The most common currant diseases and how to treat them

The currant bush does not seem tender and unprotected. It easily tolerates the cold of winter, temperature drops, waterlogging and drought. However, all this does not remain without consequences. Here is a list of the main problems of this plant, currant diseases in the photo look quite convincing:

• Anthracnose... Signs: small brown spots with tubercles appear on the leaves. They gradually grow, spreading throughout the plant, and the bush dies. Promotes an increase in the focus of the disease and moisture: rain or fog.
• White spot, septoria... The leaves turn white, and small dark spots appear on them, fungal spores. It happens that signs of this disease can be noticed on the fruits. Black currant is more often exposed.
• Goblet rust... This disease is characterized by the appearance of yellow-orange pads that spread to the leaves and flowers of the bush. It is believed that black currants are more susceptible to this disease.
• Powdery mildew... A white bloom appears on young leaves, like a thin cobweb. It mainly affects red currants.
• Spheroteka (another type of powdery mildew, American)... Can affect the whole plant: young leaves and shoots, berries and ovaries. A thin white coating appears, which thickens over time. The leaves become deformed and die off.
• Reverse (terry)... The plant is completely affected, changes in the shape and color of leaves and flowers are noticeable. The flowers dry up, but do not fall off for a long time. Fruit is completely absent. It is mainly black currant that suffers from this disease.
• Striped mosaic... Where veins pass on the leaf, duplication of their pattern appears in yellow or orange.

Both diseases and pests pose a threat to currants.

Currant pests:

• fire, she lays eggs on currants, caterpillars that appear entangle leaves with cobwebs, feeding on them;
• sawfly, its larvae completely eat the leaves of the plant;
• leaf gall midge, these are mosquitoes, for them the young leaves of the plant are a real treat;
• spider mite, so named because it entangles the leaves with cobwebs and feeds on their juice;
• goldfish, this is a larva, it feeds on the core of currant stems;
• kidney mite, it is he who is the carrier of terry, a dangerous disease of currants;
• aphids, sucks juices from both young leaves and stems;
• the moth is gluttonous, in her diet there are gooseberry and currant leaves, which she completely eats.

This is not a complete list. It includes only the most common and dangerous diseases and pests. One more conclusion can be drawn, despite the close relationship, black and red currants can have "their own" diseases:

Diseases of black currant

It is interesting to note that some blackcurrant diseases are similar to those plagued by grapes and gooseberries. These are powdery mildew, terry, glass rust, septoria. The danger of black currants is represented by the same pests as gooseberries.

Diseases of red currant

Red currant has a number of advantages over black currant, it is more productive and unpretentious, and its main advantage is that it is resistant to diseases. But, even this does not save her from many of them, including European powdery mildew.

Treatment of currants for diseases

Every gardener needs to carefully examine the plants in order to notice the first signs of any of the probable diseases at an early stage. The leaves of the plant that have withered and fell must be collected and burned. Under this condition, you can easily cope with the disease.

Treatment of currants for diseases begins with the removal of damaged leaves and branches. The next important step is to dig up the soil around the trunk of the plant. Further actions will depend on the specific reason why the currant suffers.

• Anthracnose. A currant bush subject to this disease must be treated with fungicidal agents. Many gardeners use copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid, colloidal sulfur or phthalan for spraying every 10 days. These drugs are suitable for both prophylactic and therapeutic purposes.
• Septoria. Spraying with copper sulfate, 40 g per 10 liters of water, helps from this disease.
• Goblet rust. It is necessary at the time when the leaves are blooming, flowering begins, and when ovaries appear, spray the bush with fungicides, or a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid.
• Powdery mildew. The bush itself and the soil under it should be treated with nitrophene or a 3% solution of ferrous sulfate. Spray every 10 days.
• Spheroteka. 300 g of ferrous sulfate in a 10-liter bucket of water, mix and spray the bush. There is another method that works at the very beginning of the disease: 50 g of soda ash + 50 g of soap per 10 liters of water. You need to process the currant bush several times.
• Terry. It is very difficult to determine it at an early stage. And when it becomes clear what kind of disease the currant bush is overcoming, it is already too late. And in order to avoid spreading the disease to healthy bushes, a diseased plant should be dug up and burned.
• Striped mosaic. Another disease that is almost impossible to treat. Therefore, the plant is uprooted and burned.

Pests. Spraying the currant bush with insecticides helps with most insects. And this is done in several stages. The first is before bud break, the second after flowering.

Prevention of currant diseases

Of course, every gardener understands that preventive measures are always better, they are cheaper, require less time and effort, and also prevent the deformation of the bush if the disease progresses, and do not have a negative impact on yield. And first of all, this is not the use of any chemical or organic means, but the correct planting, pruning and feeding of currant bushes.

Prevention of currant diseases is a whole range of measures:

• It is necessary to remove parts of the plant damaged by disease or pests in time, and it is better to do this at an early stage, until the entire bush is infected.
• Correct and timely pruning. Sanitary cleaning of the bush will allow you to make sure that the plant does not thicken, so the likelihood of diseases decreases many times.
• Moderate watering. A large amount of moisture contributes to the spread of diseases and the attraction of dangerous insects.

Digging in soil around the trunk of the plant. Thanks to this, those pests that remained in the ground after winter are destroyed. Growing healthy bushes and getting good results is sometimes the same thing. Therefore, you must always monitor the condition of the currant bushes on your site, and, if necessary, help the plant in time.

Video: protecting currants from pests