Chlorosis of currants and the fight against it

Currant chlorosis is a plant disease that develops due to disturbances in the processes responsible for the formation of chlorophyll. At the same time, the leaf plates become more and more lighter, only the veins retain the green color. It cannot be said that this disease is extremely dangerous and leads to the death of the plant, but since the process of photosynthesis is inhibited, the growth and development of plants slows down along with it, the fruits become less and less and new leaves stop growing. The reasons for the appearance and development of chlorosis may be different and your task is to diagnose the disease in a timely manner and identify the cause, then the plant will be able to quickly help. Well, it is important to know that if you follow all the rules for caring for plants, timely watering and fertilizing in strictly verified dosages, chlorosis can be avoided.

Chlorosis of currants: why it appears

This disease quite often affects all types of currants (especially black and red), different varieties of grapes, gooseberries, pears and cherries, but different varieties of plums, apricots are considered resistant to chlorosis. There are many reasons for the appearance and development of the disease, they are very different, so it is rather difficult to identify exactly the one that caused your currant to get sick. Chlorosis can be caused by the following factors: -viruses or bacteria, pathogenic microorganisms or fungal spores that have been carried by harmful insects. - unbalanced soil composition, too alkaline soil composition. -damage to the root system. - lack of a drainage layer and, as a result, stagnant water. -insufficient top dressing and deficiency of useful elements in the soil. -Overdose of organic fertilizers (bird droppings). -too dry weather. - long rains. - high-lying groundwater. As you can see, the reasons are really very different and partly opposite, so it can be difficult to correctly identify the source of the problem. During drought or rainy weather, the composition of the upper fertile soil layer is disturbed, the lime content increases, and the soil is depleted. Iron, which is contained in the earth in the composition of various compounds, as a result of alkaline reactions is transformed into a form that plants cannot assimilate, and as a result, chlorosis begins to develop.

Chlorosis of currant: diagnosis of the disease

The foliage of the currant should be of a beautiful green color, if any color changes occur, then this does not necessarily turn out to be chlorosis, but it is still worth being wary - it is just that the color of the foliage does not change. This means that the bush is experiencing some discomfort and your first priority is to determine that the polo is not according to plan. To diagnose chlorosis, you need to know the symptoms of the disease: - gradually, so you most likely will not notice it right away, the color of the foliage begins to change, the shade of green becomes lighter, turns into yellow and sometimes white, the leaves curl. - iron deficiency is extremely bad for plants, causing the appearance of burgundy-brown spots, as well as wilting and dying off of some branches. -currant stops growing, new leaves do not appear. During the growing season, chlorosis may disappear and then return at the end of summer, in the fall, or the next year in the spring. To avoid this, one must try to identify the cause of the disease and eliminate it. This can be done using laboratory tests.

Treatment options: chemicals and folk recipes

You can fight any diseases of garden and garden plants in two ways: using chemicals or using infusions and decoctions prepared according to folk recipes. Both methods have the right to exist, and have repeatedly confirmed their effectiveness, so the choice is always yours.

Chemicals. Chlorosis caused by iron deficiency can be dealt with with the following chemicals: Mikom-Reakom, Micro-Fe, Ferrilene, Ferrovit. When it is not possible to purchase these drugs, then prepare the medicine yourself. To prepare the solution you need: one liter of water (do not use chlorinated tap water), iron vitriol and citric acid (4 and 2.5 grams, respectively). Place everything carefully, this solution can be watered and sprayed with sick currants 2-3 times over the summer. The solution is stored for no more than 14 days, then it loses its usefulness. So calculate in advance how much solution you need to avoid storing leftovers. If your shrubs are struck by magnesium chlorosis, then the medicine should also contain magnesium.

Preparations that can be used: "Mag-Bor", magnesium sulfate, "Kalimagnesia", as well as dolomite. When using drugs, be sure to follow the instructions, since an excess of a substance can be just as dangerous for the plant as its lack. If it was found that chlorosis is associated with a lack of sulfur, then the following complex preparations can be used: "Azofoska", "Diamofoska" with sulfur, "Kalimagnesia", potassium sulfate.

To compensate for the lack of nitrogen, it is necessary to use nitrate and ammonia fertilizers, but this should be done very carefully. As a top dressing, you can use "Urea", a solution of ammonium nitrate (ammonia), saltpeter. During the period of bud formation and flowering, it is better to refuse nitrogen. Nitrogen promotes foliage growth and can stop the bud formation process. And for the treatment of chlorosis caused by zinc deficiency, zinc-containing preparations are used, for example, "Zinc chelate". If it is not possible to conduct a laboratory analysis and for certain to determine exactly what substance the currants lack and what exactly was the cause of chlorosis, then it is recommended to use one of the complex dressings: "Universal", "Bio Master", "Solution" or "Aquarin".

Folk recipes. If you fundamentally do not use chemicals and are fighting for the ecological purity of the crop, then believe me, the products prepared according to folk recipes, in the end, turn out to be no less effective. So what can you use to cure chlorosis?

Ash or ash. You can add them when planting, or dig up the soil around the bush with ash, and also prepare an ash solution with which to water or spray the currants. You can only use the ash that was obtained as a result of burning trees. Various waste, as well as old furniture, are not suitable for this, as they may contain substances harmful to plants. With the help of ash, you can compensate for the lack of magnesium, phosphorus and iron.

The water in which you washed the cereal, quite unexpectedly turns into medicine. After rinsing, it is enriched with magnesium, silicon and phosphorus, so don't empty it out.

Onion peel. Yes, with this waste you can not only paint eggs for Easter, but also treat currants for chlorosis. Boil 50 grams of husks in a liter of water, and leave for a while. This broth can be watered or sprayed with currants. After using any product, carefully observe the reaction of the plant. If after a while there is no improvement, then it may make sense to try something else. If the plant recovers, then the new foliage will grow healthy and green, but the old leaves are likely to remain light.

Chlorosis of currants: preventive measures

Preventive measures in most cases are reduced to careful and timely care of the plant. Keep your garden tools sharp and disinfect before use. Disinfect the soil and planting material, before the growing season, treat the currants with a fungicide. Carry out top dressing on time and apply a strictly verified amount of complex fertilizers. Inspect the bushes regularly to detect harmful insects if they appear and start fighting them immediately.

Summarizing

If chlorosis is diagnosed and focused on treating it, the result will always be good. This disease can lead to the death of plants only in very rare cases, provided that they are not dealt with at all. But even with treatment, you will expect a smaller harvest than what you expected. The main reason for the onset and development of chlorosis is the lack of one or another element in the earth. If it is not possible to identify which particular element is missing, then use complex feeding for treatment. Do not exceed the dosage of chemical or folk remedies, this will definitely not help, but harm. After using any product, look at the reaction of the plant, if there is no deterioration, then you are on the right track. If the new leaves grow in a normal green color, then you have defeated the disease. Old leaves will not regain their previous color, they will remain yellow or white. If chlorosis is of an infectious nature, then it can only be cured with insecticides, simultaneously exterminating the pests that brought it to the currant. Stagnant water, like drought, can also cause chlorosis, so be sure to control the soil moisture under the currant bushes.