Currants belong to the gooseberry family and are therefore often affected by gooseberry powdery mildew. The plant can be severely damaged by the fungal disease.
How do I recognize powdery mildew on currants?
Powdery mildew often occurs on currants and can be recognized by awhite to grayish fungal coating on the upper side of the leaves. This spreads from small mealy spots across the entire leaf. You can wipe it with your fingers.
What causes powdery mildew on currants?
Currants are attacked byAmerican gooseberry powdery mildew The bushes are infected via spores. These are thrown out of the fruiting bodies of the rhizomes at the end of April and are usually transferred to other plants by the wind. Because the fungus likes to spread in dry, warm weather, it is also called “fair weather fungus”. The powdery mildew fungus overwinters on currants mainly at the shoot tips. The infestation restricts growth and greatly reduces the harvest.
How do I get rid of powdery mildew on currants
If American powdery mildew has formed on the leaves of your currant, you canuse various home remedies A spray made from milk and water in a ratio of 1:2 is particularly effective. Do not use long-life milk for this as it does not contain enough lactic acid. Alternatively, choose baking soda mixed with canola oil and a drop of dish soap. It is best to spray the plants in dry and mild weather. You must repeat the treatment of the plants at least weekly and after each raging.
Do I have to prune currants if they have mildew?
When infested with mildew,timely cut is also important. Observe the shoot tips in early spring. If a whitish coating forms there, the bush is infected. Cut off the affected shoots immediately and dispose of them with household waste before the disease spreads further.
How do I prevent powdery mildew on currants?
The basis for preventing powdery mildew on currants isthe right location for the plants. There they develop into strong and resilient bushes. You can also take the following preventative measures:
- watering with field horsetail
- only moderate fertilization with nitrogen
- regular pruning of bushes.
Modern breeding offers many varieties that are resistant to powdery mildew, such as Cassissima(R) cassis varieties. This protects your bushes against mildew.
Tip
Be careful with gooseberries and jostaberries
The American gooseberry powdery mildew also attacks gooseberries and jostaberries. If a berry bush in your garden has been infected, you should preventively treat not only other currant bushes, but also gooseberries and jostaberries.
