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White mold on gooseberries is a fairly common phenomenon. Any gardener will tell you that it is not easy to grow gooseberries on the site, since the culture is often affected by various fungal diseases: powdery mildew, gray or green mold. And since there are no varieties that are not susceptible to these diseases, the only thing that remains is the prevention of dangerous diseases and the active fight against them.
Features of growing gooseberries
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, plants need to be given a lot of attention.
In general, the culture is undemanding, but there are some features that must be considered when planting and further growing.
The area for planting gooseberries should be as lit as possible. In the shade, the yield will be low, the berries will be small, and the bush itself will often get sick.
No less important for the culture is moderate humidity, which is desirable to maintain constantly.
The gooseberry is moisture-loving, but excessive moisture is just as harmful to it as drought. If the plant is constantly in moist soil, rotting of the root neck of the shoots develops, which leads to the death of the entire bush.
Gooseberries should not be planted in heavy clay or podzolic soils – the likelihood of fungal diseases also increases in such land.
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 between the rows, it can be drastically dug up.
Weed removal is a very important condition for the healthy appearance of plants. Many weeds are a good environment for the growth and reproduction of various viruses and bacteria that can easily migrate to gooseberry bushes.
In late autumn, after the leaves fall 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 gooseberries. To combat them, it is necessary to spray the bushes with insecticides, biological products (for example, Karbofos), and an ash solution.
One of the biggest challenges of growing gooseberries is their susceptibility to fungal diseases. Berries, leaves and even shoots rot, become moldy, which also requires regular treatment of the bushes.
Many problems can be avoided if you choose the right place to plant a crop. If the gooseberry is planted in the sun, then the likelihood of fungal infection is significantly reduced, since wet leaves and berries dry out quickly 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 transplanting it to a sunny place – it is most likely that it will begin to grow and bear fruit better there.
Mold infestation
White, gray or greenish bloom on the gooseberry is a sign of its defeat by the fungus. The most common fungal disease is powdery mildew. The spores of this fungus are very tenacious – they safely winter in the ground, and in the 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 loose white coating;
- then the coating becomes denser, acquires a yellow or grayish tint;
- over time, the entire bush, including leaves and shoots, is covered with bloom;
- if the bushes are not processed in time, the plaque dries up and becomes brown;
- if the bush grows in the shade or with 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 nutrition of the mycelium occurs 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 we should not forget that in the absence of therapeutic measures, the complete death of the bush is possible. The leaves affected by the fungus curl and dry, the berries dry up and fall off, and in a very humid environment, fruit rot is possible.
Video “American powdery mildew on gooseberries”
This video is about the prevention and treatment of a fungal disease that affects all parts of the gooseberry (leaves, ovaries, berries and young shoots).
Causes of appearance
The appearance of plaque on the 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 soil and air humidity – in the rainy season, in cloudy weather, with too intensive watering, the most favorable conditions for the development of the disease are created;
- insufficient distance between gooseberry bushes – even if only one bush is affected, the spores of the fungus are quickly spread to nearby plants if they are planted at a distance closer than 1,5–2 m;
- neighborhood with weeds – weeds are good carriers of infections and bacteria;
- heavy soil – dense earth passes air very poorly and dries 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.
Mold control
The surest way to fight fungal diseases is prevention. Gooseberries should be sprayed at least three times per season: before flowering, immediately after it ends and in the fall before the leaves begin to fall. The last time, before wintering, the bushes are treated especially carefully, since the fungus will fall into the ground with fallen leaves, and in the spring it will manifest itself again. Spores are perfectly preserved in dry foliage, so after falling it must be collected and burned.
If powdery mildew nevertheless appeared on the gooseberry, then there are several ways to deal with it, which will be described later.
Spraying with a solution of soap and copper sulfate. In 10 liters of water, it is necessary to dissolve 20 g of vitriol and 100–150 g of laundry soap. Technically, making such a solution is not easy, since both components are poorly soluble in water. So that the soap dissolves quickly, it must be grated. Vitriol is stirred in hot water and only then poured into a soapy solution.
Fungicide treatment. Before flowering and during it, gooseberries can be sprayed with special preparations against powdery mildew (Topaz, Vectra, Cumulus). When processing, it is very important to follow the dosage indicated in the instructions.
Tillage around the bush. You can prevent the appearance of mold on gooseberries if, in advance, before the appearance of the buds, pour the earth around the bush with a solution of vitriol (10–15 g / 5–7 l of water). A more natural way to prevent plaque on berries is a solution of soap and baking soda (2 tablespoons of soda, 50 g of soap / 10 liters of water). Soda solution can not only water the ground, but also spray the plant itself.
Spraying with a solution of soda and aspirin. For a working solution, you need to take 1 tablespoon of soda, liquid soap and vegetable oil, 1 tablet of aspirin and mix all this in 5 liters of water. This solution can be used to treat gooseberries throughout the spring-summer period with an interval between sprayings of 2 weeks.
Treatment of bushes and soil with a solution of ash. Furnace ash (2 kg) should be filled with water (10 l), mixed and boiled for 30 minutes. The cooled solution is filtered and sprayed on the bushes 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 watered 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 product three times with a break of 3 days from the moment when the inflorescences begin to bloom on the gooseberries.
Infusion of onion peel. Dried husk (200 g) is poured with boiling water (10 l) and infused for 2 days. The resulting infusion is sprayed on the bushes before and after flowering, and then in late autumn, when the gooseberry leaves turn yellow.
Liquid mullein. For 3 parts of water, you need to take 1 part of manure, stir and infuse for 3 days. Then strain the resulting solution, dilute with water to a volume of 10 liters and treat the bushes three times: before and after flowering, and also before the leaves fall.
These simple recipes or ready-made remedies will help restore health to your gooseberries. However, try not to let the fruits become covered with bloom, carry out preventive maintenance in time, and then the bushes will delight you with delicious berries every summer.
Video “Treatment of gooseberries from mold”
The author of this video shares his personal experience of ridding his berry bush from a mold infection.
