Currant is an unpretentious shrub, but often gardeners think about why currant leaves turn yellow? Premature yellowness of leaves appears more often on bushes of red and white currants, but owners of varieties of large black currants are also sometimes upset about this.
Why currant leaves turn yellow: the main reasons
Subjected to certain diseases and pest attacks, blackcurrant can lose the quality of its fruits. The leaves of the plant are twisted, covered with brown spots, turn yellow and fall. Massive damage to the leaves of the shrub can lead to a weakened state and even to the death of the plant.
The main causes of yellowing currant leaves are as follows:
- Incorrect landing. The development of the bush depends on the correct choice of the landing site. Currants prefer fertile, loamy, well-moistened soil. The plant will develop poorly in dry, unprotected from the winds, as well as marshy places.
- Inconsistency with the temperature of landing. Often the question of why currant leaves turn yellow, worries those gardeners who practice planting young bushes in early spring. In the spring, frosts are still possible, and low temperature inhibits the growth of currant buds. The optimum temperature for the intensive growth and development of the plant is + 18 + 20 ° C. Therefore, young bushes develop better if they are planted in autumn.
- Incorrect formation of a young bush of currant. When buying a young plant, they look to have from 4 to 6 strong stems and a developed root system. When planting a bush in the soil, you need to short-cut all its shoots, thereby enhancing the growth and formation of new, high-quality shoots. If this procedure is not done, the plant may simply not withstand the large number of emerging leaves. As a result, the leaves of blackcurrant turn yellow and whole shoots dry.
- Nutrient-poor soil. Blackcurrant must be fertilized with nitrogen, phosphorus every yearand potash substances. The standard recommended ratio of organic or mineral substances to support one currant bush is as follows: ammonium nitrate - 40 g, superphosphate - 40 g, potassium chloride - 30 g. After 6-7 years, lime should be added to the soil around the plant if the soil is too acidic. In order to increase productivity and increase the growth of shoots, you should regularly and properly care for the bush.
- Currant and inflorescence leaves are often affected by small aphids and fungi. As a result, they turn yellow, roll into tubes, or become covered with small mounds of fungal diseases. The sheet plate becomes hard, bumpy and disappears over time. These and other diseases arise from improper agricultural technology - an unsuitable place for planting a bush and poor-quality feeding;
- If the currant bush is already old, large, fruiting for many years, then the question why the currant leaves turn yellow, the answer is obvious - from time to time. The productive life of this plant is 16-18 years. But proper care, including regular feeding, shaping and pruning of shoots of the bush, extends the life of currants for another ten years.
Now you know why currant leaves turn yellow. In order for the bush to please you with heavy clusters of its healing berries next year, take care of it this year, adhering to our recommendations for caring for the plant.