Currants are grown by many gardeners in their plots and gardens. This shrub, with its delicious and healthy berries, is hardy and undemanding to care for. However, with regular violations of agricultural practices, problems can arise, the most common of which is the drying of leaves.
The reason why currant leaves dry can be adverse weather conditions, improper care, damage by diseases and pests. This article details why currants dry up and what to do to save the shrub.
Poor Conditions and Care
Unfavourable climatic conditions and violation of agricultural practices are often the causes of currant leaves drying. In this case, a change in the appearance of the green mass is a symptom that indicates serious problems.
Dried twigs and leaves indicate a violation of photosynthesis, problems with the root system, or a lack of nutrients.
Dry Soil
In hot, dry weather, currants do not get enough moisture from the soil. The roots begin to dry out, and the currant bush no longer absorbs nutrients. Therefore, during dry periods, the shrub needs additional watering. In the absence of precipitation, currants are watered once a month. Pour 2-3 buckets of water under each plant.
Waterlogging
In rainy seasons, there is a high risk of water stagnation. When there is a lot of rainfall, currants are not watered. To avoid water stagnation, loosen the soil after each watering and rainfall. When planting, a drainage layer 5 cm thick is poured onto the bottom of the hole. Another way to avoid water stagnation is to mulch the soil around the currant bush.
Violation of Watering Rules
If the watering rules are violated, currant leaves also begin to dry. If you use icy water instead of warm, settled water, the roots will rot. Because of this, nutrients will not be absorbed. Watering during sun exposure will lead to burns on the leaves, which look like dry spots. Therefore, water currants early in the morning or in the evening.
Lack of Nutrients
Three years after planting, the soil in which the currant grows is depleted. Because the plant does not receive the required amount of elements, the leaves and branches of the currant dry out. To provide the plant with nutrition, from the third year after planting, it is fed 4 times per season. Fertilizers should contain nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, manganese, boron, and calcium.
Drying Due to Diseases
Black, red, and white currants are hardy crops. For violations of care rules to affect the condition of the crown, they must be serious and regular.
A much more common cause is infection. To cope with the problem, it is important to promptly recognize what exactly the shrub is sick with and determine the treatment method.
Anthracnose
Anthracnose is a fungal disease. It most often affects red currants. An epidemic usually occurs in late June or the first half of July.
Symptoms of anthracnose:
- Small red spots appear on the leaves. Over time, they begin to spread and increase in size.
- The spots move to the branches. The shoots dry out and die.
- The leaves dry up, the spots become dark, almost black. Premature leaf fall begins.
Without timely treatment, photosynthesis is disrupted, and the leaves fall off. The plant's winter hardiness decreases. Often, currants sick with anthracnose do not survive the winter.
To get rid of the disease, the affected leaves are plucked. The shrub is sprayed with colloidal sulfur, copper sulphate, or a fungicide. The procedure is carried out every 10 days until the plant is cured.
Nectria Canker (Tubercularia)
The causative agent of nectria canker is considered a fungal infection. This disease often leads to the currant drying out.
The infection affects the shrub through damage in the bark. Young plants get sick first, and then the fungus spreads to old ones. The pathogen does not die in winter due to its high frost resistance.
Symptoms of nectria canker:
- Blistering red spots appear on the underside of the leaf blades. The lesion starts from the top of the bush, gradually moving lower.
- Spots appear on the branches and shoots. They are convex and have a brown tint.
- The leaves and branches turn yellow and dry out. The plant will slowly die without treatment.
It is recommended to fight nectria canker with fungicides (e.g., Captan). Before processing, diseased leaves and shoots are removed. The cut sites are smeared with garden pitch.
Treatment with copper-based preparations is effective. Most often, a solution prepared from 1 tbsp of copper sulphate and 10 liters of water is used.
Note! The fungus overwinters in fallen leaves. To reduce the likelihood of currant infection, clear the area of weeds, fallen leaves, and plant debris every autumn. Take the collected garbage away from the site and burn it.
Verticillium Wilt
Verticillium wilt is a fungal disease characteristic of solanaceous crops. Previously, it was not dangerous for currants. However, the pathogen has mutated and began to affect the black variety of the shrub.
The fungal infection penetrates the plant through the root system. It blocks the flow of fluid and nutrients into the cells of the shrub and releases toxic waste products. This leads to the drying of branches and green mass and the gradual death of the plant.
Symptoms of the disease:
- The root system is rapidly destroyed and rots.
- Currant leaves become covered with yellow spots, wilt and dry. Intensive leaf fall begins.
- Branches and shoots dry out, break and fall off the shrub.
Verticillium wilt develops rapidly. The pathogen is resistant to chemicals, so it is impossible to save an infected plant.
To avoid infection of currants, it is important to control pests and remove weeds in a timely manner. Timely fertilization and sprinkling of the bush will help increase immunity.
Columnar Rust
Columnar rust is the main reason why black currants perish. Usually, the disease affects this particular type of crop; white and red varieties are much less frequently infected.
The causative agent of columnar rust is a fungus. Its carriers are coniferous trees and sedges.
On affected plants, not only the leaf blades dry out, but also most of the berries. The plant's winter hardiness decreases; often they do not survive the winter. Without timely treatment, the currant dies.
Columnar rust can be recognized by the following signs:
- Yellow or reddish spots form on the outer side of the leaf blade. Gradually, they merge and increase in size.
- Orange (rusty) stripes and spots appear on the reverse side of the leaf blade. Soon, hair-like growths form on them, which separate from the leaf and hang in columns. Spots form on the shoots.
- The affected leaves and shoots dry out and fall off.
To get rid of the disease, prune the diseased parts. Remove not only the affected leaves but also shoots with red spots. Treat the cut sites with garden pitch.
Note! Remove fallen leaves, branches, and other vegetation under the bush. Take it away from the site and burn it. Treat the soil around the bush with a fungicide like Fitosporin.
The bush is treated with colloidal sulfur, a solution of copper sulphate, or Bordeaux mixture. Treatments are carried out at least 3 times with an interval of 10 days.
Currant Pests
Pests are another common cause of currant leaf wilting. They not only cause direct damage to leaves and roots but are also a cause of culture infection.
Spider Mite and Bud Mite
There are many types of spider mites that affect currants. These are small pests of red, black, brown, or grey colour.
The mite settles on the underside of leaves, enveloping them in webs. The leaf blades curl into a tube and dry out.
Bud mites affect currant buds. They also feed on plant sap. The buds become swollen, cabbage-shaped. Ugly leaves and deformed shoots grow from them. They quickly wither and fall off.
To combat the pest, acaricides are used (e.g., Envidor, Spirodiclofen). Folk remedies are also used:
- Garlic and onion infusion. 1 kg of onion and 200 g of garlic are chopped with the husk, poured with 10 liters of water, and infused for 2 days.
- Orange peels. Peels of 5 oranges are poured with boiling water and infused for 2 days. 30 g of liquid soap is added to the resulting infusion.
Aphids
Aphids are the most common pest of garden crops. They settle in colonies on the underside of leaf blades and young shoots.
Aphids feed on plant sap. This leads to the formation of blisters on the leaves and their drying at the edges. As a result, the affected leaves and shoots fall off.
To get rid of the pest, insecticides are used (e.g., Actellic, Actara, Biotlin) or folk remedies:
- Soap with ash. A bar of laundry soap and 1 kg of ash are dissolved in 10 liters of water. The bushes are sprayed with the mixture until the problem disappears.
- Herbal decoction - tops of solanaceous crops, wormwood, chamomile, yarrow. Fill a bucket 1/3 with grass. Top up the rest with water. The mixture is boiled for half an hour, then infused for a day.
- Onion husks. 3 kg of onion husks are poured with a bucket of water. The mixture is brought to a boil and infused for two days.
Ants and Cockchafers
Ants cause double harm to currants. They build anthills in the roots of the shrub, damaging the roots. This leads to the plant not absorbing nutrients.
Also, ants are the main cause of currant aphid infestation. They deliberately bring the pest onto the plant, as they feed on its waste products.
To get rid of ants, use one of the methods:
- Chemicals. There are special preparations for pest control - Pyrethrum, Ant Powder.
- Products that emit a smell that repels insects - cinnamon, unrefined sunflower oil, wormwood, bay leaf, tomato tops. Such "repellents" are laid out around the anthill.
- Watering the anthill with boiling water in early spring.
Cockchafer larvae gnaw through currant roots. This leads to the wilting of greenery and shoots.
To detect the pest, dig up the bush and inspect the roots. The larvae are collected by hand and destroyed.
The currant is treated with one of the means:
- Imidacloprid-based insecticide;
- Chlorantraniliprole-based insecticide;
- Contact insecticide for soil application.
Currant Clearwing Moth
The larvae of the currant clearwing moth live inside branches and shoots. They gnaw passages there, which leads to wilting and shredding of leaves and shedding of fruits.
To get rid of the pest, infected branches and shoots are removed. The shrub is treated with an insecticide like Lambda-cyhalothrin.
The soil is loosened. The soil is mixed with black pepper and dry mustard.
Scale Insect
The scale insect feeds on the sap of currant leaves and shoots. Its larvae attach to the underside of leaf blades along the veins and on the branches. The larvae are protected from above by a durable chitinous layer.
Scale insects can be detected not only by the drying of leaves and shoots. Upon careful examination of the bush, the pest itself is noticeable.
Scale insects are controlled with insecticides (e.g., Thiacloprid, Acetamiprid, Actara). Another option is to pick off the most affected parts of the plant. After that, spray the currant with kerosene diluted with water 1:1.
Mole Rat and Common Mole Cricket
Mole rats are not interested in currants. They feed on potatoes, carrots, beets, legumes, and bulbous plants.
The common mole cricket is detected by holes in the ground and "mown" areas of vegetation. To save the crop, natural barriers are erected, ultrasonic repellers and special traps are used.
Conclusion
The drying of currant leaves indicates that the plant may be dying. This problem is caused by adverse weather conditions, violation of care rules, damage by infections and pests.
To cope with the problem, the shrub is inspected for signs of disease or insects. If damage is detected, the plant is treated, and dried parts are burned. If there are no symptoms, pay attention to plant care. After eliminating the negative factors, the problem disappears.