EntranceHow to spray gooseberries against powdery mildew if berries appear. Powdery mildew of gooseberries, signs, methods of control
Gooseberries have a bright, unique taste and contain a huge amount of vitamin C. The appearance of a white coating on the bush may indicate the presence of powdery mildew on the plant. This type The fungus quickly develops, infecting other plants and ultimately destroying them. Therefore, you should find out how to deal with powdery mildew on gooseberries and when prevention should be carried out.
How to recognize powdery mildew
Powdery mildew- Spherotheca fungus, which spreads through spores, getting on vegetation from neighboring plants that suffer from it. It affects not only gooseberries, but also currants, cucumbers and other crops. Humid weather and temperatures of 17-28 degrees contribute to its development.
The main symptom of powdery mildew is a whitish-gray coating on the fruits and leaves. It is quite thin and looks like dust at the beginning of the disease, but over time it becomes denser and begins to turn black. Small balls appear on the surface of the leaf Brown- these are the fruiting bodies of the spheroteca mushroom. Powdery mildew can be noticed already during the blooming period of the plant, then on ripening berries and new shoots.
How does powdery mildew spread?
Leaves that are sick begin to dry out, and the shoots become crooked at the ends, darken and die. Most often, the disease affects leaves and shoots that are located near the ground. But over time, the infection gradually rises higher and infects the entire plant. If you don’t figure out how to deal with powdery mildew on gooseberries, if the berries have already appeared, they will crack and rot.
IN winter period The sphere library is located on the tops of the current year's gooseberry shoots. Favorable conditions promote the development of the fungus, during which active release of spores occurs. The disease then spreads throughout the plant, inhibiting its vital functions. Affected bushes become crooked and stop developing. Powdery mildew should be combated, both on gooseberries, currants, and other plants that are susceptible to this disease.
Factors influencing the development of powdery mildew
Powdery mildew fungus begins to spread when high humidity in warm weather. The most favorable conditions for its growth are moderate air temperatures, while the humidity should be about 90%. During hot days, when the thermometer shows values above 28 degrees, the fungus slows down its development and begins to die off.
The degree of development of powdery mildew greatly depends on the climate in the season when it appears on the plant. This is due to weather conditions, which may differ over several years. In a period of two to three days to a week, the disease affects all young growths and ovaries. In a hot year, when there is little rain, fungal spores develop poorly, so summer residents can enjoy a rich gooseberry harvest.
The spread of powdery mildew is influenced by the following factors:
· use of some soil disintegrants for growing plants;
· distance between gooseberry bushes;
· excessive watering, etc.
Powdery mildew attacks plants that grow in low areas of the garden faster and more abundantly. The soil there breathes worse, and water often collects in the lowlands, which is an opportunity for fungus ideal conditions for development.
Summer residents themselves can also provoke outbreaks of the disease on their vegetation. They can heavily flood gooseberry bushes and also use dark materials as mulch. When using such agricultural techniques, the humidity and temperature of the air directly near the plant increases, which has a beneficial effect on the fungus and its reproduction.
Some insects can also cause the disease. Leaves that have been eaten or dried out become most vulnerable to fungus. Appearance large quantity shoots can cause excessive thinning and improper pruning.
How to deal with powdery mildew on gooseberries
In order to get rid of powdery mildew, first of all you need to tear off all the diseased parts and burn them. If this is not done, then they will accumulate a large number of harmful spores, in the spring they will infect new branches, as well as other shrubs. It is important to know how to deal with powdery mildew on gooseberries. In case of disease, plants are treated with fungicides at least a month before harvest.
Why does powdery mildew appear?
Powdery mildew spores are always present in the soil. They are discovered extremely rarely, because they begin to manifest themselves only under certain conditions. In sunny and warm weather, good watering and feeding plants, the fungus in rare cases can infect shrubs. When the temperature drops to 12-15 degrees, which lasts for some time, powdery mildew begins to actively manifest itself.
So, let’s highlight the main factors that contribute to plant infection:
· raw, cool weather With high humidity air about 80%;
· excess nitrogen content in the soil;
· plants planted too densely;
· the soil was initially very dry and then flooded with water;
· watering the plant occurs even if the top layer of soil has not yet dried after the previous irrigation.
Such conditions are favorable for fungal spores, in which case they wake up and can infect other plants. It is worth noting that they can be transported quite quickly by wind or water. Another option for their spread is the clothes and skin of the gardener, who, by coming into contact with infected plants, transfers the disease to healthy ones.
What measures are taken to combat the fungus?
The easiest way is to time it preventive measures, then what to do with treating gooseberries for powdery mildew. Strict adherence to certain rules will help you get good harvest berries. They begin to fight powdery mildew on gooseberries, both in autumn and in early spring.
Measures to combat the fungus are divided into:
· agrotechnical;
natural and chemicals For external processing;
· preventive methods.
Such measures are aimed at improving the plant’s own protective capabilities, as well as at the fastest ripening of their integumentary tissues.
Disease prevention
In order to avoid the appearance of powdery mildew, you must:
· periodically thin out plants;
· tear off lower leaves, since they are in contact with the ground;
· water the plants when the soil is well dry;
· don't get carried away nitrogen fertilizers;
· feed plants with phosphorus-potassium mixtures.
At the beginning of spring, before the trees bud, gooseberries are poured with boiling water. This procedure is carried out instantly, using a watering can. Pour over the branches completely, without lingering in one area. Such rapid exposure to boiling water will not harm the plant, but the powdery mildew spores will have time to die. You can also use a household steam cleaner.
Treatment of powdery mildew
To effectively treat the disease, the mycelium and spores of the fungus should be removed.
How to fight powdery mildew on gooseberries?
· stop all spraying;
· do not feed those gooseberry bushes where the fungus is already appearing;
· do as much as possible quality lighting plants;
· thin out planted bushes, get rid of dried leaves and branches;
· plants planted in pots need to renew the top layer of soil;
· water or spray the gooseberries and the ground around them with an anti-fungal agent.
Can be used special means or self-made substances.
How to fight powdery mildew on gooseberries using folk remedies
Soap emulsion from soda ash:
liquid soap - 5 grams;
· soda ash - 25 grams;
· hot water - 5 liters.
It is necessary to add soda ash to hot water and stir the composition until it is completely dissolved, gradually adding liquid soap. After the mixture has cooled, treat the gooseberry bushes and the soil located near them (its top layer). The procedure should be performed at least 2 times every week.
Decoction of horsetail:
· fresh horsetail grass - 100 grams;
· water - 1 liter.
The plant is placed in water for a day. After which it is boiled for 2 hours. When the broth has cooled, it is filtered from the herbs. Store the infusion in a cool place, away from sun rays and light throughout the week. Before applying the product, it must be diluted with water 1:5. Treat gooseberry bushes every 5 days, doing the procedure 3-4 times.
Soap emulsion from vitriol:
- soap - 50 grams;
- vitriol - 5 grams;
- water - 5 liters.
Dissolve in different glasses with warm water vitriol and soap. Then both remedies are combined, gradually pouring vitriol into soap solution, constantly stirring the resulting mixture. The prepared product is used to treat sick plants 2-3 times every 7 days.
Chemicals for powdery mildew
Topaz is a fungicide that is often used to treat various fungal infections and is the most used remedy by gardeners. Its main active ingredient is penconazole. To spray gooseberries, dissolve 1 ampoule in 10 liters of water and 5 liters for flowers. Use only fresh solution, distributing it evenly throughout the plant. Treat every 2 weeks, since its protective properties end after this time. Topaz is dangerous to fish and is moderately toxic to people and animals.
Tilt CE - systemic fungicide, which is used as a medicine and prevention of fungus. The active ingredient is propiconazole. It is a concentrated emulsion. The product can suppress the formation of fungal spores, which prevents the development of the disease. Can enter plant tissue, which makes it moisture resistant. It has a long duration of action; at elevated temperatures, the effectiveness of the product increases.
The emulsion is prepared shortly before treatment in a concentration of 0.4-0.5 ml. per liter of water. It should not be used at temperatures above 29 degrees and humidity less than 60%. The product protects plants for about 3 weeks, and a noticeable result occurs within 2 hours. The drug poses a danger to fish and bees.
Weaknesses of powdery mildew
Before you fight powdery mildew on gooseberries, you should take into account that the disease is fungal in nature. Three methods of plant treatment are used: agrotechnical, chemical, and agrochemical. When using the first method, you need to immediately cut off areas where the fungus accumulates, and also do scheduled pruning of shoots before and at the end growing season plants. It is better to do preliminary prevention of such a phenomenon as gooseberry powdery mildew. It is not too early to fight the disease in the spring; with the arrival of warmth, you need to begin to free the bushes from damaged and old branches, and the ground from last year’s foliage.
It should be taken into account that mushrooms form spores 2 times a year. Therefore, gooseberries need to be processed before and after they bloom, as well as when autumn comes. It is better to carry out the procedure in the evening, generously watering the entire plant and the soil under it. A sprayer is used for this. wide range, thoroughly watering the underside of the gooseberry leaves. Before you fight powdery mildew on gooseberries, you need to remove the affected areas before starting to process the plant.
If the shoots are formed correctly, they will be strong and able to resist powdery mildew. Gooseberries should be fed with potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. Avoid using nitrogen fertilizing, they inhibit the growth of shoots, which leads to their damage by fungus. If a large area with plants has been damaged, then strong chemicals must be used.
You should start fighting powdery mildew, both on gooseberries and other plants, with the onset of spring. Using natural ways or chemicals, bushes should be treated with them regularly. Experienced gardeners also recommend promptly starting treatment of the disease and carrying out periodic prevention. It is necessary to combat powdery mildew on gooseberries, both in June and in autumn, after the active growth of the plant has completed.
Usually, gooseberry bushes that grow in one place for a long time are sooner or later affected by powdery mildew. Not every gardener will decide to get rid of such a bush, especially if it is rare and delicious variety. Therefore, the question of how to get rid of powdery mildew becomes relevant.
There are many different ways how to defeat this fungus. Some of them are based on folk methods, for others the use of chemicals is recommended. It is up to the gardener to decide which of the proposed ones to choose.
Powdery mildew: what is it, how does the disease affect the berry harvest
It is easy to determine whether a bush is infected. A cobwebby loose layer forms on the berries. white coating, which over time develops into dense brown spots. Gradually, the fungus moves from the berries to the shoots, bending them, and then to the leaves, causing them to turn yellow and curl.
The berries begin to crack and crumble before they even ripen. If appropriate measures are not taken in time, gooseberry powdery mildew will infect and ruin the entire crop, and eventually destroy the entire plant.
Did you know? Gooseberries belong to the family of the same name. Its natural habitat is Western Europe and North Africa, although today it is distributed throughout the world. wild plant settles in forests and on mountain slopes.
How to get rid of powdery mildew, country methods
The scourge must be dealt with immediately after detection. If the berries have already appeared, they are mercilessly destroyed along with the affected shoots. If the disease was detected before the buds bloomed, appropriate measures must be taken immediately.
Important! The fungus releases spores twice a year: in spring and summer. Accordingly, the bushes must be treated three times: before flowers appear on the bush, immediately after flowering, and also before the bush sheds its leaves. The plant is not sprayed, but soaked generously. All the litter is collected around the bush, and the ground is treated with the same composition as the bush. All work is carried out in the evening.
How to defeat powdery mildew? We offer several proven folk methods.
Use of saltpeter
Used for fighting different types saltpeter, but in approximately the same proportion. So, to treat bushes after flowering they do solution ammonium nitrate
:take 50 g of product per bucket of water. Also used potassium nitratetogether with potassium permanganate in a ratio of 50 g and 3 g per bucket of water.
Aspirin and soda
When a white coating appears on the gooseberry bushes, prepare a solution of soda with the addition of aspirin and soap. The latter is necessary so that the product sticks well to the bush, lingering on it.
For a bucket of water take approximately 50–60 g of soda and approximately 10 g of liquid or grated laundry soap . It is important that the solution is thick enough. It is necessary to spray every week two to three times.
How to remove white plaque on gooseberries using ash
Among the safest folk remedies for powdery mildew is solution wood ash . To prepare it, you need to take a kilogram of ash, clean it and sift it. Then heat a bucket of water and dissolve the purified ash in it.
It needs to sit for about a week, stirring occasionally. Moreover, on the last day they do not touch it, giving it the opportunity to settle well.
Then you need to strain it, add laundry soap and use it for its intended purpose. Treatment of bushes should be carried out in calm weather in the evening. Leave a little solution, add water to it and water the bush.
Did you know? Today there are about one and a half thousand cultivated varieties of gooseberries. Its berries contain vitamins, sugars, useful acids. It is consumed both raw and used to make jam, marmalade, jelly, and wine. Sometimes used for medicinal purposes.
Using kefir or sour milk
Surprisingly, the fight against powdery mildew folk remedies has in stock such a remedy as fermented milk products - sour milk and kefir.
The fact is that their consistency helps create a kind of film on the plant that interferes with the mycelium’s breathing. At the same time, the gooseberry itself receives useful material and gets healthier.
To prepare the solution, use lactic acid products and water in a ratio of 1:10. In this case, the bushes are treated only in dry weather. This must be done three times in three days.
Treatment of powdery mildew with horsetail
Another folk remedy for powdery mildew on gooseberries is horsetail. To prepare the solution, take 100 g of a fresh plant and add a liter of water.
After a day, the infusion is brought to a boil and boiled for a couple of hours. Then it must be cooled and strained. The concentrate is diluted with water 1:5 and the bushes are treated.
If you have to treat an already infected plant, it must be treated with this solution every five days for three to four cycles. However, the method is effective only at the initial stage of the disease. For prevention, bushes are treated against powdery mildew in the spring.
Use of drugs in the treatment of powdery mildew on gooseberries
There are many traditional methods of fighting fungus. There are a number of chemicals, which really quickly and effectively fight the disease.
But some gardeners prefer a less reliable, but safer for plants and humans, bacterial treatment method. Let's look at each of them, so that every gardener who has a sick gooseberry can independently decide what to spray the plant with.
Important! Infection with powdery mildew spores can occur through the air from other infected plants or trees, through contaminated water for irrigation, even through the hands of a gardener who touched the infected plant before touching the gooseberry bush. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the disease does not appear on other plants in the garden.
Use of chemicals (fungicides)
Current fungicidal agents can effectively combat powdery mildew. They penetrate the plant cells, treat it, protect it and suppress the development of fungus.
Depending on what means you decide to fight the disease with, you need to treat the bushes from one to four times with a break of about 7-10 days.
The most popular drugs for powdery mildew are: 
- Amistar Extra;
- Vitaros;
- Speed;
- Previkur;
- Acrobat MC;
- Topaz;
- Fundazol.
Biofungicides: how to cure gooseberries using biological preparations
In the fight against white scourge, fungicides of biological origin are also used.
First of all, this fresh manure cattle. To prepare the solution, take a third of a bucket of manure, which is filled with water until the bucket is full.
The mixture is infused for three days, then filtered and diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. Dilute the infusion each time before processing. 
Weeds from the garden that are used in cooking are also useful in the fight against powdery mildew. fermented grass. It is necessary to finely chop half a bucket of weeds, pour them hot water to the very top of the container and stir. The mixture is also infused for several days, filtered and used undiluted.
Actions for prevention
Prevention consists, first of all, in proper care behind the bushes. So, you need to make sure that the planting does not thicken, has moderate humidity, and the soil is sufficiently fertilized with organic matter.
Be sure to prune old branches and those that do not bear fruit well. It is also recommended to place the tops of tomatoes and potatoes under the bush, watering them with a solution of EM preparations.
Today, the site’s specialists are ready to solve issues with plant diseases and pests on a “turnkey” basis, and therefore we really hope that our efforts will help each of our readers.
Signs of powdery mildew on gooseberries
Recognize a serious illness cultivated plant It’s very simple, you just need to pay attention to the bush and berries in time.
The fruits are covered with a white coating or a light white-yellow film, which dries out and turns into thicker formations that affect the entire surface. Powdery mildew can also spread to leaves, but it is more common on currant bushes.
Gooseberry fruits under the influence dangerous disease change in shape, become smaller, develop poorly and dry out, and the leaves curl, dry out and lead the plant to death.
Due to the rapid development of the disease, it must be combated very actively, otherwise the lesions can spread not only to one bush and ruin its harvest, but also spread to nearby plants, thereby depriving you of the entire harvest.
Powdery mildew can attack gooseberries from other plants, for example, from currants, strawberries and others, but it often happens that the causative agent of the disease simply overwinters in the soil and in a favorable period moves onto the plants.
How to protect plants from powdery mildew
There are many preventive methods, which we have already discussed in a number of articles, where the topic of powdery mildew on shrubs and trees (for example, apple trees) was touched upon. vegetable crops and even flowers. But the main problem The fact is that many summer residents are in no hurry to carry out prevention, but are ready to poison plants and soil already at the moment when diseases or pests are in the active phase.
Why do the roses in the flowerbed wither?
But problems can be prevented, and this can be done better in the following ways:
- Try to keep the area as clean as possible from weeds, remove growth and mowed plants in a timely manner, and avoid contamination and thickening;
- Choose for planting only healthy and strong plants, necessarily adapted to the planting region;
- Pruning and shaping plants, removing removed branches and plants from the garden or even the entire dacha, and burning them outside the territory;
- Try to clean the area after leaf fall, clean the soil (cultural mulching and insulation are not considered here).
How to deal with powdery mildew on gooseberries
It is far from certain that preventive measures will help completely resolve the issue. Or it may simply happen that the disease comes from the other side of the garden bed, which you have not cultivated, or even from neighbors who do not garden at all. In general, the problem is real even with the closest attention, and therefore we need and safe methods fight her.
Copper sulfate for powdery mildew
Copper sulfate solution, namely a mixture of 80 g per bucket of water, is recommended to be used for treating plants and soil in early spring, even before the buds open. It is advisable to carry out the treatment from a sprayer, very carefully.
Treating gooseberries with soap and soda
You can also spray after the gooseberries bloom. To do this, dissolve 50-60 g of soda ash in a bucket of water and add a little grated laundry soap to make the solution thicker and stick well. Here you can already use a broom for processing.
Pest in raspberry bush stems
Potassium permanganate solution for powdery mildew
Pre-treatment of gooseberries or in the first stages of the disease can be done using a very weak solution of potassium permanganate, up to 1.5 g per bucket of water.
Treatment of gooseberries with mullein solution
A specially prepared mullein solution infused for 3-4 days will also help cope with the disease. You just need to take fresh mullein and dilute it clean water, 1:3, then infuse and dilute again, also 1:3. Spray the plants not very generously, but thoroughly, preferably with a simple broom, every week.
Treatment of gooseberries with ash solution
Spraying with a solution of wood ash is considered very effective, and most importantly, safe for plants and humans.
To prepare a remedy for powdery mildew, you need to perform a whole ritual, but it is quite simple. Immediately 1 kg of clean and, preferably, sifted ash is dissolved in a bucket of heated water. The resulting solution is stirred once a day and infused for 4-7 days.
American powdery mildew is common ubiquitous and is caused by a fungus ( table 56). Symptoms of the disease appear in the spring after flowering on leaves, shoots, petioles, and berries.
The berries of gooseberries are severely affected, and the fruit branches of black currants are affected. and stalks. Initially, the affected parts of the plants are covered with a white, loose coating, which is a mycelium, then the coating quickly becomes powdery and mealy, which is associated with the formation of fungal spores.
Later raid compacts to the state of brown felt, black dots are formed in it - the fruiting bodies of the fungus. Plaque also develops on both sides of the leaves, but more on the top.
Table 56. American gooseberry powdery mildew, signs:
1
- affected leaves and berries;
2
- affected berries;
3
- disputes;
4
- perithecia with bursa below, bursa and spores above;
5
- conidial sporulation of the fungus;
6
- dried shoot
Formation of dense plaque on shoots, leaves and berries stops plant growth. The affected shoots are bent, the internodes are shortened, the leaves become corrugated, small, fragile, chlorotic, their skin lags behind the tissues, the berries crack, and fall off unripe along with the diseased leaves.
Powdery mildew It mainly affects young, intensively growing leaves and shoots. Lignified shoots are resistant to disease. Severe damage by powdery mildew leads to the death of bushes after 2 - 3 years.
Over the summer, the mushroom develops many (10-11) generations spores that cause repeated infections. Therefore, during the growing season, it is necessary to carry out chemical treatments repeatedly.
At favorable conditions weather conditions, powdery mildew on gooseberries can develop throughout the summer, while new young leaves and shoots are growing. On currants, the disease reaches its maximum development in July - August. IN last years currants are more affected than gooseberries.
The disease causes great damage. Severe damage to gooseberries by powdery mildew leads to a loss of berry yield by 20 - 50%, a reduction in bush growth, and the death of shoots, and prolonged exposure to the disease can lead to complete death of the bushes.
The mushroom overwinters on fallen berries, leaves and affected shoots. In spring it infects young leaves and shoots.
Black currant varieties are relatively resistant to disease- Dove, Glory of Leningrad, Karelian, Ruby, Altai Giant and Primorsky Champion; Laxton, Leah fertile, Non-falling, Neapolitan, Bogatyr, Dutch black, Cox, Pobeda, Nadezhda, Memory Michurin are moderately affected by powdery mildew.
Gooseberry varieties are relatively resistant to disease- Emerald, Malachite, Preschooler, Isabella, Harvest, Raisin, Siberian, Firstborn, Pioneer, Zaporozhye, Houghton, Grape, Mysovsky 17, Smena, Solnechny.
Red and white currant are affected by powdery mildew to a lesser extent.
White currant varieties are relatively resistant to it- Boulogne white, Crystal, Dutch white; red - Red Cross, Faya fertile and Boulogne red.
Ways to combat gooseberry powdery mildew:
1) using healthy planting material;
2) planting by layering only from healthy bushes;
3) cutting off diseased parts and then disinfecting aboveground parts in a solution of copper sulfate (100 g per 10 liters of water) for 5 minutes, followed by rinsing in clean water if using affected planting material (from the nursery);
4) spraying the bushes and soil under the bushes to destroy the wintering infection with a solution of nitrafen (200 g per 10 l of water) or a solution of iron sulfate (300 g per 10 l of water) in early spring before the buds begin to bloom;
5) spraying bushes during the growing season in order to protect them from infection with soda ash and soap (50 g of soda and 50 g of soap per 10 liters of water) 4-5 times: before flowering, immediately after it, and then 2 - 3 more times at intervals of 8 - 10 days after the previous one;
6) treating bushes with infusion of slurry or hay dust 3-4 times per season in the evening or in cloudy weather: the first - before flowering; the second - immediately after flowering; the third and fourth - with an interval of 10 days.
7) Pour one part of mullein or hay dust into 3 parts of water and leave for three days.
Before use, dilute the solution by half, strain and spray the bushes in the evening or in cloudy weather. Two or three sprays at intervals of 10-15 days can completely suppress powdery mildew; first spraying when buds open; the second - in mid-June.
Chemical drugs will save your time and quickly cure the disease
Folk remedies
- For the first remedy you will need a tablespoon of soda, 75 g of laundry soap and 15 liters of water. First you need to prepare a solution of soap and water, then add soda. The prepared product is watered over the root zone of the plant, as well as the leaves using a watering can with a strainer attachment. The procedure is carried out once or twice with an interval of 7-8 days.
- Dissolve 1.5 kg of ash in 5 l hot water and leave for 24 hours. Filter the infusion and use it for spraying crops. Carry out the treatment twice - before flowering and after. You can spray the plants after flowering 2 times if necessary. The interval between procedures should be 7-9 days.
- Dilute 200 g of urine in 5 liters of water. The resulting product is sprayed immediately after flowering. The treatment can be repeated 3-4 times at the usual weekly intervals.
- In the first stages of the disease, spraying with a solution of potassium permanganate is recommended. To prepare the product, add no more than 1.5 g of potassium permanganate to a bucket of water and mix.
- 1 part fresh mullein diluted with 3 parts clean water and leave for 4 days. The resulting solution is diluted again in the same way (1:3) and used for spraying plants. The treatment should be thorough, and for watering it is advisable to use a regular broom, with which you will be able to apply the product as liberally as possible to the leaves.
Powdery mildew can be defeated using folk remedies, but they must be used several times
Powdery mildew is not a rare problem. And if you don’t want to deal with it, then you should plant varieties that are resistant to it on your plot. These include:
- "Grushenka";
- "Kolobok";
- "Ural grapes";
- "Kuibyshevsky";
- "Finnish";
- "African";
- "Harlequin";
- "Masheka";
- "Senator"
- "Houghton";
- "Anniversary".
On a note! Least susceptible to powdery mildew!
But there is also a gooseberry that is highly susceptible to this disease:
- "Date fruit";
- "Seedling Lefort";
- "Golden Light";
- "Triumphal";
- "Russian";
- "Prune."
How to prevent the development of the disease?
And of course, we must not forget about prevention.
- Be sure to spend the autumn or spring pruning bushes, and remove infected shoots and burn them outside the site.
- Inspect the bushes in spring and summer for the presence of infected shoots and leaves and, if found, remove them immediately.
- Before winter and early spring, carefully collect leaf litter under bushes, since powdery mildew spores can safely survive the winter in fallen leaves.
- In the spring, before the buds begin to swell, pour boiling water over the bushes - this is an excellent prevention of not only powdery mildew, but also other fungal diseases.
- It is advisable to fertilize the crop with potassium and phosphorus fertilizers and try to refrain from using nitrogen fertilizers, since the former increase resistance to powdery mildew, and the latter often do not allow the shoots to fully ripen, which leads to severe damage by this disease.
It is advisable to combine preventive measures and apply them comprehensively. Have a good harvest!