Mealy dew on gooseberry: causes and control measures

Mealy dew is a rather dangerous disease that can greatly harm the crop. It is necessary to begin the fight against it immediately - at its first appearance, since development proceeds extremely quickly. However, gardeners often do not know which control measures will be relevant in this case.

Before you deal with powdery mildew, you must carefully familiarize yourself with this disease and then take action.

Often, many gardeners do not pay special attention to the symptoms of various diseases, including the symptoms of American powdery mildew. Most do not even know what she looks like. In no case can this be done, since the disease can kill the plant if it is not stopped on time.

Main signs of powdery mildew:

• a light coating on the leaves and ovaries, which later becomes more dense and more visible (from the light color changes to dark);
• infected shoots deform very quickly, and later dry out completely;
• all leaves abruptly stop growing, curl and eventually fall apart;
• the fruits on which the raid was formed, also stop in their development, without ripening at the same time to the end;
• You can also notice the suddenly appeared yellowness at the very top of the branches.

The fungus develops in the presence of high humidity in warm weather. The best conditions for this disease are moderate temperatures and 90 percent humidity. At a temperature of 30 degrees and above, powdery mildew begins to die off gradually, but only until the temperature is again optimal.

For the favorable development of powdery mildew, it is very important that the current temperature coincides with that at the appearance of this fungus. In 3-4 weeks, the disease can infect almost all the ovaries. But in hot weather with no rain the spores of the fungus spread extremely badly.

Also, very often the cause of the spread may be the use of some disintegrating agents for the soil or the insufficient distance between the bushes of plants. Often the infection occurs due to too abundant watering.

In low places at the site of infection and the development of the disease occurs several times faster, because it is in such places is "breathing" soil. It is in this soil that a lot of liquid is collected, which is the main cause of powdery mildew.

It often happens that this disease appears just because of the summer residents themselves. As mentioned earlier, this may be excessive watering of the plant or incorrectly picked mulch. As a rule, during such agrotechnical works, the humidity necessary for development increases.

Another very common cause is some insects eating leaves. Wounded parts of a plant often become the most vulnerable place not only for powdery mildew, but also for many other dangerous diseases.

In order to completely get rid of the powdery mildew on the gooseberry, it is necessary to study all possible control measures.

The very first thing you should definitely remove the affected parts of the plant and burn them. If you do not carry out this procedure, then the disputes will accumulate in these parts and beyond, and with the arrival of spring they will hit already neighboring plants.

After removing the infected areas, you should immediately proceed to the treatment itself.

1. One of the most effective treatments is copper sulphate. To prepare it, you need to dissolve 80 grams of chopped laundry soap in five liters of warm water. Next, add 20 grams of copper sulfate (this should be done with a syringe). The resulting solution should be blue and not have any lumps. This drug should be treated bushes before flowering begins. If this time is already missed, then the plant can be sprayed only after the appearance of the ovaries.
2. Another very effective method can be considered treatment with the help of the drug. "Topaz". It is necessary to carry out its preparation only according to the instructions, after which it is necessary to spray the bushes.
3. The main favorite among all summer residents is the drug "Hom". This tool has become the real alternative to the Bordeaux mixture. For cooking you will need 0.5% "Hom". Take about 40 grams of this solution, and then diluted in 10 liters of warm water. It can be used only once and only before flowering begins, and then washed from the leaves.
4. There is also a fungicide "Amistara Extra". To destroy the fungus such a drug is not able, however, to disrupt the life cycle of his strength. In addition to this drug, you can use "Vitaros", "Acrobat" or, for example, "Previkur."

• One of the most well-known folk means of dealing with powdery mildew is soap and soda solution. To create it, you need to take one tablespoon of soda, 75 grams of soap and 15 liters of water. First of all, create a solution of soap and water, and then add soda. This tool is used on the root of the plant or on the leaves. This treatment should be carried out about two times, but with a break of 7–8 days.
• For the second recipe, it takes 1.5 kilograms. wood ash and 5 liters of boiled water. All this is mixed and left for a day. This tincture is used for spraying, which can be done no more than two times: this is the time before flowering and after.
• 3200 grams urine must be diluted in five liters of water, and then sprayed after the end of flowering. Processing is carried out about four times with an interval of one week.
• It is recommended to use powdery mildew at the very beginning. manganese solution. To prepare it, you need to take 1.5 grams of potassium permanganate and mix it with 5 liters of water.
• Another recipe for a very effective solution: you need one part mullein dilute with three parts of water, and then leave for 4–5 days. This solution will need to be diluted once again in exactly the same way and you can spray the diseased plants.
• You can use the solution iodine. Only 2 drops of iodine should be added to the whey. With this solution you can not only carry out treatment, but also prevention.
• A good helper will be and aspirin. It takes only two tablets, which must be dissolved in 600 milliliters of water.
• Some summer residents use Zelenka. For cooking, consider the following proportions: 2 drops per 1 liter of water. It is important to carry out such a procedure very carefully and carefully. The best result in the implementation of irrigation can be achieved with a broom.

It is very difficult and sometimes expensive to combat powdery mildew. Despite the fact that it is possible to defeat such a disease, it is best to prevent its occurrence at all. This is what preventive measures exist for.

1. In no case should not forget about spring and autumn pruning of bushes. In the event that affected shoots or other parts are found, they must be immediately removed and burned.
2. Inspection is also required and bushes in spring and summer. This is done in order to detect infected parts of the plant, which are destroyed.
3. In late autumn and in early spring, it is imperative to collect all the fallen leaves, because fungal spores often spend the winter under the fallen leaves.
4. It is very important to water the bushes with boiling water during the swelling of the kidneys. This is an excellent measure of prevention not only of powdery mildew, but also of many other very dangerous diseases.
5. As a fertilizer, you need to use only potash or phosphate fertilizers. But it is better to forget about fertilizing with nitrogen forever, since it is they who do not allow the shoots to mature to the end, which makes the plant extremely vulnerable.
6. Between the bushes, you can plant plants that can "scare away" powdery mildew. These plants are: parsley, mint and garlic.
7. Another very good preventive method is considered to be a bed of potato or tomato stalks. It also needs to be treated with drugs and various fertilizers. Such litters are able to stop disputes and at the same time improve the soil a little.

Many gardeners who do not want to deal with powdery mildew on gooseberries, become resistant to it varieties, which is very reasonable and safe. These include the following types:

• "Grushenka";
• "Gingerbread Man";
• "Senator";
• "Ural grapes for the Moscow region";
• "Finnish";
• "Anniversary";
• "Masheka";
• "Kuibyshevsky" and many others.

To prevent unpleasant consequences, it is also necessary not to commit various mistakes in the cultivation and care of gooseberries.

• The main mistake of many gardeners is the lack of prevention. To prevent the occurrence and development of powdery mildew, it is imperative to carry out preventive work that can protect the plant.
• Another mistake is the choice of varieties that are resistant to powdery mildew. To prevent problems of disease and further treatment, the wisest acquire varieties that are resistant to this very unpleasant fungus.
• You should also carefully examine the cuttings of the plant during the purchase. It is important that they are strong and healthy. Often, consumers acquire an already infected plant, which must be subsequently treated.
• Many gardeners believe that when powdery mildew appears, all that is needed is to peel the berries. Having carried out such a procedure, they forget about the disease for a long time, as a result of which the process only intensifies and after a few years the plant dies.
• Many people, after removing the infected parts, touch healthy plants. In no case can this be done, as this fungus is capable of being transmitted even through hands.
• Nitrogen fertilizers should not be used, as mentioned earlier. They very often slow down the development of fruits and their growth.

When growing plants, you should always listen to the opinion of more experienced gardeners, because they, as a rule, give very useful tips that can solve the problem.

1. It is always necessary to carry out all recommended preventive work. It is with their help that it becomes possible to avoid a long treatment process.
2. Do not buy varieties that have a predisposition to powdery mildew. These varieties are: "Prunes", "Triumphal", "Russian", "Lefora" and some others.
3. Compliance with all established agrotechnical rules is also obligatory.
4. It is very important to observe the established irrigation regime, as powdery mildew propagates, as a rule, due to too much humidity.
5. It is best to plant bushes as far as possible from each other - at a distance of about 30–35 centimeters. This gap will not allow malicious disputes to move from plant to plant.

And the most important thing is to love and respect the acquired plants. It is proper care and care to help grow a healthy plant that can later produce a very high-quality and tasty harvest.

For information on the causes of powdery mildew on the gooseberry, see the following video.