Currant leaves curl: what to do

Content:

The article discusses in detail the question "Currant leaves curl": what to do. Named pests, diseases of the shrub, which can be the reason that currant leaves curl. The methods of struggle and prevention are indicated.

Currant leaves curl: description of the problem

Often, you can face the fact that during the spring or summer, the foliage of the currant bush begins to curl. At this time, the berry is still at the ripening stage. In a short period of time, a shrub can lose half of its leaves. Leaves begin to lose color quickly enough, dry and fall. To control leaf curling more effectively, it is necessary to understand the causes of this problem. Among the main ones are fungal infections, as well as the activity of harmful insects. If you take the necessary measures in time, then the plants can be saved. And if you pay due attention to prevention, then such an ailment will not visit your currant plantings at all.

To determine the true cause of leaf curling, you need to carefully examine the diseased plant. When examining, pay attention to the smallest details:

1) What specific leaves are affected: young or old.
2) Are there any spots, if so, what color do they have.
3) Are there traces of plaque or cobwebs.
4) In which direction the leaves are twisted.
5) In what condition is the other side of the affected leaf.
6) Are there traces of growths, swellings, bumps on the sheet?

It is important to know when exactly the signs appeared on the foliage of currant bushes. Sometimes it is enough just to gently turn out the leaves and look. The larvae of harmful insects may also be present there.

Currant leaves curl: what to do if the cause is insects

If the foliage takes the form of a tube or lump, then this may be the result of the work of many harmful insects.

Leafworm.

As a rule, this is not a large moth. In its length it reaches about two centimeters. Usually it has a brown color, you can often find a dark pattern on the wings of an insect. For thirty days, one butterfly can lay about a hundred eggs on the inside of a currant leaf. After a while, caterpillars of yellow or bright green color appear from them. Such pests cause damage to leaf plates, and after a certain amount of time they begin to twist into cocoons, which are tightened inside by cobwebs. During the fall, leaves that have been damaged begin to fall off. It is these leaves that these caterpillars choose for wintering. In the spring, butterflies reappear, they again begin to lay eggs on currant leaves.

That currant foliage that has been affected by a leaf roll, and which has a curling shape, must be removed and destroyed without fail. In no case should such leaves be left in the near-stem circles of plants, as well as added to the compost heap. Otherwise, the insect larvae will successfully overwinter and will return again in the spring.

Aphid.

Aphids are a fairly common enemy of currant bushes.These insects are small and don't move too much. As a rule, they feed on plant sap. Because of this, the leaves begin to turn yellow, dry out and curl.

There are two main types of this pest.

Gooseberry or shoot aphid. Such insects are greenish in color. As a rule, when the leaves are damaged by this particular pest, only the upper leaves of the shrub begin to curl. First, the shoot aphid selects the plant sap from the buds of the plant. After that, it begins to move to the top of the stems. For this reason, young foliage begins to curl outward. The leaves begin to look like shapeless clumps. It should be noted that ants are active distributors of aphids. They feed on the so-called padya. It is a liquid that is secreted by aphids, it is sweetish in taste and viscous in texture. By the way, ants are able to take aphids to their nests for wintering, and in spring time they can return them to currant bushes.

Gallic or leaf aphid. Such an insect, as a rule, chooses white or red currants. On the fifteenth of July, female leaf aphids grow wings. For this reason, pests can fly quite long distances. In autumn, eggs are laid near the currant buds. All pests that hatched in the spring begin to populate the lower part of the currant leaf plate, of course, sucking out the plant sap. Thus, convex formations appear on the outside of the leaves. They have a reddish brown color or yellow tone. At the same time, the foliage loses its shape in a fairly short period of time, begins to curl and die. This applies to both young and fairly mature leaves.

Spider mite

This harmful insect is very small in size and yellowish in color with an orange tone. A spider mite can only be seen with a magnifying glass. In its size, the female individual reaches no more than one millimeter. As for the males, it is half the size. The spider mite moves with the help of the wind. These pests are located, as a rule, from the inside of the foliage of currant bushes. At first, dots of light color can be found, they are very small in size. After a while, spots appear, they begin to fade, and then acquire a brown color. Subsequently, the foliage dries, curls and falls.
If the back side of the currant leaf is covered with thin nets, then there is no doubt that the plants have been attacked by a spider mite.

Glass-maker

This butterfly is small in size. The wings are almost transparent, the body itself is black. There are also three fairly noticeable yellow stripes. As a rule, glassy eggs are laid on bushes on damaged bark. Caterpillars, which appeared ten to fifteen days later, begin to damage the inner part of the shoots. They choose the core of the stems for nutrition. At first, the traces of glass work are practically invisible. In the next season, the insect larvae mature, and then traces of their activity become noticeable. The branches that have been attacked die, the foliage on these stems dries up and twists. Unfortunately, breeders have not yet developed currants and gooseberries that would be resistant to the attacks of the glass.

Currant gall midge

Such a pest is found, as a rule, in two varieties. Currant gall midge is leaf and shoot. This is a fairly small pest, in its size it reaches about one and a half millimeters.

Leafy currant gall midge has a yellow color with a brown tint. The eggs of such a pest are usually laid on top of young stems. The larvae that appear attack the foliage.Because of this, the top of the stems begins to curl. Its structure will stop torn, and over time it begins to blacken and dry out. As a rule, young shrubs are affected by such gall midges.

Concerning shoot gall midge, then she has a yellow color with an orange tone, as well as brown stripes on the back. Eggs are usually laid in cracks in the surface of the bark. If the bark contains a large number of shoot gall midge larvae, then it acquires a brown color. In addition, spots begin to appear. The larvae of this pest feed on plant sap, and for this reason, the branches of the plant begin to break and dry out. At the same time, the foliage acquires a swirling shape and begins to die.

Why currant leaves curl: main diseases

In addition to the above harmful insects that damage currant bushes, there are many diseases that harm plants. As a rule, such diseases are of fungal origin. If you determine in time what kind of disease has overtaken your currant planting, then you can save the plant.

Anthracnose

As a rule, this disease begins to manifest itself on the fifteenth of July. Spots of brown and red hue appear on the foliage, and over time they begin to increase. Sometimes such spots appear on young shoots and petioles of a plant, sometimes fruits suffer. Over time, the currant foliage turns red and curls, after which the leaves fall. If you find anthracnose on your currant plantings, then process not only currants, but also growing crops nearby. Anthracnose has a bad effect on the ability to tolerate low temperatures as well as on how plants develop. The yield of any variety of currants also suffers from this disease.

Spheroteka

This disease has a number of synonyms, the most popular of which is American powdery mildew. As a rule, gardeners notice the first signs in May. This disease manifests itself in the form of a white coating, somewhat reminiscent of pollen or flour. Such plaque covers young plant stems, foliage, as well as ovaries and fruits. The foliage becomes dark in color and curls. The stems change their shape and begin to grow poorly. The fruit loses its taste as well as its appearance. If you do not take the necessary measures in a timely manner, then you can completely lose the crop. This disease occurs, as a rule, when the air humidity is too high, as well as at elevated temperatures. If the summer is dry and hot enough, then such a disease should not occur.

Septoriasis

One of the most common blackcurrant diseases is septoria, and currant foliage also begins to curl. Septoria has another name, it is often called white spot. Often such a disease occurs if the bush is not well ventilated, as a rule, this is due to the thickening of the crown of the currant bush. Also, the causes of the disease are too high humidity, as well as the shade of the bush. When septoria occurs on the leaves of a currant bush, many small specks appear. They have a grayish tint and a brown outline. Then an inclusion of a dark color appears on the leaves, after which the foliage curls, loses its color and falls. In this case, the stems become brown. It should be remembered that this disease threatens not only currant bushes, but also other crops that grow in your garden.

Columnar rust

This disease also manifests itself on the foliage of the shrub and looks like spots of yellowish and orange hues. As a rule, columnar rust appears in the middle of the growing season.The leaves on the back side begin to become covered with a dense texture, over time they acquire a dark color. Parts of the plant that have been infected with this disease begin to quickly turn yellow, curl and fall off.

Goblet rust

This is another fairly popular disease for black currant. As a rule, it occurs at the beginning of the spring period. However, the first traces of this disease on different parts of the bush is possible to see only in early June. Goblet rust affects almost the entire plant, in particular stems, foliage, and flowers. On the underside, the leaves are covered with spots of orange color, in which there are dark blotches. In these places, small bumps begin to form, which resemble a glass. In the inner part of these tubercles there is a brown powder, these are fungal spores. Foliage that has suffered from goblet rust begins to curl and crumbles quickly enough. A plant that has been attacked by goblet rust becomes weaker, fewer new stems are formed. Such currants bear little fruit and winters poorly.

Experienced gardeners note the fact that the fungal spores that cause this disease are often brought by marsh sedge. If your currant plantings are located in rather low areas or near swamps, then give preference to currant varieties that will be resistant to this disease.

Currant leaves curl: how to process

If you see signs of any disease or traces of harmful insects on your shrubs, then you need to take action in a timely manner. It is recommended to use chemicals on your currant bushes before flowering begins or after the entire crop has been harvested. If the problem overtook it at this time, then it is better to use natural preparations or alternative methods of combating diseases and pests on currants.

Let's take a closer look at those chemicals that gardeners often use on their currant plantings. Such funds have a high degree of effectiveness, and with the help of chemicals, you can achieve quick results. It is very important to read the instructions before use. It is imperative to observe the necessary dosages, and also to use these drugs only in the periods that are allowed. As a rule, experienced gardeners use chemicals only when the plants are too badly damaged, and traditional methods are unlikely to help. During a one-time treatment of plants, it is recommended to use one preparation. Next time you can buy another drug and use it on your plantings. The funds can be alternated with each other, as a rule, drugs are selected that have different active substances in the composition.

In garden stores, you can find many insecticides against the main diseases and pests of the currant.
Before your bushes began to bloom, you can use Inta-vir, Actor, Biotlin and other similar preparations.
Until the onset of flowering, as well as after the entire crop of currants has been harvested, Inta-vir is used. This drug will help get rid of any pests like aphids and glassworm.

During the growing season, gardeners use Gerold, Kinmiks. These funds are aimed at combating leaf rollers, glassworms, aphids.

During the formation of buds, as well as the growing season, many gardeners use drugs such as Fufanon and Aliot. Actellik is also a fairly popular remedy among gardeners, but before using it, you must carefully study the instructions.

Consider the main drugs that help to cope with diseases of fungal origin:

Copper sulfate.When using this drug, be sure to read the instructions. It must be applied no later than fifteen to twenty days before the berry harvest begins.
A mixture of copper sulfate and quicklime. The well-known Bordeaux mixture possesses such a composition. As a rule, before the buds open, a 3% solution is used on the plants.

Inkstone. This drug is used until the buds open, as well as in the fall, when leaf fall begins. To do this, you need to prepare a one percent or three percent solution of ferrous sulfate.
During the growing season, drugs such as Skor, Raek and Tiovit Jet are often used.
Before the flowering period of plants, and also after the entire crop has been harvested, gardeners use the Forecast, Tilt.

Bayleton, Topaz and Fundazol can be used during the growing season.

As for various biological preparations, they have a milder effect on plants, since such agents are based on living organisms: fungi, bacteria and viruses.

The use of such drugs is relevant only when traces of diseases were detected at the beginning, and also if the number of harmful insects is not too large. Treatment with biological products is carried out, as a rule, in the evening. This is due to the fact that the effectiveness of such funds decreases when exposed to sunlight. Most of these drugs actively manifest themselves at the desired ambient temperature, which should usually be from ten to fifteen degrees. The following means belong to the insecticidal type of biological products: Fitoverm, Aktofit, Lepidotsid. Among fungicides, Mikosan, Pentafag, Fitosporin are very popular among gardeners.

Many gardeners do not welcome the use of chemicals on their plots and prefer folk remedies to combat diseases and pests. As a rule, these are various infusions and decoctions. In terms of effectiveness, such funds are inferior to biological and chemical preparations. The effect does not come too quickly, but such folk drugs do not harm the plantings themselves, as well as the environment.

Next, we list the most popular folk remedies that gardeners use for their currants. For each recipe listed below, there are ten liters of water.

Garlic and onions. In order to prepare a drug based on these ingredients, you need to take one hundred grams of onions and garlic. Then you need to chop them very finely and add hot water. Such a mixture is infused for one day, after which the infusion is filtered and used on currant plantings. This amount of solution is usually enough for two to three plants. Onion and garlic infusion helps to get rid of leafworm caterpillars.

Tobacco leaves. For this purpose, dry powder is used. You need to cook four hundred grams. Then such a powder must be poured with water and insisted for two days. When this time has passed, pour an additional ten liters of water into the solution, and also add eighty grams of shavings of laundry soap. Then strain your infusion and use if your plants are suffering from aphid or mite attacks.

Celandine. To prepare this drug, you need to prepare about three to four kilograms of fresh celandine. Dry grass is fine, then you need to use one kilogram. Pour the prepared herb with hot water, and then leave for about a day and a half. The infusion of celandine helps to cope with aphids and glassmongers.

Tomato tops. For cooking, you need to take about three kilograms of tomato leaves, before that they need to be properly chopped. Also for these purposes, you can use the stems and stepchildren. If you use dry raw materials, then one kilogram will be enough.Add to water and leave for about three to four hours. After that, you need to boil the resulting composition for about 30 minutes, then cool and add water in a ratio of one to four. Such a drug will help to cope with currant gall midge.

Dandelion. For these purposes, the rhizomes and foliage of plants are used. Four hundred grams will be enough. Cover with water and soak for about two hours. It is worth noting that the water must be hot. After that, the infusion is filtered, and you can process your shrubs. Dandelion infusion is very good at fighting aphids.

Iodine solution. Such a solution is prepared at the rate of ten milliliters of iodine per ten liters of water. It helps very well to cope with powdery mildew on currant bushes.

Wood ash. To prepare this product, the powder is stirred in a bucket of water in the amount of one kilogram, then you need to insist for five days. Many gardeners recommend adding liquid laundry soap to this solution. Such a remedy helps well to overcome aphids and powdery mildew.

For the result to be most effective, traditional methods of combating pests and diseases need to be carried out more than once, such procedures, as a rule, are repeated every five to seven days. The maximum break should be no more than two weeks.

Agricultural rules

In addition to processing your plants, if necessary, you need to follow certain rules, as well as help currant plantings in other ways. Let's list the main ones.

1) On a regular basis, it is necessary to remove and destroy the stems and foliage of plants that have been affected by diseases or harmful insects.
2) Do not forget about the rules of beneficial neighborhood. Certain plants can be planted next to currant bushes that will help in the fight against harmful insects. For this purpose, gardeners use tansy, marigolds, and yarrow. Dill works well, and is an attractive plant for ladybugs and other insects that can help fight aphids, ticks and other pests.
3) In order for the birds to help you cope with pests, you need to organize feeders.
4) If you see an anthill near the root system of the currant, it must be destroyed. As for the lower shoots on shrubs, they must be treated with a special garden glue.
5) If you see any butterflies above the currant bushes, then treat the plants with the help of folk remedies that have a strong sharp aroma; an infusion based on tobacco or garlic is well suited for this.
6) Do not ignore the recommendations that relate to the prevention of various diseases and pest attacks.

Prevention against diseases and harmful insects

To avoid problems associated with various harmful insects and plant diseases, certain preventive measures must be followed. These include:

1) When planting currant bushes in your garden, be sure to observe a certain distance between the plants. It should be at least seventy to eighty centimeters. So, a sufficient amount of air will pass between your plants, and the leaves will receive the right amount of sunlight.

2) When choosing a planting material, be sure to pay attention to its quality, it should not have traces of diseases and mechanical damage.

3) Before planting young plants in the soil, hold them for about fifteen minutes in warm water. This measure will help disinfect your seedlings.

4) Do not plant conifers near currant bushes, gooseberries are a bad neighbor for currants. This is due to the fact that these plants have common pests.

5) Don't forget to remove the weeds.

6) Periodically, currant bushes need to be thinned out and rejuvenating pruning should be carried out, while shoots that thicken the crown of the bushes need to be removed. As a rule, such a procedure is carried out every two to three years, if necessary, then pruning is done more often.

7) Twice a year in the spring and in the autumn, soil is dug up in the near-trunk circles of plants. After that, a mulch layer is laid and wood ash is added. Do not forget about regular fertilization.

8) In early spring, before buds begin to appear, currant bushes need to be processed with Bordeaux liquid. For the same purpose, many gardeners use copper sulfate.

If you notice any problems with currant leaves, then it is necessary to identify the symptoms and causes of this disease or pest attack in the near future. Once the cause of currant currant leaves is determined, it is imperative to start treating your plants. When choosing this or that remedy, consider the degree of damage to your shrubs. Also, an important factor in the choice of drugs is the development phase of the bush. To handle the shrubs as rarely as possible, do not forget to follow preventive measures.

Currant leaves curl