Why blackcurrant dries: what to do and how to save, preventive measures

At any summer cottage you can find a currant bush. The merit of this was the variety of varieties, the winter hardiness of this shrub and the enormous benefits of the berries themselves. But sometimes the harvest of this plant begins to fail, and summer residents are perplexed why blackcurrant dries, and what to do in such a situation. It is important to establish the true reason why the plant began to die so that appropriate measures can be taken at the initial stage.

Causes of shrinkage

The reasons that the currant began to dry out may be different. The main provoking factors include:

• natural influences;
• pest attack;
• disease of the plant itself.

Bad weather

Shrub can dry out during the hot dry season. This usually happens in the summer, when the plant is under the scorching sun for a long time.

If the landing site was initially chosen incorrectly, this can also lead to his death.

Especially when the period of prolonged rains begins. The roots of the plant, without proper drainage, are flooded with water and begin to gradually rot and die. And the bush dries up. In this case, earth should be poured under the shrub, and along the perimeter, within a radius of 60 centimeters, dig small grooves. Thanks to this, excess liquid will leave from under the soil.

Bad watering

In hot and sultry weather, currants should be carefully watered. If this does not happen, then the plant dries. Watering the shrub in the summer should be correct. This should be done when the scorching sun is already starting to go down, especially when it is July.

Water should be settled. It is forbidden to take it from a well or a well. Water that is too cold can damage the roots of a plant that is already suffering from hot weather. Water the shrub in the summer should be plentiful. This is especially true of the period when the berries begin to ripen.

Possible diseases

Another reason that the shrub began to dry out and wither, maybe the disease of the plant itself. The most common ailments of the currant bush include:

• veined or striped mosaic;
• a fungal disease like anthracnose;
• powdery mildew (European or American);
• columnar or goblet rust.

Column rust

Columnar rust looks like small dots of orange that cover currant leaves. A shrub can pick up such a disease from coniferous trees growing nearby. Save the plant as soon as possible. To do this, it should be treated with Fitosporin solution.

If this remedy did not give the desired result, then you can try one percent Bordeaux mixture. The plant should be treated with it for four days in a row, then a break of ten days is taken and, if necessary, the course is repeated again.

Anthracnose

This disease most often manifests itself in the middle of summer. You can recognize it by the spots with a diameter of one millimeter, which have a brown-red tint. If nothing is done at the same time, then the spots increase in size and cover the entire sheet. As a result, it dries up and dies.

The causative agent of this disease is a fungus.Its spores persist all winter in fallen leaves that lie under the bush itself. And then he begins to take root in the wood. In this regard, in the spring it is recommended to burn all the foliage. The shrub itself should be sprayed with solutions that contain fungicides.

Also in the spring, you can treat the bush and the soil near it with a two percent solution of Karbofos or Nitrofen. And at the end of summer it can be sprinkled with Fundazol.

Tuberculariasis

Tuberculariasis is considered a fungal infectious disease that affects the berry bush. Most often, it is black currant that suffers from it when it begins to bloom. Red bumpy spots first appear on the inside of the leaf. And already in August, all currants dry.

This process starts from the top of the bush shoots. The branches are covered with dark brown tubercles, gradually affecting the entire wood. In this case, dry and diseased branches must be cut off, and after harvesting, treat the bush with the following preparations:

• Homecin;
• Captanol;
• Topsina M.

Insect pests

Some insects also contribute to the fact that the currant bush dies, and its leaves and branches completely dry out. It is better to determine the presence of such a pest at an early stage, until the bush has had time to die completely. To do this, you need to know the distinctive features of the striking insects.

Aphids and ants

Ants and aphids most often attack the currant bush. You need to carefully examine the area around the bush. If there is an anthill nearby, it must be moved as far as possible with a shovel. The ground itself should be filled with water so that the insects leave.

Additionally, you can spray the plant with a solution of ash. To do this, in a full bucket of water you need to dissolve a glass of ash. Also, the shrub can be treated with a soapy solution with the addition of mustard powder.

Bud mites

Bud mite is another reason for the death of currants. It is very dangerous for the plant, as it begins to destroy the buds of the bush. Because of this, the yield is significantly reduced. A plant that has been affected by such a pest is almost impossible to cure. It is recommended to dig it up and burn it so that neighboring shrubs do not suffer.

The fruits themselves on such a bush do not ripen well and have a sour taste. Leaves look smaller than he althy ones. But the petioles, on the contrary, are longer.

Spider mite

Spider mite severely damages shrub leaves. White round dots begin to appear on them. Over time, they grow, transform into spots and completely begin to cover the damaged sheet, as a result of which it dries out. Then the branch is affected.

These mites are carriers of diseases, because of which the currant bush can get sick and dry for a long time. You can defeat a spider or kidney mite with the help of special solutions. It could be:

• Karbofos;
• colloidal sulfur;
• Phosfamide.

Glass case

Glass is another pest that acts covertly and sometimes unnoticed by the summer residents themselves. You can recognize this insect by the withering of the currant, which has not even had time to bloom. The shrub sheds berries, and its leaves become small. The defeat of the glass case begins from the inside of the branches. And the older the bush of the currant itself, the more likely it is to be attacked by this pest.

If affected branches and shoots are found, they should be cut and burned. The soil around the shrub should be regularly loosened by adding ground black pepper, tobacco dust or dry mustard to it. Thanks to such measures, the pest begins to disappear.

Firefire

Moth is easier to recognize other pests on a currant bush. In this case, you can see gnawed leaves and berries wrapped in a dense cobweb. And upon closer inspection, you will be able to see caterpillars of a light green color with a black head, which swarm in the affected fruits.

The harm from the moth is that it eats the fruit at a fairly high speed.

Most often it will settle on those bushes that bloom profusely in the summer. Only special preparations will help protect against such a pest. This is:

• Kinmiks;
• Actellik;
• Fufanon;
• Spark M.

It is recommended to spray the shrub with these solutions before flowering. Then in the summer such a problem that branches with berries dry up on red currants can be avoided.But in the fall it is useful to carefully spud such bushes. Then the butterfly larvae will not be able to get out from under a large layer of earth.

What to do if the problem cannot be identified

If the summer resident has not been able to establish the main reason why the currant dries up, then it is better to cut such a bush. You should start with the affected branches, which are then necessarily burned. This is done in order to prevent infection of other he althy branches.

When a currant bush has been growing in a summer cottage for a long time, then perhaps the time has come and it needs to be uprooted. In order for other bushes to bear fruit on such land in the future, the soil should be fertilized.

Prevention measures

To avoid such a problem as the drying of the currant bush, it should be properly looked after. It is important to initially choose a suitable place where the shrub will grow.It is better that it is away from conifers. Soil moisture should also be avoided. In severe drought, the currant bush should be watered abundantly. And it is better to burn the fallen leaves immediately.

Do not forget about the regular treatment of crops with special insecticides and fungicides that help the plant protect itself from pests.

Recommended