

American powdery mildew (sferoteka) usually occurs after the flowering of gooseberries. All parts of the plant are covered with a white coating of mold, which subsequently becomes brown. The disease can destroy the bush within 2 years.

European powdery mildew at the initial stage is similar to American white bloom, but it appears from mid-July and does not affect gooseberries. The mold does not change color during the entire period of the disease.

Causes of mold on gooseberries

Mold on gooseberries appears for a number of reasons:

• warm weather with high humidity;
• landing in a lowland or in the shade;
• too damp soil;
• infection from nearby plants or harmful insects;
• a large number of shoots around the gooseberry;
• excessive amount of nitrogen fertilizers;
• weeds that were not removed in a timely manner.

These factors lead to the occurrence of fungal diseases that cause mold.

What to do if the gooseberry is moldy

You can fight mold on gooseberries with both folk methods and chemical preparations. If processing is required during the ripening period of berries, then natural remedies are preferable.

Experienced gardeners use 5 basic folk methods to combat mold:

1. Manganese solution – perfectly removes the fungus from the leaves and fruits of gooseberries. In addition, the tool is able to stop the further development of the disease and its spread to healthy parts of the plant. The solution is prepared as follows – 15 g of potassium permanganate is added to 10 liters of water. Gooseberries are sprayed with the resulting mixture. The frequency of processing is 1 time in 10 days. Spray gooseberries with potassium permanganate until harvest.
2. Ash decoction – half a bucket of ash is mixed with 10 liters of water. This solution should be boiled for half an hour. To carry out the treatment, the agent is mixed with water in equal parts. To keep the solution on the gooseberry bush, laundry soap is added to it and then the plant is sprayed.
3. manure solution – fertilizer is poured with water at the rate of half a bucket per 10 liters and left to infuse for 3 days. The infusion should be stirred every day. After the manure has stood for the right time, it is filtered. Dilute with water at the rate of 1:10 immediately before spraying. Treatment to combat mold is carried out every 7-10 days.
4. Infusion of organic ingredients – prepare it from rotted hay and forest litter in equal quantities. Greenhouse soil is also added to the mixture. The resulting composition is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 3, infused for 3 days, then gooseberries are sprayed.

In order to fight mold on gooseberries, fungicides are used:

1. Topaz – a substance with a systemic effect, destroys the fungus in the phase of active growth of spores and their manifestations from the fruit link. Any weather conditions are suitable for the use of the drug. A visible effect is observed already on the 3rd day, the treatment is carried out for 14 days in the spring before and after flowering. The main plus of this drug for fighting mold is that it is non-toxic.
2. Fundazole – means of a wide spectrum of action. It has low toxicity. Processing is carried out in hot weather, the higher the air temperature, the higher the effect. To combat mold, gooseberries are sprayed with foundationazole before flowering and after harvesting. The plant is protected by the drug for 10 to 20 days.
3. Topsin – is a systemic drug that is used both for the treatment and for the prevention of mold on gooseberries. The substance accumulates in the roots of the plant and fights the fungus. The effect is achieved in 3 days and lasts for 25-30 days.
4. But – a therapeutic and prophylactic drug for the fight against fungal infections of gooseberries. Bushes can be sprayed in any weather. The plant will be protected for about 15 days.

Preventive measures

Preventing mold on gooseberries is much easier than fighting it later. A number of preventive measures will help:

• Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology, maintain the required distance during planting, avoiding thickening, remove damaged and weakened parts of the plant.
• Removal from the soil under the bushes of leaves and other vegetation where the fungus can live, as well as loosening the top layer.
• Experienced gardeners advise to treat the bush with boiling water twice a season, this will destroy the spores of the fungus.
• The use of special tools that increase the plant’s resistance to diseases. You can use the Zircon preparation in spring and autumn.
• Avoid an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, feed gooseberries with phosphorus-potassium compounds.

Disease resistant gooseberry varieties

Gardeners prefer to plant gooseberry varieties that are resistant to fungal diseases, so as not to fight them later. These crops have no worse performance than the rest – growth rate, taste and fruit size. The most popular varieties:

1. African – fruits are almost black in color, oval in shape. It tastes like black currant. The variety is winter-hardy, the bush is medium spreading, there are practically no thorns.

   

2. Negus – has a powerful bush up to 2 m high, the shoots are covered with thorns. The berries are smooth without pubescence, black-blue outside, reddish inside, have a sweet and sour taste. The fruits do not fall off when ripe.

   

3. Isabel – the bush is tall, but compact, there are few thorns, cherry-colored berries, with a little fluff. It winters well, but is prone to fruit shedding.

   

4. Neslukhovsky – an early variety with a slightly spreading bush about 1,5 m high. There are thorns on the shoots, the leaves are slightly pubescent. The berries are colored from dark red to purple. The pulp inside is tender, sweet and sour taste. Strong branches securely hold the fruits.

   

5. yellow – bushes of medium size with an average height of 1 m, spreading crown. There are few thorns, they are mainly located at the roots. The berries are large, honey-yellow with a wax coating. The peel is medium in thickness.

   

6. red – the ripening period is late, the berries are oval dark red without pubescence, but with a bloom. The variety is high-yielding and winter-hardy with high self-fertility.

   

7. Seed of Lefort – a variety with a medium early fruiting period. The bush is sprawling, the shoots are thin with a small number of thorns. Berries of medium size, rich red color with a pleasant dessert taste. It has high winter hardiness and productivity.

   

These varieties and hybrids should be purchased only in specialized nurseries, then their health and required characteristics will be guaranteed.

Conclusion

Mold on gooseberries – although an unpleasant phenomenon, it can be eliminated. Modern drugs can effectively fight the fungus. And if you follow the rules of gooseberry farming, then it can be completely avoided.