Content
Most pests of berry bushes manage to overwinter in the soil, old leaves. Treating currants with copper sulfate at the very beginning of spring will help neutralize insects, prevent their reproduction and prevent harm they can cause to plants.
Implemented for preventive purposes, the event is the guarantor of a rich harvest. In spring, it is easier to influence pests due to their low activity. It is worth finding out how to prepare a solution of copper sulfate and what are the rules for processing a chemical agent.
The procedure will take very little time, while the benefits of it are difficult to overestimate.
Is it possible to process currants with copper sulfate
The goal of any gardener is to grow healthy berries and fruits. vegetables. Copper sulfate or copper sulfate has been used in horticulture for a long time. Its effectiveness has been proven in the fight against pathogenic fungi and pests. Despite the fact that the drug has been used for several decades, and during this time new funds have appeared, it remains in demand today. Copper sulfate not only protects plants, but also has a beneficial effect on the quality of the future harvest.
Spring treatment of currant bushes with copper sulfate should be carried out in compliance with the dosage, processing time.
The solution has the property of drying, light burning. When exposed to it on young leaves and shoots, in addition to destroying the fungus and its spores, it is possible to get burned. It is for this reason that it is advisable to use the drug for prophylactic purposes before bud break. The procedure is carried out in the spring, when the ambient temperature is not higher than +5 ⁰С. They are treated with currant branches, plant trunks.
Why do you need to process currants with copper sulfate
The appearance of the preparation is a powder consisting of blue crystals. Its action is manifested in the quality:
- Fungicide that protects currants from fungal diseases;
- Antiseptic that stops putrefactive processes;
- Insecticide that destroys insects that harm currants;
- Fertilizer that improves the composition of the soil, increases the yield.
Copper sulfate refers to fungicides designed to treat currants from a number of diseases:
- scab;
- moniliosis;
- anthracnose;
- alternaria;
- ascochitis;
- rust;
- downy mildew;
- spotting.
The action of copper sulfate is superficial, the basic substance (copper) is not absorbed. After rain or watering, it is washed off, its work stops, but fungi are destroyed from contact, and the growth of the mycelium only stops.
Another purpose of copper sulfate is as a fertilizer to compensate for the lack of copper in the soil. Experts recommend its use on peat and sandy soils, where the deficiency of the trace element is especially pronounced. The imbalance can be easily eliminated by adding powder (1 g per 1 sq. M) to the soil once a year. Copper sulfate is used as an independent agent and together with lime in the Bordeaux mixture
How to dilute copper sulfate for spraying currants
The lack of result when spraying currants with copper sulfate in the spring is explained by errors in the use and dilution of the drug.
It should be remembered that spring processing is carried out at the “green cone” stage.
When the leaves appear, it is too late to carry out the processing, since the time is lost, the plant may get burned.
To obtain a solution, you must:
- Prepare a glass or enamel container and hot water (about 50⁰C).
- Copper sulfate must be poured into hot water and placed in a water bath to speed up the process.
- Pour the prepared solution into the sprayer tank.
- Bring the concentration to the required values.
- Carry out the processing of currants.
For processing currants, copper sulfate can be diluted in different ratios, depending on the purpose:
- medicinal - 3% (300 g of copper sulfate per 10 liters of water);
- preventive - 0.5% - 1% (50 - 100 g per 10 liters of water).
You should know that with an increase in the amount of water, a decrease in the concentration of the solution, its color becomes more saturated - from blue to dark blue.
Processing is carried out early in the morning or late in the evening, in calm weather. When diluting copper sulfate, safety measures should be observed:
- use rubber gloves;
- carry out work away from children and animals;
- avoid getting the solution on open areas of the body;
- rinse them thoroughly under running water if this happens;
- only the required amount of solution should be prepared.
How to process currants with copper sulfate
To disinfect the root system and currant crown in early spring, they are treated with copper sulfate. The soil is sprayed with a preventive solution under the bushes. First, you should remove all last year's foliage from under the bush and repair the damage on the branches with garden pitch.
On the basis of copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid is prepared, which also includes lime. Such a solution can harm the larvae and eggs of pests, corroding them.
When preparing the mixture on your own, it is worth strictly adhering to the proportions, otherwise the currant bushes may be damaged.
For the treatment carried out before bud break, you need a 3% mixture:
- Both components, vitriol and lime, are diluted in different containers (glass or plastic).
- The copper sulfate solution is poured into the lime solution.
- After mixing, the composition is filtered.
The average consumption for one currant bush is 1.5 liters of solution. Bordeaux liquid is used to process currants using a sprayer of one of three types:
- mechanical - air is pumped into the tank manually using a manual pump;
- electrical - pressure is created automatically by an electric motor;
- petrol - work on the basis of an internal combustion engine.
For small areas, mechanical is quite enough, large areas of currants require electric and gasoline-powered devices.
When spraying, it is necessary to ensure that the soil and parts of the plants are evenly covered with the solution.
Pest and disease control is effective if carried out annually, regularly.
Experienced gardening tips
During the processing of currants, gardeners recommend following certain rules:
- since copper sulfate is an acidic salt, the pH of the soil should be monitored and acidity should be lowered if necessary;
- copper sulfate is a chemical, therefore, when working with it, gloves, boots, glasses, a respirator should be used;
- spraying should not be carried out in early autumn;
- the useful properties of the drug are reduced if, after processing, the currants are exposed to rain;
- you need to constantly monitor the plants so as not to miss the moment of the need for spraying.
Conclusion
Copper sulfate treatment of currants is considered a productive tool in the fight against pests and fungal diseases. It is necessary to accurately determine the time and need for spraying, apply the desired concentration of the solution so as not to cause additional damage to the plants.
Caring for berry bushes should be comprehensive: timely and regular pruning, feeding and processing with folk remedies and chemicals ensures the health of currants and a rich harvest of berries.
