Encounter quite often. Fruits affected by the fungus are covered with a whitish velvety coating, which over time turns into a brown crust. These berries are unsuitable for food and quickly fall off along with the leaves. Let's talk about what treat gooseberries from powdery mildew in the spring. It is precisely such early measures that can save the entire harvest.

Proven remedies for powdery mildew on gooseberries

• Boiling water. The gooseberry bush is treated with it, watering the stems from a watering can at the onset of the earliest spring.
• Mullein. The solution prepared from it, which is obtained by diluting every 100 ml of mullein in 300 ml of water, must be left for three days. After this, it is filtered and diluted to the color of weakly brewed tea. In spring, gooseberries are processed twice: before flowering and after.
• Ash. Three kilograms of ash are dissolved in a bucket of water, left for a day and filtered. Spring treatment each bush is carried out in three stages with a one-day break.

• Onion peel. For two days, infuse a mixture of a bucket of water with 200 g onion peel
• . Bushes are treated in spring in two stages: before flowering and after. Ammonium nitrate.
• She showed herself well in the fight against powdery mildew on gooseberries. A solution prepared from a bucket of water and 50 g of saltpeter is used to treat the bushes after flowering. Gaupsin/Trichodermin.
• These biological products are used in the spring, after the plant has flowered, dissolving 150 ml in 10 liters of water. Soda ash.
• In the amount of 50 g it is taken to prepare a bucket of solution, and 10 g of soap is added there. In the spring, gooseberries are treated against powdery mildew before flowering and after.

• Kefir/whey.
• Copper sulfate. 10 liters of solution should contain 80 g of powder. You need to treat bushes against powdery mildew using a spray bottle. This needs to be done in early spring

, before the buds begin to bloom.

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As you can see, there are many ways to protect gooseberries from an insidious enemy called powdery mildew. Many of them have proven their effectiveness for many years. Now that you know how to treat gooseberries against powdery mildew in the spring, all you have to do is choose the method you like and apply it. In the summer, the fungus can again activate its forces, which means that the bushes may have to be treated again.

American powdery mildew, which affects gooseberry bushes, is a disease of fungal origin.

It can cause significant harm to this berry crop, as it affects all main parts of the plant:

• Fruit;
• Leaves;
• Young shoots.

Signs of powdery mildew on gooseberries

The main signs of the disease are quite easy to identify. On these parts, lesions initially appear with a white coating, as if sprinkled with flour. This is nothing more than a mycelium with spores, which in dry, windy weather are carried not only by air masses, but also by insects, thereby infecting neighboring bushes. During the life of the fungus, the coating on the gooseberry becomes coarser, thickens and acquires a dark brown tint, reminiscent of felt. The diseased plant begins to weaken and dies.

The appearance of powdery mildew is usually observed on gooseberries after flowering. During this period, the bush actively produces growth of young shoots and forms the ovaries of its fruits. Traditionally, the disease spreads from the lower tiers of the plant, affecting young, tender shoots and berries. This spread is associated with conditions suitable for the germination of pathogenic spores inside the bush itself. It is the lower tiers that are closest to the ground, where the source of infection, located on last year’s leaves and berries, successfully overwinters. After which the disease spreads higher and higher.

During summer period Powdery mildew on gooseberries manages to attack the bush twice. The first defeat occurs in the spring at the time of active growth of green shoots and formation of ovaries. The second is with the onset of the second wave of growth of young shoots, when the harvest has already been harvested.

The mycelium of the ill-fated powdery mildew feeds through the young integumentary layers of gooseberries. Exactly this vulnerable spot plants. This is precisely what explains the selectivity of the disease. Indeed, during this period of development, young shoots, ovaries and leaves do not have time to harden properly. Interestingly, the infection can appear on young sheet plates at their 10th day of age. The fungus can successfully develop on berries within 50 days from the moment they form and grow.

Reasons for the spread of powdery mildew on gooseberries

The powdery mildew mycelium that affects gooseberry bushes loves high humidity and warm weather. Thus, the optimal temperature range for the growth of mycelium is considered to be from 17 oC to 28 oC. Air humidity should be >90%. When the ambient temperature rises to 30 ° C, the infection stops its development. And at 32 °C and air humidity less than 30%, the mycelium begins to dry out and die.

It's interesting that in different years Powdery mildew spreads on gooseberries in different ways. This is due to certain weather conditions. For example, sharp outbreaks of plant diseases occur in years with favorable conditions for the fungus. In just a few days, a maximum of a week, all young growths and ovaries are affected. In years with hot and dry weather, spores are in no hurry to germinate, and therefore summer residents manage to collect a good harvest of berries, untouched by infection.

In addition, the spread of American powdery mildew is influenced by such factors as:

• Agricultural technology for growing gooseberries;
• Shrub planting site;
• Distance between plants;
• And other factors.

It is known for certain that plants located in lowlands garden plot are affected faster and more severely than in higher places. There the soil barely breathes. There, fog constantly accumulates near the surface, and water stagnates. And these are the most favorable conditions for the development of mycelium.

In addition to this outbreak of the disease in fruit plants and their severe course can be provoked by the summer residents themselves. Excessive watering and the use of dark materials as mulch (peat, non-woven geotextiles, etc.) can become the very cause of powdery mildew damage to gooseberries. Such agrotechnical practices increase the humidity and air temperature of the bush, which contributes to the active spread of the disease.

Another reason for the spread of the disease is insects, both leaf-eating and sucking. These include the gooseberry moth and the yellow gooseberry sawfly. Shrunken and eaten leaves on the shoots contribute to the active appearance of young growth that is vulnerable to powdery mildew. By the way appearance large quantity Young shoots can be caused by excessive thinning and inept pruning of bushes.

Prevention and control of powdery mildew on gooseberries

And now, dear readers, we have come to the most important thing of our article - the fight and preventive measures against American powdery mildew on gooseberry bushes. Taken together, this is a series of protective measures that must be strictly followed if you want to see healthy shrubs and collect good harvests. These include the following:

• Agrotechnical activities;
• Use of chemicals;
• Use of natural remedies;
• Preventive measures.

All agrotechnical measures are aimed at increasing the overall resistance of plants. And the main task for the gardener is to create favorable conditions for the rapid ripening of integumentary tissues. What do we have to do:

• Try to plant shrubs in sunny and ventilated places;
• Control the density of the plant crown;
• Do not perform heavy pruning;
• Timely and competent feeding.

Excess nitrogen in the soil will promote strong growth of young shoots. But the application of potassium and phosphorus fertilizers will contribute to the rapid ripening of tissues. Which is undoubtedly in the best possible way will affect the overall resistance of gooseberries to powdery mildew.

The use of chemical control agents is aimed at destroying spores and mycelium. In autumn and spring, it is best to spray gooseberries with a solution of copper sulfate at the rate of 200 grams of the drug per 10 liter bucket of water.

The soil under the bushes, in order to quickly decompose fallen leaves and other plant residues, spray with 7% urea solution.

In addition, in the fight against powdery mildew that appears on gooseberries, it is recommended to use drugs such as:

• Topaz - dissolve one 2 ml ampoule per 10 liters of water;
• Bordeaux mixture -100 grams per 10 liter bucket of water;
• An aqueous solution of soda with laundry soap - 40 grams of soap and 50 grams of soda ash per 10 liters of water.

Natural remedies will also be no less effective means fight against powdery mildew.

Infusions of rotted hay, mullein or hay dust are used as such remedies.

Such infusions allow the cultivation of special bacteria that feed exclusively on powdery mildew. They are prepared as follows. For 1 kilogram of raw materials take 3 liters of water. Infuse all this for 3-4 days, filter and dilute the resulting extract with 10 liters of water. Spraying shrubs is best done in the evening after sunset. Carrying out such an event in the morning or afternoon will not give any effect, since beneficial bacteria at sunlight die.

Besides, experienced summer residents in the fight to preserve plants and fruits, a soap-ash solution is used, which is sprayed on the bushes. It is prepared at the rate of 400 grams of wood ash and 50 grams of crushed laundry soap per bucket of water.

And, of course, special attention should be paid to preventive measures to combat gooseberry powdery mildew. It is very important to promptly remove and destroy damaged fruits and infected shoots. Digging the soil near the tree trunks is very important.

Spraying plants with hot (45...50 °C) water in early spring has proven to be a very effective preventive measure. Short-term exposure to elevated temperature cannot cause any harm to the plant, but it is quite capable of destroying the mycelium of powdery mildew.

And remember. Only timely implementation of all measures will allow you to get rid of this extremely harmful fungus.

Gooseberries can be found in almost every garden. These berries are loved for their unique taste and high content of vitamin C. It must be remembered that the older the bush, the greater the likelihood of it being affected by powdery mildew. If no measures are taken, the disease can not only reduce the yield, but also completely destroy it, as well as affect shoots and even roots.

Powdery mildew on gooseberries is fungal disease, it is spread by microscopic particles - spores, which are transferred to the plant by insects or wind. You can also find another name - American powdery mildew of the gooseberry bush - since this disease came to us from America. Powdery mildew is divided into two subspecies - true and false. The spores overwinter well on the lower branches, in the thickness of the foliage and soil under the bush, and in the spring they begin their journey through the crown.

Powdery mildew on gooseberries requires active use of control measures against it, since it can appear on raspberries, currants, and even roses.

With the onset of warm and humid weather, on the lower part of the first leaves close to the ground, when the plant is infected, you can already notice a white, loose coating, similar to scattered flour. Such leaves should be disposed of as soon as possible, removed and burned. If you miss the first signs, then the white coating will subsequently become dark, brown with a dense texture, affecting all parts of the plant: leaves curl, infected branches become crooked, and the berries spoil before they ripen.

It must be borne in mind that the disease is fungal in nature. There are three main methods of treating gooseberries for powdery mildew: agrotechnical, chemical and agrochemical. The agrotechnical method consists of immediate pruning of leaves and branches with signs of damage, planned pruning before and after the end of the growing season, as well as planting varieties resistant to downy mildew. At the very beginning of spring, you need to clear the bush of damaged and old branches, and the ground of last year's foliage.

Knowing that mushrooms form spores twice a year, in spring and summer, we process gooseberries three times during the growing season: before and after flowering, and also before autumn leaves fall. Treat the bushes in the evening, liberally treating the entire plant, as well as the ground under the bush, with the solution. Irrigation is carried out using a wide-spectrum sprayer, paying special attention to the underside of the leaves. Before processing, we get rid of possibly infected leaves or other parts of the plant, and collect all the litter in which the spores could overwinter.

Properly formed, strong shoots resist powdery mildew infection well. This largely depends on feeding with potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. Application nitrogen fertilizers, on the contrary, suppresses the growth rate of shoots and makes them easy prey for fungal infections. If many plants on the site are affected, then it is necessary to apply potent chemicals protection against powdery mildew on gooseberries. For this purpose they use copper sulfate or special drugs.

Protecting gooseberries from powdery mildew agrochemical way combines the methods described above and gives very good results. For the treatment of plants it is used as folk recipes, and special chemicals.

Folk remedies

How to deal with powdery mildew traditional methods, experienced summer residents and gardeners know. In early spring, the bushes are treated with a hot (about 90 degrees) solution of potassium permanganate. By thoroughly pouring it with this solution, the shoots and soil under the bush are disinfected. After flowering, the plant is treated with a solution of ammonium or potassium nitrate. One of the cheapest and effective ways– treatment using an aqueous infusion of wood ash. The bushes are irrigated at the end of spring three times every other day. The ash residue diluted with water is watered on the soil under the bush.

In case of appearance on gooseberries white plaque, a solution of soda and soap helps. The bush is treated with this thick solution, and the ground under the bush is watered with the diluted remainder of the mixture. Another way to combat fungal diseases is treatment using kefir or sour milk, which is carried out three times every three days. You can also use whey for this.

The resulting film prevents the fungus from breathing and makes the gooseberries healthier. A solution of soda, aspirin, liquid detergent, vegetable oil and water. The bush is treated with this composition twice a month throughout the season.

On initial stage infection, the plant can be treated with a decoction horsetail. Plants are irrigated three to four times every five days. Tansy decoction is used to water the ground around the bushes twice a year, in spring and autumn. A decoction of onion peels can be used for irrigation. Treat with this infusion before flowering, after flowering and before leaf fall. In the same mode they are treated with mullein solution.

Fighting with chemicals

Modern fungicidal preparations help actively fight against peronospora, which includes powdery mildew. These are Quadris, Skor, Tilt, Topsin, Fundazol. Fitosporin M is used for prophylactic purposes. This drug is very effective in preventing the disease, but is powerless in the fight against the disease itself when it has already manifested itself. Biofungicidal methods include the use of mullein, which is described above.

Prevention

Fungal diseases are much easier to prevent than to treat. Let's start by choosing a place for the bush. For gooseberries, choose sunny areas with low levels of groundwater, good drainage to prevent powdery mildew from developing. The distance between the bushes should be sufficient for good ventilation and drying of the soil. Usually they are planted in rows with an interval of 1 - 1.5 meters, and row spacing should be at least 1.5 - 2 meters.

It is undesirable to plant gooseberries after crops that can be affected by the same pathogen: yoshta, raspberries, currants. Now you can choose varieties that are resistant to fungal infections. In combination with agrochemical measures (timely trimming the crown, removing diseased parts of the plant and burning them, preventive treatment plants, loosening and mulching the soil, fertilizing with potassium and phosphate fertilizers) all this helps to overcome the disease and get a rich harvest.

Video “Fighting powdery mildew”

In this video, a specialist will talk about effective methods combating powdery mildew.

Powdery mildew is one of the most dangerous diseases gooseberries. This disease can not only destroy the entire harvest, but also completely destroy the plant itself in a few years. The disease occurs quite often, and the breadth of its spread knows no bounds. Powdery mildew develops especially actively in warm and fairly humid weather.

At the end of May and beginning of June, you need to pay special attention to the plant; it is during this period that you can notice a somewhat loose coating on it white. If no measures are taken, over time the plaque will begin to acquire a darker brownish tint. It becomes much denser, crust-like.

Prevention

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that begins its active development in spring period with the arrival of warmth due to numerous disputes. Despite the fact that the disease is serious, it is not difficult to fight.

In this case, there are two main directions of action: agrotechnical and chemical, which together provide an excellent result.

If the gardener does not recognize chemical methods, then agrotechnical methods in combination with folk remedies will be sufficient.

Powdery mildew on gooseberries is very dangerous, and therefore, in order to prevent its occurrence, every gardener needs to take preventive measures:

1. 1. Gooseberry bushes should be pruned in autumn or early spring, this has a beneficial effect on its development. Thanks to this, the plant is able to resist various kinds of diseases. At the time of pruning mandatory Branches damaged by the disease should be removed.
2. 2. If berries have already appeared, the growing season is in full swing, and powdery mildew has appeared on the plant, then such berries should be removed as far as possible. The spores of the disease survive the winter on affected shoots, and sometimes on fallen leaves. Thus, with the arrival of spring, last year's fallen leaves need to be burned.
3. 3. As soon as very coldy passed, and the buds on the bush have not yet appeared, the gooseberries should be doused with hot water, the temperature of which should not be less than 90 degrees. Based on it, you can prepare a special solution of potassium permanganate (dilute to Pink colour) or soda (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of hot water). This pre-treatment can combat almost any fungal infection.
4. 4. To fertilize shrubs, it is better to use only potash or phosphorus fertilizers. They have a beneficial effect on the plant’s resistance to powdery mildew. As for nitrogen fertilizers, they should be abandoned, since nitrogen itself can lead to the fact that the shoots, without having time to get stronger, are most affected by the disease.

Such preventive methods should be used comprehensively.

Additional measures to avoid powdery mildew on gooseberries:

1. 1. The area where the plant grows must be as clean as possible at any time of the year. The weeds present on it should be destroyed, and the shoots should be removed in a timely manner. Under no circumstances should the soil be contaminated.
2. 2. Planting material must be selected extremely carefully. The future plant must be strong and healthy. Gooseberry varieties are very diverse and therefore it is important to choose those that are better adapted to the region.
3. 3. Regularly carry out pruning and bush formation. Remove all unnecessary branches and plants from the site and burn them outside the site.
4. 4. Try to clean the area as much as possible after leaf fall and thoroughly clean the soil.

Folk methods of struggle

Many gardeners avoid using chemicals and give preference to unconventional methods of getting rid of a particular disease. Folk remedies and methods of controlling powdery mildew are very diverse, and everyone can choose the most effective, efficient and economical.

More popular recipes traditional treatment plants are:

1. 1. Soap with soda. Affected plants can be cured by spraying with a special solution prepared based on soda and soap. Spraying is carried out even after the flowering period of the plant. To do this, you need to take 50-60 g of soda ash and a little laundry soap, pre-grated, for one bucket of water. This is necessary so that the resulting solution is thicker and sticks better to the plant.
2. 2. Potassium permanganate. Powdery mildew can be treated with a special solution of potassium permanganate. With the help of this tool, preventive measures are also carried out. To prepare the drug, you need to take one bucket of water and add 1.5 g of potassium permanganate to it.
3. 3. Mullein solution. Measures to combat powdery mildew are very multifaceted. For example, a solution of mullein, infused for 3-4 days, can perfectly cope with this problem. To prepare the composition you need to take fresh mullein and mix it with clean water in a ratio of 1:3. After this, the solution is infused and mixed again in a ratio of 1:3. The damaged plant should not be sprayed very generously, but thoroughly. You can use a simple broom for this. The event is held every week.
4. 4. Whey. If the leaves of the plant are already damaged by the disease, then any fermented milk product mixed with water in a ratio of 1:10 will be an excellent help. Whey is better. It is necessary to stir the composition until it has a homogeneous consistency, and then use it to spray a diseased plant.
5. 5. Horsetail-based decoction. This composition can be prepared from dried (100 g) or fresh grass (1 kg). The available raw materials should be soaked in one bucket of water for 24 hours, after which the solution is boiled for an hour, filtered and cooled. Then you need to dilute the resulting composition with water in a ratio of 1:5. The finished product can be stored for no more than one week. Spraying should be carried out regularly, from the very first day of the growing season.
6. 6. Tansy. A decoction based on this plant will also help cope with the disease. To do this, you need to take 300 g of fresh or 30 g of dry plant and dilute it in one bucket of water. It must be used without diluting. This composition is sprayed not on the plant itself, but on the soil in which it grows. Tansy is classified as poisonous plants, therefore, when working with it you must be extremely careful and follow all safety measures.
7. 7. Urine. Urine is also perfect for fighting powdery mildew. 200 g of the substance dissolves in 5 liters of water. The ingredients are mixed well with each other, and the process of spraying the diseased plant is immediately carried out. This method should be used immediately after the gooseberry bush blooms. The procedure should be carried out 3-4 times a season with an interval of 7-10 days.

Ash in the fight against disease

This remedy has been known since ancient times. Its effectiveness has been confirmed by more than one generation of gardeners.

Ash is used in many ways, the most common of which are:

1. 1. Dry ash - used in early spring. To process the ash, you need to carefully sift it through a sieve, and then pour 10-20 g under each bush of the plant.
2. 2. Ash infusion - the drug must be used twice a month throughout the entire season. Recipe for preparing the concentrate: you need to take the raw material and fill it with hot water in the proportion of 300 g of ash per 1 liter of water. The composition must be infused for five days, after which it is carefully filtered. All branches and shoots of the plant are sprayed with this medicine.
3. 3. Dry ash - can be safely used when digging the soil. More often this happens in spring or autumn. It is necessary to scatter the drug at the very root. 200-300 g of raw materials per 1 sq. m. After sprinkling, you need to pour a little water or sprinkle thin layer soil so that the ash penetrates the soil as best as possible.

To prepare the ash solution you will need:

• sift dry raw materials;
• dissolve it in hot water in the proportion of 1 kg of ash per 10 liters of water;
• leave the composition for 4-7 days, while the contents are stirred every day;
• on the last day, do not touch the composition, but let it settle, after which the liquid is poured into another container;
• if you really wish, you can dissolve laundry soap in the ready-made composition;
• after this, the damaged bushes are treated with a special sprayer;
• the sediment that remains is diluted with plain water and the roots of the bushes are watered with it.

Gooseberries can be treated with freshly prepared mixture in dry and windless weather. It is advisable to carry out the procedure in the evening. It is very necessary to treat the leaves and shoots of the plant from all sides. To do this, use a sprayer or a soft paint brush.