Many summer residents planted currant bushes on the site. This berry is extremely useful, it grows well in the middle lane and tolerates frosty winters. But, like any garden shrub, it has its enemies and pests. Quite often there is a kidney tick on currant, the control measures of which are cardinal and soft.
How to identify a pest and what damage does a tick cause?
A small insect, a currant bud mite spends its entire life on a currant bush. This is a small (0.15-0.3 mm) creature with an elongated body in females. In the proboscis area are 2 pairs of legs and 1 pair of legs. Females are twice as large as males. If a kidney tick appears on currant, measures to combat it can lead to different consequences. Therefore, you should act very carefully.
The insect hibernates in the kidneys, and with the onset of heat is activated. Females lay eggs in young kidneys. Soon, larvae hatch from them. As they grow, they become crowded in one kidney, and they spread to neighboring ones. So the whole bush is affected, as well as everything next to it growing. The way the young tick hit the young shoots, the photos show the best.
The diseased kidney does not develop, and if an shoot grows from it, then it mutates. In addition to the fact that the number of shoots is reduced and the yield on currants is smaller, the insect is a carrier of viruses. From it, a bush can become infected with curly or marbling. Currants are not treated for viruses, and the bush must be removed. There are several methods of struggle. Among them, it is worth choosing the most convenient and suitable.
Boiling water is the most effective means
Most gardeners try to solve the problem with the least loss. Pouring boiling water over kills all the larvae - they are welded, but the bush is not harmed, on the contrary, it becomes stronger. In addition, this process increases the plant's immunity against powdery mildew.
When watering, you must follow several rules. Firstly, do not use 100% boiling water. While the water is being carried into the garden, while it is being poured into a watering can, it cools down a bit, which prevents damage to young buds. Secondly, in order for the shower to be more effective, it is necessary to link the branches together, to make them more compact.
The disadvantage is that the kidney mite on the currant anticipates the measures against it. It begins its activity with the first warm rays, and at the same time, the kidneys begin to swell. If the bush has already woken up, then it is impossible to process it. You need to choose a period when it is already warmer, but there is no green haze on the bush. Also, dirt on the site can make work difficult. Dousing (except for the spring period) can be carried out in the winter, when the currant drops off the leaves and damaged buds become visible.
Manual removal
Patience and attention require manual selection of the kidneys. In this case, the main thing is not to miss the time. It is proposed to study how the kidney tick on currants behaves, photos, measures to combat it. The kidneys should be round, swollen and resemble heads of cabbage. If one of them has already opened, then the tick from it, most likely, has already switched to another.
Sorting buds can be done in winter or early spring. The disadvantage of this method is that when carrying out such a process in the spring, the probability of removing young shoots is high. Before opening, all the kidneys swell, so visually distinguishing patients from healthy ones becomes difficult.
Another drawback is that you need to study absolutely the whole bush. If at least one infected kidney is left, then the reproduction of the pest will continue. Measures against currant kidney mite will be unsuccessful. The key to successful removal of the kidneys is to carefully study photos of the affected bushes. Only with full confidence that the gardener will be able to remove all the diseased parts of the bush, you can proceed to the inspection. After getting rid of the infected kidneys, they are collected in one place and burned.
Sulfur Chemicals
Among insecticides, colloidal sulfur and calcareous broth (ISO) stand out. A currant bud mite, control measures which can have a negative effect on the bush, does not tolerate sulfur, as it is sensitive to this element. It is used as a solution of 10 g per 1 liter of water. Bushes process it during the beginning of flowering and after its completion. The second time you can make a less strong solution. Although this year the crop may be spoiled, but next year it will recover.
ISO is used in the same way. The solution for the first spraying is 2%, and for the second - 1%. When spraying, you need to carefully process all affected and healthy branches, as well as the ground at the roots of the plant. Some drugs can be used before the period of kidney swelling. You must read the instructions so as not to make a mistake with the proportions.
In addition to combating ticks, sulfur increases the immunity of currants against fungal diseases. In some varieties of plants, preparations with its content cause leaf falling. This must be found out before spraying.
Drastic measures - pruning
When a kidney tick on a currant ignores control measures and continues to develop, it is necessary to proceed to cardinal actions. These include cutting the bush under the root in the autumn period or its complete destruction.
In the first case, shoots of damaged currants are cut in autumn. All of them are collected and burned so that the parasite does not spread further. This procedure will not harm the currant. In the spring, new shoots appear and a healthy bush is formed. The only drawback - the crop may not be at all or for several years. Until the bush recovers, it will be significantly lower than before pruning. Usually rejuvenation of the bush gives only a positive result.
The second method is suitable for heavily affected bushes with signs of viral diseases. If you do not get rid of it in time, the parasite can spread to other garden crops. The bush is dug up and burned in the place where it grew.
One of the most harmful viruses is the kidney mite on the currant. How to deal with it, few know. After all, he can remain on the tools with which they cut the bush or dug it. For prevention, they can be treated with any modern detergents or special chemicals.
Folk remedies
How to deal with a kidney tick without using dangerous measures? You can use folk remedies for this. These include tea and garlic. Garlic is a plant that repels many parasites and carriers of various diseases. It can be planted between currant bushes as a prophylactic.
If infection has occurred, then before and after flowering can be sprayed with a strong garlic broth. To do this, take 100-200 g of peeled garlic, finely chopped and pour boiling water (10 l). After mixing the broth, you can start spraying the bushes. If flowering has already begun, then the tincture can greatly affect the pollination process. As an alternative means for spraying, you can use a decoction of dandelion, walnut or tobacco.
Tea leaves are prepared in a proportion of 50 g per 25 liters of water. It is treated by young cuttings before planting. Twigs for 3 hours are immersed in the solution. You can soak in a defended broth. In a day it will become less harmful and will not burn fragile planting material.
Acaricides - an alternative to sulfur
Many gardeners do not know what else the kidney tick on currants is afraid of, measures to combat which can harm the bush. Acaricidal prophylaxis is best understood. They produce spraying not only from a tick, but also from other insect pests. On the market, preparations of this category are presented in a wide assortment. Before use, read the instructions for use.
Prevention as the best method of struggle
If a kidney tick appears on blackcurrant, measures to combat it can be different. But it is better not to allow its appearance. To do this, periodically update the bushes, monitor the quality of young plants. Timely feeding, fertilizing and proper care will strengthen the currant's immunity to ticks and other diseases.
For every gardener, a big test is a currant bud. How to deal with it correctly, few people know, because there are many methods. If you have time, you can try several of them. But the sooner the fight against the tick begins, the less damage it will cause to the plant.