Content
Mold on gooseberry berries is not uncommon. If you know how to prevent it and start treatment on time, you can save the crop.
What diseases cause mold
Mold is most commonly caused by fungal diseases. It is difficult to deal with them, so they usually try to take preventive measures. Failure to comply with the conditions of planting and care lead to the occurrence of such diseases.
Gray rot
Gray mold rarely appears on gooseberries, but it does cause mold. This usually happens if the plant is not properly cared for. Shoots are attacked from below, the berries begin to rot and eventually crumble. All diseased parts of the plant must be removed immediately, otherwise the mold will spread throughout the plant. Reducing humidity and maintaining sufficient distance between the gooseberry bushes will help to avoid rot.
Goblet rust
It appears as bright orange spots. The disease develops in early summer, fruits and leaves are affected. Mold looks like rust. In the middle of summer, such fruits fall off along with the affected leaves. Dampness contributes to the rapid spread of mold on gooseberries.
American and European powdery mildew
American powdery mildew (spheroteka) usually occurs after gooseberry flowering. All parts of the plant are covered with a white mold, which later turns brown. The disease can destroy the bush within 2 years.
At the initial stage, European powdery mildew is similar to American powdery mildew with a white bloom, but it appears from mid-July and does not affect gooseberry fruits. Mold does not change color during the entire period of the disease.
Causes of mold on gooseberries
Gooseberry mold appears for a number of reasons:
- warm weather with high humidity;
- landing in the lowlands or in the shade;
- too damp soil;
- infection from nearby plants or harmful insects;
- a large number of shoots around the gooseberry;
- excessive amounts of nitrogen fertilizers;
- weeds that were not removed in a timely manner.
These factors lead to the development of fungal diseases that cause mold.
What to do if gooseberries become moldy
You can fight gooseberry mold with both folk methods and chemical preparations. If processing is required during the ripening period of berries, then natural remedies are preferable.
Experienced gardeners use 5 basic folk methods to combat mold:
- Potassium permanganate solution - perfectly removes fungus from gooseberry leaves and fruits. In addition, the agent is able to stop the further development of the disease and its spread to healthy parts of the plant. The solution is prepared as follows - 10 g of potassium permanganate is added to 15 liters of water. The gooseberry is sprayed with the mixture. The frequency of processing is 1 time in 10 days. Spray gooseberries with potassium permanganate until harvest.
- Ash decoction - half a bucket of ash is mixed with 10 liters of water. This solution must be boiled for half an hour. To carry out the treatment, the agent is mixed with water in equal parts. To keep the solution on the gooseberry bush, add laundry soap to it and then spray the plant.
- Manure solution - the fertilizer is poured with water at the rate of half a bucket per 10 liters and left to infuse for 3 days. The infusion must be stirred every day. After the manure has stood for the right time, it is filtered. Dilute with water at a rate of 1:10 just before spraying. Mold control treatment is carried out every 7-10 days.
- Infusion of organic ingredients - it is prepared from rotted hay and forest litter in equal amounts. Greenhouse soil is also added to the mixture. The resulting composition is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 3, insisted for 3 days, then gooseberries are sprayed.
In order to fight mold on gooseberries, fungicides are used:
- Topaz - a substance with a systemic effect, destroys the fungus in the phase of active growth of spores and their manifestation from the fruit link. Any weather conditions are suitable for using the drug. The visible effect is observed already on the 3rd day, the treatment is carried out for 14 days in the spring before and after flowering. The main advantage of this drug for fighting mold is that it is non-toxic.
- Fundazol - a broad-spectrum agent. Low toxicity. Processing is carried out in hot weather, the higher the air temperature, the higher the effect. To combat mold, gooseberries are sprayed with foundationol before flowering and after harvesting. The plant is protected by the drug for 10 to 20 days.
- Topsin - is a systemic drug that is used both for the treatment and prevention of mold on gooseberries. The substance accumulates in the roots of the plant and fights the fungus. The effect is achieved in 3 days and lasts for 25-30 days.
- But - a therapeutic and prophylactic drug for the fight against fungal infections of the gooseberry. The bushes can be sprayed in any weather. The plant will be protected for about 15 days.
Prevention measures
Preventing gooseberry mold is much easier than fighting it later. A number of preventive measures will help with this:
- Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology, maintain the required distance during planting, avoiding thickening, remove damaged and weakened parts of the plant.
- Removing leaves and other vegetation from the soil under the bushes where the fungus can live, as well as loosening the top layer.
- Experienced gardeners are advised to treat the bush with boiling water twice a season, this will destroy the spores of the fungus.
- The use of special agents that increase the plant's resistance to diseases. You can use the Zircon preparation in spring and autumn.
- Do not allow an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, feed the gooseberries with phosphorus-potassium compounds.
Disease Resistant Gooseberry Varieties
Gardeners prefer to plant gooseberry varieties that are resistant to fungal diseases, so as not to fight them later. These crops have indicators that are no worse than others - growth rate, taste and size of fruits. The most popular varieties:
- African - fruits are almost black, oval in shape. It tastes like black currant. The variety is winter-hardy, the bush is medium spreading, there are practically no thorns.
- Negus - has a powerful bush up to 2 m high, shoots are covered with thorns. The berries are smooth without pubescence, black and blue outside, reddish inside, have a sweet and sour taste. Fruits do not crumble when ripe.
- Isabel - the bush is tall, but compact, there are few thorns, cherry-colored berries, with a small downy. Winters well, but prone to shedding of fruits.
- Neslukhovsky - an early variety with a slightly spreading bush about 1.5 m high. There are thorns on the shoots, the leaves are slightly pubescent. The berries are colored from dark red to purple. The pulp inside is tender, sweet and sour taste. Strong branches hold the fruit securely.
- Russian yellow - medium-sized bushes with an average height of 1 m, spreading crown. There are few thorns, they are mainly located at the roots. The berries are large, honey-yellow in color with a waxy coating. The skin is medium in thickness.
- Russian red - the ripening period is late, the berries are oval dark red without pubescence, but with a bloom. The variety is high-yielding and winter-hardy with high self-fertility.
- Seedling Lefort - a variety with a medium early fruiting period. Spreading bush, thin shoots with few thorns. Berries of medium size, intense red color with a pleasant dessert taste. Possesses high rates of winter hardiness and productivity.
These varieties and hybrids should be purchased only in specialized nurseries, then their health and the required characteristics will be guaranteed.
Conclusion
Mold on gooseberry berries is an unpleasant phenomenon, but it can be eliminated. Modern drugs can effectively fight the fungus. And if you follow the rules of gooseberry farming, then it can be completely avoided.
