White dots on currant leaves. Diseases and pests of currants - signs with photos, control and treatment

Are the currant bushes, which once delighted you with an abundance of harvest, withering away right before your eyes? Apparently, currant diseases have not spared your plantings either. To react and accept in time necessary measures to save your loved one garden culture, read our article about what diseases affect the plant and how to fight them.

Article outline

Disease Prevention

An integrated approach to treating currant bushes twice a season (in autumn and spring) will help prevent, and sometimes even completely avoid, infection of the plant with various viral, fungal diseases and pests.

How to process currants in spring?

Due to the early onset of sap flow preventive measures to improve the health of bushes, plants are carried out in early spring until the buds swell. The fight against pests and diseases of black and red currants begins with a “hot shower.”

To irrigate three bushes you will need 10 liters hot water 80 degrees. Upon completion of watering, the bushes must be carefully inspected and dry branches, mite-affected buds must be removed, and the soil at the base of the bush must be cleared of weed residues and last year’s leaves (a favorite wintering place for pest larvae).

• For preventive purposes, the bush and the ground under it must be treated with nitrophen. This spraying will reduce the risk of infection by 70%. It is important to carry out the treatment before the buds open.
• Currants are also useful, aimed at destroying fungal spores, and during the period of active growth the bush can be sprayed regularly (once every 2 weeks).

Important! In order for currant bushes to endure the spraying procedure against kidney mite without harm to health, the plant is processed at temperatures above +20 degrees. With more low rates thermometer, you need to wrap the bushes in transparent polyethylene.

Preventative treatment in autumn

Before treatment, it is necessary to thoroughly prune the plant, during which old branches are removed (at least 2/3 of total length), cut out glassy-infected branches (withered, dry) and buds affected by spider mites.

For spraying, choose a warm, clear, windless day. Agrotechnicians offer two options for preventive treatment: or a 2% solution of karbofos.

Preventive measures significantly reduce the likelihood of many diseases, in particular fungal infections.

Diseases: description with photos and methods of treatment

There are a number of common diseases that threaten all types of currants, including black, red and white berries.

Anthracnose

Symptoms: the appearance on the surface of the leaves of small red and brown spots with almost dark tubercles in the center; subsequently, the disease-affected leaves wither and fall off.

Treatment:

Spraying currants on the leaf Bordeaux mixture is carried out twice: the first treatment is carried out immediately after detection of signs of the disease, the second – after harvesting.

Fallen leaves must be collected and destroyed. Under no circumstances should young currant seedlings be planted in a place where shrubs with anthracnose grew.

Powdery mildew

Symptoms: loose plaque white on the leaves, gradually spreading to the berries.

Treatment:

If detected early, a fungal disease can be cured by spraying the bush biological drug « ».

To treat powdery mildew, you can use a folk remedy: dilute a bottle of iodine in a bucket of water and spray the currants one leaf at a time every four days.

Rust

Symptoms: orange rusty spots on leaves.

Treatment:

Fungicides of various levels are used against rust:

• "Fitosporin"
• Bordeaux mixture.

To fully restore the plant, you will need to spray it four times with an interval of 10 days.

Septoria

Symptoms: currant leaf disease manifests itself in the form of numerous brown spots.

Treatment:

An effective remedy for fungal leaf disease is: dilute 40 g of the drug in 10 liters of water.

Spheroteka

Symptoms: leaf deformation, persistent white coating covering the entire surface of the bush.

Treatment:

On initial stage diseases can be taken advantage of traditional method treatment: dilute 50 g of grated laundry soap and 50 g in 10 liters of water soda ash. Spraying is carried out several times until complete cure with an interval of 5 days.

In advanced cases, use in 10 liters of water.

Striped mosaic

Symptoms: leaf veins are duplicated in orange or yellow.

Treatment:

There is no cure for a viral disease. When a mosaic is detected, the diseased plant is immediately uprooted, leaving no root stubs, and burned.

Black currants have weak immunity, so they need regular preventative spraying and proper care. Among the common diseases of the crop, there is a disease that affects only shrubs with black berries:

Reversion (terry)

Symptoms: leaf deformation (asymmetry, three-lobed leaves), flower petals lengthen, leaf color changes to purple, the plant does not bear fruit.

Treatment:

A plant infected with a mutation virus cannot be treated and can infect nearby blackcurrant plantings. To avoid large losses, it would be more advisable to remove the diseased bush by the roots and burn it.

Unlike black currants, red currants get sick less often and resist viruses, without preventive treatments for a long time. However, do not neglect the rules of caring for the plant. Red and white currants can become infected with a fungal disease:

Nectria drying of shoots

Symptoms: formation of bumpy specks orange color on the surface of the shoots, which gradually grow, and during the period of maturation, fungal spores darken.

Treatment:

If you put off treatment for too long, you can lose the entire plant. Be also prepared for the fact that young shoots affected by nectarium drying cannot be saved.

As soon as you notice the first signs of the disease, immediately remove all infected shoots and treat the cut areas with garden varnish or Bordeaux mixture.

In most cases, plant diseases can only be cured if the gardener immediately responds to the first symptoms of plant infection.

Disease resistant varieties

As a result breeding work Today, many varieties have been bred that have natural immunity to a number of common currant diseases and pests.

Blackcurrant varieties

Katyusha

For the Belarusian variety it is not terrible powdery mildew, nor anthracnose. The aromatic berries are oval in shape; the owner of this variety manages to get a bountiful harvest every year.

Klussonovskaya

The best option for planting if the main problem of the site is powdery mildew and bud mites.

Kupalinka

The Belarusian variety of thin-skinned black currant, which is not susceptible to infection by mites and powdery mildew, has similar characteristics.

Memory of Vavilov

This variety is not afraid of three diseases: powdery mildew and anthracnose (high degree of resistance), bud mite (medium resistance).

Selechenskaya

Native Russian selection characterized by large berries and high degree resistance to American powdery mildew. Bud mite and anthracnose infect the variety quite rarely.

Titania

The Swiss variety has strong immunity and is not susceptible to anthracnose and powdery mildew, and also has average resistance to tick infection. The Belarusian variety Ceres has similar properties.

Temptation

Black currants with surprisingly large sweet berries (up to 3.5g) are not afraid of powdery mildew or various kinds of spots.

Red currant varieties

Natalie

The high-yielding variety is not susceptible to powdery mildew and anthracnose.

Rondom

This variety of red currant easily resists powdery mildew.

Gazelle

The compact bush will delight the owner with an abundance of harvest and strong immunity to various fungal diseases of currants.

Dutch pink

One of the most delicious varieties red currant is relatively resistant to gall aphids and fungal infections.

When choosing a variety, you cannot rely only on the plant’s resistance to various diseases or pests; it is important to take into account the care requirements and the degree of winter hardiness.

Summer residents' experience

Black and red currants are widely known for their beneficial properties, so every gardener in our country has at least one bush of this incredibly tasty berry. In the process of caring for berry crops, many gardeners face a number of problems, including fungal and viral diseases. We present to your attention gardeners' recommendations on how to deal with certain types diseases:

Victor:

“I planted currant bushes in different corners of my plot so that in the event of a disease, especially a viral one, the rest of the bushes would not be affected.

I personally encountered powdery mildew. And this recipe helped me:

In a bucket with clean water pour one teaspoon of 1% copper sulfate. Processed once. The bush began to recover and actively began to grow.

For those who grow currants in one continuous strip, where the plants touch each other, I would advise not to neglect prevention. If a dangerous virus wanders into the area, like a mosaic, not a single bush will be saved!”

Andrey:

“Weakened currant bushes growing in poor soils will be more susceptible to all sorts of ailments. In general, a strong, healthy bush develops excellent immunity to viruses and even fungi, so I always feed the plant in the third year after planting the seedlings.

I do the first feeding in the spring, as soon as I notice that sap flow has begun. For early spring feeding a nitrogen-containing composition is required. Nitrogen helps the shrub grow green mass; naturally, a plant with a well-developed vegetative mass will receive more nutrition and remain healthy for a long time. But you can’t overdo it with nitrogen: for one bush it’s enough.

The second feeding occurs during the berry formation phase. This time I use fertilizer with phosphorus and potassium. They advised me a very convenient method: we apply dry fertilizer to a shallow depth around the perimeter of the bush and spill it with water.

And during the entire period of growth of currants and gooseberries, I throw them to the bush potato peelings for large berries. The fact is that these plants really love starch, so this simple fertilizer will help increase the yield.”

When growing currant bushes on their plot, hoping for high yields, every gardener must protect the plant from diseases and pests. Having noticed rusty, orange, brown spots on currants, with the appearance of growths, urgent treatment measures should be taken, and then prevention. All these signs indicate that the bush is infected with a fungal disease - rust.

Rust is a disease caused by fungal spores settling on currant leaves. It is capable of infecting all types of plants (black, red, white currants), as well as its close relative– gooseberries.

The main causes of infection are:

• finding sedge nearby or coniferous trees, which are the “supplier” of fungal spores;
• location of bushes in swampy lowlands;
• prolonged periods of rainy, humid weather;
• insufficient or incorrect preventive spraying of the plant.

Poor location and care, as well as unsuitable weather conditions, reduce the resistance of currants to the pathogen.

Depending on the carrier of the fungus, the following types of disease are distinguished:

• goblet rust on currants, transferred from sedge;
• currant columnar rust, the spores of which come from coniferous trees.

Leaves infected with goblet spores are covered with yellow-brown spots on top and bright orange growths similar to pads on the inside.

Columnar rust will stain the top of the sheet in yellow, and orange dots resembling a mosaic will spread along its turnover.

What is the danger of the disease?

The main signs of the disease appear after infection, the development of spores, which occurs very quickly in a humid climate. The pathogen may not appear for a long time and overwinter in the soil around the bush.

The negative effects of rust are:

• loss of a large number of leaves: up to 25% in summer, 100% baldness until autumn;
• decreased activity of the emergence of healthy young shoots;
• reduction in berry picking volumes to 50% or more;
• weakening of the bush, decreased resistance to winter frosts;
• the likelihood of plant death if left untreated.

Ripening on currant plants, the fungus is spread by the wind throughout the entire area. In this case, other residents of the garden or garden are exposed to infection, since rust affects fruit trees, berry, flower bushes, vegetable seedlings. Spores flying in the air, entering the human body, cause general malaise, dizziness, and migraines.

Measures to prevent the spread of fungus

In order to avoid finding rusty spots on currants, it is advisable to prevent bushes from being found together with carriers of the fungus. The perimeter of the garden is cleared of sedge, preference is given to an area on a hill, without coniferous trees nearby.

Additional preventive measures are:

• selection of currant varieties resistant to the disease (Victoria, Chulkovskaya, Goldwin, Alta, Titanic, Consorta, others);
• timely pruning and rejuvenation of bushes;
• digging up the soil near the bush in spring and autumn, eliminating weeds, removal of fallen leaves and cut branches from the area;
• spring and additional soil fertilizers, watering in dry weather to increase the protective abilities of the plant;
• treatment of currants with preventive compounds or boiling water before buds open;
• repeated spraying against diseases in late spring, in summer period, during preparation for wintering.

Currant bushes are most susceptible to infection from early May to mid-June. During this period, efforts to care for the plant are doubled: the soil is processed, sprayed, and the possible appearance of rust spots.

Methods for removing rust

If the infestation has affected the shrubs, the first step to removing it is a thorough inspection, removing leaves covered with rusty spots. Sometimes spores can spread to ovaries, branches, flowers or fruits, which are also picked or cut off. All removed parts of the bush are subject to mandatory burning, and the soil must be drained and fertilized.

You can cope with goblet and columnar rust by spraying the bush with fungicides (Bordeaux mixture), preparations based on copper or sulfur. The procedure is carried out in several stages:

1. the appearance of the first young leaves on the plant;
2. the period of bud formation before flowering;
3. moment after flowering ends;
4. for serious forms of the disease - 10 days after the previous spraying.

The procedure is carried out after removing the contaminated areas, using a backpack or hand sprayer. Maximum attention is focused on internal sides leaves where the fungus multiplies.

Since fungal spores are quite resistant to external conditions, after treatment of the bush, repeated inspections are carried out for signs of rust.

For preventive purposes, currant bushes are sprayed with a solution of karbofos (2%), nitrophen, and foundationazole. Experienced gardeners In early spring, water the branches and soil with boiling water.

To combat goblet and columnar rust, Bordeaux mixture is used, to obtain which 45-50 grams of copper sulfate and 70-75 grams of quicklime are diluted in 5 liters of water.

Another effective remedy A solution of copper oxychloride is considered. To prepare the mixture, take 10 liters warm water, in which 95% copper oxychloride (30-35 grams) dissolves.

To suppress the further spread of rust spots, gardeners use fungicides: Topaz, Previkur, Skor and others. When using them, as well as for other medicinal drugs, strict adherence to quantity and dosage is a prerequisite.

Traditional methods of fighting rust

You can start treating currants against rust infection using folk remedies, which are considered safer for shrubs and human health.

The most effective folk recipes:

1. An infusion of tobacco dust, 150-200 grams of which is poured into 2 liters of hot water, infused for 2-3 days.
2. Garlic solution from a glass of peeled cloves, which are mixed with 2 liters of cooled boiling water, is infused for 3 days.
3. Soda liquid. 2 large spoons of soda are dissolved in a glass of water, after which the mixture is poured into a 10-liter container of water. Do not add to the resulting composition a large number of liquid soap.
4. Horsetail decoction, for which fresh (1 kg) or dried (100 g) horsetail is used. The plant is filled with 10 liters of water, infused for 1-2 days, and boiled for 2-3 hours over low heat. Next, the filtered, cooled liquid is diluted with water (1:5) and used to treat the soil and bushes.

The tobacco and garlic mixture can be mixed together by adding a large spoon of ground red pepper and liquid soap. Spraying is carried out in the evening in dry, windless weather. No treatment is carried out during the flowering period.

A very unpleasant disease garden plants is rust on currants. How to deal with it, prevent its occurrence or recurrence, how to treat shrubs - all this is of great concern to gardeners and gardeners. The most important thing is not to delay the course of the disease, to devote enough time and effort to preventive and healing procedures.

Throughout the entire summer season, it is necessary to inspect the plants in the garden in order to detect warning signs in time. Both black and red currants, diseases and pests of which can destroy the entire harvest, require your attention and care.

Black currants (as well as red, white, pink) are subject to the same scourges as gooseberries, so pest and disease control for both crops is essentially the same.

What is wrong with currants?

The plant is able to “signal” that it needs your help, so most diseases can be guessed by changes in the appearance of the bush.

Currants resistant to diseases and pests

To “insure yourself” and protect your plants from most diseases, purchase blackcurrant varieties that are resistant to diseases and pests:

• Zoya;
• Minsk;
• Kipiana;
• Binar;
• Katyusha;
• Primorsky champion;
• Goliath;
• Klussonovskaya;
• Kupalinka;
• Memory of Vavilov;
• Titania;
• Ceres;
• Temptation and etc.

Spheroteka (American powdery mildew)

The causative agent is fungi of the genus Sphaerotheca. The first signs of currant infection with Spheroteka are noticeable already in May: the leaves, stems of the bush, and subsequently the fruits become covered with a white coating (later the color turns brown). Then the berries become smaller and lose their sweetness, diseased bushes do not have time to grow and die. The development of the disease is promoted high humidity air, dry, nitrogen-rich soil.

Control measures

The affected parts of the plant must be immediately cut out and burned, and the bushes themselves must be treated with a fungicide (Fundazol, Topaz, etc.). To prevent spheroteca in the fall, it is necessary to remove fallen leaves and thin out bushes. Dusting with wood ash is also effective.

Septoria (white spot)

The causative agent is fungi of the genus Septoria. As with other fungal diseases, the most suitable conditions for the development of white spotting - high humidity, insufficient light, dense plantings. Appear on currant leaves brown spots(2-3 mm in diameter), which by mid-summer lighten in the center and become brown at the edges.

Control measures

Infected leaves and shoots must be removed, then treated with 1% Bordeaux mixture. For prevention, you need to annually prune the bushes, dig up the rows, and remove fallen leaves from the area in the fall.

Anthracnose

Another common fungal disease familiar to many gardeners. The first signs are small reddish spots (diameter 1 mm) on currant leaves, which later begin to darken, swell and expand.

Control measures

In early spring, treatment with 1% Bordeaux mixture will help (repeat after harvesting). Since the fungus overwinters in fallen leaves, in the fall it must be carefully raked out from under the bushes and burned.

Rust

Currants are attacked by 2 types of this disease: goblet (yellow-orange “warts” form on the underside of the leaf) and columnar (characteristic small reddish spots on the leaves). After some time, the berries and foliage of the diseased bush fall off.

Control measures

When the leaves just begin to bloom, the bushes are treated with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture (or other fungicides), then the treatment is repeated during the formation of buds. The final spraying is carried out after flowering.

Reversion (terry)

A viral disease from which the plant cannot be cured. Signs of currant terry: varies appearance leaves - they lengthen and become pointed; later, sterile flowers of irregular shape grow.

Control measures

Diseased bushes will have to be removed from the site; partial pruning of severely affected shoots will not help. To prevent the appearance of this virus, be careful when choosing planting material. Since the terry virus is carried by insects (bud mites, aphids), treat the garden with pesticides in a timely manner.

Striped mosaic

If currant leaves begin to turn yellow ahead of time, most likely a virus has appeared in the garden that causes striped, or veined, mosaic. Characteristic sign– yellowness – spreads along the veins of the leaf, forming a mosaic pattern.

Control measures

Unfortunately, it is impossible to cure currants affected by striped mosaic, so diseased bushes must be dug up and burned, and the area where the virus has spread must be disinfected with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate.

Currant pests

Insects are carriers of many diseases, so to protect the garden you need to timely processing currants from diseases and pests in spring and autumn. All means are good in this fight, so we recommend using both natural and chemicals, most importantly, do not forget about safety precautions - work in protective clothing.

To make it easier to figure out how to spray currants against diseases and pests, we suggest using our table:

Bud moth

A small butterfly (wingspan 17 mm) yellow-brown. “Specializes” in red and white currants, attacks black currants less often. After wintering under the bark and at the base of the bush, the caterpillar comes out into the light and eats the contents of the currant buds. After flowering, the caterpillar becomes a butterfly and lays eggs in the berries, where the larvae continue to develop.

Control measures

For prevention, you need to remove shoots with loose bark from under the stump, rake out fallen leaves from under the bushes and burn them away from the garden. During the swelling of the buds, the bushes can be treated with Iskra-M.

Currant aphid

Curled leaves with reddish swollen spots and twisted young shoots are signs that the plant has been attacked by aphids. Colonies of this insect can be easily found on the underside of leaves, as well as on shoots where the pest overwinters.

Control measures

To destroy aphid eggs, the bushes are watered abundantly with hot water (before the buds open) or treated with an insecticide (Fufanon, Decis, Aktara, Insektor, Iskra, Inta-Ts-M, Inta-Vir, Kinmiks, etc.).

Ognevka

During flowering, moth butterflies lay eggs in currant inflorescences. Then the caterpillars begin to eat the berries and leaves, entwining them with cobwebs. Each caterpillar is capable of destroying 10-15 berries.

Control measures

Before and after flowering, currant bushes are treated with insecticide solutions (Iskra, Fufanon-Nova, Bitoxibacillin). For prevention, before flowering, the ground under the bush is mulched with peat or compost, and in late autumn the soil under the currants is loosened and the bushes are hilled up.

Kidney mite

If in the spring you find too large swollen buds on a currant bush, similar to small cabbage heads, most likely a bud mite lives in them. When the larva becomes crowded in a bud, it moves to another, thus damaging a large number of currant buds. The tick can carry the terry virus.

Control measures

In early May, during budding, “suspicious” buds must be plucked out. Before flowering, when mites are most vulnerable, the bushes are sprayed with an insecticide (Tanrek, Fufanon-Nova, Decis, etc.).

Glassware

Spring treatment of currants from pests and diseases, for example, pruning, helps to identify damage to the bush by glassware. The caterpillars of this pest live in currant shoots and leave behind wormholes. They feed internal part shoots, making passages, which is why the branches stop growing, dry out and die.

Control measures

Every 2 weeks it is necessary to inspect the bushes and cut off (to the white core) the drying shoots in which the caterpillars have settled. You can treat glass currants with the same preparations as when fighting mites or bud moths.

Protecting currants from pests and diseases is not too difficult and can be done by every gardener. The main thing is to follow basic agrotechnical rules, providing plants with timely care.

Preface

Is the currant bush turning yellow, becoming spotted and slowly withering? Perhaps a fungus or pests have settled on it. We present to you the main list of diseases of this plant and methods for eliminating them.

If the currants begin to bear fruit poorly, and its leaves suddenly turn yellow, the problem is not only drought or improper care. The source of infection can be a variety of reasons. First of all, take a close look at the leaf plates. Yellowing along the main veins is a signal of the onset of a dangerous viral disease– striped or veined mosaic. Unfortunately, if your currant has become a victim of this virus, it cannot be cured. You will have to dig up and burn the bush, and treat the place where it grew strong solution potassium permanganate. To prevent this disease in the future, buy planting material only in trusted nurseries, and also fight pests, in particular the gall aphid, the main carrier of the mosaic virus.

Signs of vein mosaic

The second dangerous virus, which leads to disruption of fruiting functions and deformation of leaf plates, is considered to be terry. The edges of leaves infected with the virus become ribbed and asymmetrical, and become significantly denser. The number of veins on them also decreases, the petals on the flowers become narrow, and sometimes the bush takes on a purple tint. The fruiting functions of currants have been lost. As in the case of mosaic, terry is also transferred by pests, such as kidney mites, from a diseased kidney to a healthy one. Therefore, it is necessary to remove such buds in a timely manner so that later you do not have to uproot the entire bush.

To prevent infection with the virus, purchase a healthy seedling, and after collecting all the berries from the bush, treat it with Karbofos, colloidal sulfur. Fertilize black currants with potassium-phosphorus mixtures, this will increase its resistance to terry. But you shouldn’t get carried away with nitrogenous fertilizers; on the contrary, they provoke the development of the virus.

Did you know that the word currant comes from the word "currant", which means a strong smell. Indeed, a pleasant berry aroma emanates from all parts of this shrub, which persists even after picking berries and severe frosts.

Before making any diagnosis why your currants began to dry out, you should analyze several possible reasons. First, take a closer look at the presence of pests on all parts of the plant. They lead to depletion of the plant, sucking out the cell sap from it. No less often, currants dry out due to lack of moisture, which they especially need on dry days. The age of the bush can also play an important role in this matter.

Nectria drying

If not all the currants dry out, but only a few branches, the cause of the disease may be currant glass. This is a small butterfly with lilac-black wings that lays its eggs in cracks in the bark of a bush. The larvae of this pest eat the core of the branches from the inside, which leads to their drying out. They need to be controlled only with insecticides such as Karbofos or Actellik.

If the reason for the plant drying out is lack of moisture, we replenish it. And if the currant bush is more than 15 years old, do not forget about its rejuvenation. We cut off the old dried branches, giving the opportunity for new shoots to develop, and seal the cuts and cracks with garden varnish.

Depending on the nature of the appearance of the spots, their size, structure and color, you can determine what kind of disease it is and what treatment you have to carry out. If you notice small brown spots with a diameter of 2–3 mm on the leaves, which gradually lighten, leaving dark spots only the border, which means your plant is affected by white spot or septoria. In addition to leaves, the fungus can also affect currant berries. The main causes of fungal infection are poor ventilation of shrubs due to dense plantings. Thin your currant bushes more often.

Spotting on black currants

Along with white spots, completely opposite spots appear on the leaves of the plant, which are brown spots with a light edge. Gradually, the spots spread throughout the entire leaf blade, forming a continuous rusty coating, from which the leaves dry out and fall off. These are signs of brown spot and cercospora. To combat these fungal infections, we spray with Bordeaux mixture at the rate of 100 g of the substance per 10 liters of water. We do the first treatment immediately after detecting signs of disease on the blackcurrant bush, and the second – 10 days after picking the berries.

Premature leaf drop and reddish-brown spots are signs of anthracnose, as shown in the photo. At first, such spots are small, with a diameter of no more than 1 mm. Gradually they increase in size and spread throughout the entire leaf. A bush affected by anthracnose turns brown and dries out. The fungus is carried by wind and raindrops, so anthracnose most often attacks currants during heavy rains. Old shrubs and early ripening varieties are most vulnerable to the fungus. Anthracnose spores are frost-resistant and easily overwinter in fallen leaves. So don't forget to clean up autumn leaf and burn it.

We also fight the fungus using a solution of Bordeaux mixture prepared in the same proportions, spraying the bush in early spring and after harvesting. In addition to Bordeaux mixture, currants can be sprayed with a solution of iron or copper sulfate.

On hot days of summer, you can notice a white, loose coating on currant leaves, which gradually covers the berries and old leaves. This is a disease familiar to many gardeners: powdery mildew. Most often it is found on weakened bushes, with broken rules. Help eliminate symptoms fungal disease It is possible to spray the plant with Fitosporin or a solution of 5% iodine at the rate of one bottle per 10 liters of water. Apply one of the substances several times at intervals of three days until the bush is completely cured.

Signs of powdery mildew

In advanced cases, you will have to use copper-containing fungicides, such as Bordeaux mixture, copper oxychloride or copper sulfate at the rate of a teaspoon of the drug per 5–7 liters of water. To prevent the development of the disease, regularly remove affected and dry shoots, burning them after cutting. To completely neutralize the infection, do not forget to also treat the soil with fungicides and trunk circle, where the currant bush grows.

Rust of currant leaves is no less troublesome. There are two varieties of this fungal disease - goblet and columnar. The first type consists of convex warts of an orange hue, and the second type is the formation of small orange dots. Goblet rust is carried by the wind from sedge, and columnar rust is carried from coniferous trees. We fight leaf rust with Fitosporin, and in advanced cases we use Bordeaux mixture. We regulate the number of sprayings ourselves, taking a break of 10 days between them.

If you notice the presence of scarlet spots on currants, then in addition to anthracnose, they can be caused by gall aphids. At such moments, the question arises, how to recognize the pest and overcome it? There are two varieties gall aphid on currants - leaf and gooseberry shoots. The presence of gall aphids on currants always leaves its mark in the form of red and yellow swellings on the leaves.

Gall aphid

Over time, such formations darken, dry out, and the affected parts of the bush fall off. This pest feeds on plant sap and can produce up to seven generations in one season. Aphid larvae and adults settle on any varieties of currants, gradually spreading throughout the entire area to the rest cultivated plants. The presence of shoot aphids causes bending, brittleness and stunting of shoots. After detecting the pest, spray the currants with Actellik or Karbofos, repeat the procedure if necessary after 7-10 days.

Spider mites on currants

To combat spider mites, we increase air humidity, and also use chemicals containing sulfur for treatment - Karbofos, Phosfamide or colloidal sulfur. The same drugs can be used to combat kidney mites, but they must first be removed mechanically. Kidneys affected by such a pest always differ from healthy ones - elongated and even. They are round, convex, have a dense structure, and when they bloom in the spring, they open up like a head of cabbage. These buds already contain larvae and need to be removed. To remove infected buds, take a container with you, and after collecting, be sure to burn them; under no circumstances add them to compost or dry leaves.

When should bulging buds be removed? This procedure must be done in early spring, when the air temperature warms up to 5–8 degrees. However, many people miss this important point, and as a result, the buds bloom, and along with them, the larvae of the bud mite crawl out. If you do not remove such buds, the shrub will not produce any flowers or set berries, and there is a high risk of infection with the double leaf virus.

One of the most dangerous pests black currant - currant bud moth. These insects damage healthy buds, reducing the yield of the bush for several years to come. Adults are moths with pale yellow wing spots and fringe. These pests are resistant to frost, overwinter well under fallen leaves, weaving dense cocoons, and also settle in swelling currant buds.

Currant bud moth

As a preventive measure against pests, it is recommended to regularly trim damaged and dry shoots, as well as seal cuts and cracks with garden pitch, remove fallen leaves, and burn everything in a fire. Besides mechanical removal damaged buds, spray the bush with one of the pyrethroid and neonicotinoid drugs.

Another dangerous enemy of currants of all varieties is the currant borer. Adults of this pest feed on plant cell sap. The larvae of the borer spend the winter in the shoots, and at the end of May they pupate and crawl out. After just two weeks, the female again lays eggs on the shoots. A new generation appears in July. Unlike adult individuals, currant borer larvae damage shoots by making numerous tunnels in them, which is why the shoots dry out and slowly wither.

Since the activity of borers occurs during the period of berry growth, the use of chemicals to combat them is not recommended. Early in the morning, spread a white cloth around the bush and shake the bush, destroy all collected pests. We cut off damaged branches, affecting healthy tissue. Annual seedlings can be sprayed, since in the first year they still do not produce berries. Use one of the pyrethroid medications at two-week intervals.