If you planted a luxurious gooseberry bush on your garden plot, you need to provide him with proper care. Regular watering, of course, is not enough, you also need to carefully monitor that signs of a bacterial or fungal disease do not appear on it. One of the obvious symptoms of damage is the deformation and yellowing of the leaves, as well as white plaque on the gooseberry. This plant is subject to the same parasites and diseases as currants. It is only worth noting that the degree of its defeat is usually stronger, and the infection spreads through the shrub much faster. If you do not take the necessary measures in time, you can not only remain without a crop, but even destroy the bush.
If in early spring a white coating is found on young leaves and tops of the shoots, on the gooseberries the shoots become curved and gradually dry out, then it is highly likely that the bush was struck by the so-called American powdery mildew. Black, white and red currants are also susceptible to this phytoinfection. But, of course, the gooseberry plant still suffers the most from it. As the disease develops, a red coating will appear on the fruit formations of the bush, it covers the stems and leaves, leading to their death. The felt cover of the leaves will turn a dirty white tint.
Powdery mildew inevitably leads to the death of the plant.
Most often, white plaque on gooseberries is found during prolonged cloudy and rainy weather. It is with high humidity that the disease progresses and affects all new parts of the bush. In the heat and during prolonged drought, the development of this fungal infection stops and fades into the background. The causative agent of powdery mildew spends the cold period of the year in fallen leaves and fruits or on the plant itself. And from the beginning of the new season, as soon as new sprouts begin to appear, gardeners and gardeners will again inevitably discover a white coating on the gooseberry.
It is very difficult to destroy the pathogenic phyto-fungus, since it hibernates not only in plant debris, but also on the living shoots themselves. Firstly, it is necessary to buy young seedlings not at the bazaars with hands, but in specialized nurseries and stores that have phytosanitary control certificates and quality certificates. Secondly, it is necessary to constantly carry out preventive work. So, the most common way to prevent the development of the disease is scalding the bush. In the spring, the tops of the plants are abundantly sprayed with hot water, heated to a temperature of 90 degrees. In the case when the external parasites on the gooseberry have already shown themselves, it is urgent to remove the affected parts of the shrubbery secateurs. All cut material is carried outside the garden and completely burned. In autumn, all fallen fruits and leaves are scooped out from under the plant.
If outbreaks of powdery mildew have already been noted on the site, then the following steps must be performed. Before flowering, the bush is treated with a solution of colloidal sulfur: per 1 liter - 4 grams of the substance. In the second half of summer, it is not recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers to the soil, but phosphorus and potash will be very useful, they will bring tangible benefits and strengthen the plant's immunity. Copper vitriol against powdery mildew in 1% concentration has perfectly proved itself.