Early treatment currant bushes hot water reliably protects shrubs from bud mites. These insect pests live in the buds of our plants from early autumn until the first warm days of spring. From the moment the currant buds begin to open to the sun, mites also awaken from their winter sleep. Their females lay larvae, and now, in place of the buds, the previously spoiled young leaves of the unfortunate bush bloom.
When and how to treat bushes - optimal time and actions
You should scald shrubs with hot water in early spring when the snow has not yet completely melted. This is explained by the fact that by pouring boiling water over the currants after the buds have begun to open on the branches, you will not only get rid of mites, but also stop the growth of shoots and the formation of young leaves.
Remember: autumn processing currant bushes with hot water will not give the desired effect. At this time, the buds have already tightly closed with a crust and, paradoxically, protect pests from negative factors. Water will not be able to get through the sleeping buds and will not reach the mites.
Before the procedure, cover the root system of the bushes if it is located close to the soil surface. Use wooden boards, slate, or simply sprinkle them with a thick layer of earth. 
It is best to use a metal watering can. Plastic tends to deform under the influence of hot water, and watering from a bucket will be uneven. Water the bush without staying in one area for more than a couple of seconds. The result will increase significantly if you dissolve currants in hot water for processing copper sulfate, in the dosage indicated on its packaging.
What are the benefits of boiling water for plants?
In addition to the obvious effect of exterminating currant mites, after watering the bushes with boiling water, a number of the following positive changes are noted:
- 1. The plant’s immunity increases, and therefore resistance to disease increases.
- 2. Bushes tolerate climate changes more easily, they are better prepared for wintering.
- 3. Productivity increases, and at the same time the taste of the berries.
- 4. The greenery of shrubs treated in spring is more juicy; young shoots form and develop densely on the branches.
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One of effective ways fight against garden pests is to water currant bushes with boiling water. This technique boosts the immunity of plants, warms the soil and is a reliable prevention against various diseases. Adding salt, copper sulfate or potassium permanganate to the solution helps to achieve faster results.
The answer to the question of why water currants with boiling water is relevant not only for the phytosanitary condition in the garden, but also for increasing the yield. After exposure to hot water, plants acquire increased survival and resistance to negative factors.
When to pour boiling water over currants
The procedure should be carried out in early spring, when there is still snow, before buds appear on the bushes. All activities must be carried out properly:
- Identify shrubs that have been exposed to powdery mildew, ants, mites, and aphids.
- Consider the processing sequence.
- Prepare tools. To work, you will need a watering can with a strainer or a bucket with a metal ladle, a thermometer, and boiling water.
Irrigation technology
- You should pour a container into boiling water and, without delay, go to the plantings. Along the way, the water temperature will drop to 80°C; upon contact with branches or soil, it will lose a few more degrees and will be within 60°C.
- A thermometer is necessary to monitor the working fluid. At low temperatures, the effect will not be achieved, and at high temperatures, burns may occur.
- The branches should be scalded evenly, without missing any of them, so as not to leave a single chance for pests. The soil around the plant should also be cultivated. Pouring boiling water on the roots is strictly not recommended. To protect the root system from burns, some gardeners protect the roots of plants with iron sheets.
- The distance between the watering can and the branches must be at least 10 cm. Scalding one area should not exceed 5 seconds.
Currant pests
Tick – main enemy all types of currants. It spreads during planting. The female nests in currant buds, laying eggs there. When they swell and occur sunny days Nesting sites become very visible on the twigs. Within 2 weeks, the maximum intensity of the process is observed, as a result of which a horde of females and larvae appears, and the swollen bud becomes like a head of cabbage. After the mites spread, which is actively observed during the flowering period of the currant for 15-20 days, it dies. Infestation of bushes is facilitated by wind, birds and people, who serve as carriers of pests around the site. In early autumn, mites again move into the buds in order to comfortably overwinter there. Deformed formations are clearly visible on black currants, but are completely invisible on red bushes.
Early spring is the right time to combat pests of trees and shrubs. While the buds are sleeping or just swelling, the pests are not asleep and are preparing to emerge from their winter shelters. But we, gardeners, should not hesitate. It's time to start cultivating your garden in spring! And we will start by watering the currants with boiling water - an old but proven method.
- Why pour boiling water over currants?
- When to process currants with boiling water, in what month?
- Favorable dates according to Lunar calendar-2019.
What's the benefit?
Spring treatment of currant bushes with boiling water helps fight with bud mites, aphids, fungal spores. Preventive measures are aimed primarily at pests that overwinter in the above-ground parts of plants and can significantly reduce their numbers at the very beginning of the summer season.
Watering bushes with hot water does not guarantee that the plants will be protected from attacks by aphids, currant mites, and powdery mildew throughout the year. This treatment destroys only the first generation of pests, and then completely different (mostly chemical) means are used.
The difficulty of using the method is that the water must be at a certain temperature, which is difficult to achieve in country conditions. They douse the bushes when it is still cold outside, and during the work the water may cool down, then all efforts will be in vain. Moreover, there is no guarantee that it will be possible to scald all the branches.
The water temperature for watering shrubs in spring should be at least 80-90 degrees , water from a watering can with a “shower” type nozzle. As a rule, 3 liters of boiling water is enough to process 1 plant.
But still, the method of processing currants with boiling water has existed for a long time, its effectiveness has been confirmed by practice. You can pour boiling water over not only currants, but also gooseberries and raspberries. And the main thing here is not to be late, to process the bushes on time.
When to process currants with boiling water?
In spring, currants are among the first to emerge from winter dormancy. Even when there is still snow on the site, you can see that the currant buds have begun to swell. It is important to treat with boiling water before the pests wake up.
If you live near an area where currants grow, start inspecting the bushes at the end of March. Plants infected with bud mite are very easy to identify right now. The buds, shaped like a head of broccoli, are a winter refuge for bud mites. Healthy kidneys have an elongated shape. Pick such a “head of cabbage”, break it in half, and you will see insects swarming inside.
You definitely need such bushes treat with boiling water ! And if you are not a supporter folk remedies, chemical preparations for spring treatment garden
Treatment with boiling water is carried out strictly BEFORE THE BUDS BURN! When the buds begin to bloom, it is too late to pour hot water over them. Then chemicals are used.
Currant buds begin to bloom around the end of April, so late March – early April We still have time to treat with boiling water. Perhaps in your region these dates are shifted, a lot depends on weather conditions. At least, in the specialized literature they write that You can start pouring boiling water over currant bushes at the end of March - beginning of April.
Another guideline is the average daily temperature of +4 degrees. When the buds have not yet blossomed, and the average daily temperature has reached this indicator, berry bushes (including currants) can already be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, a solution of urea or ammonium nitrate, and also treated with boiling water from a watering can.
Favorable dates according to the Lunar calendar for 2019
According to the Lunar calendar for April 2019, it is best to treat currant bushes with boiling water and other means:
- April 1,
- April 9 and 10,
- April 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 (before lunch),
- April 22 and 23,
- April 26 (afternoon), April 27, 28.
How else can you treat currants in the spring?
Spring processing of currants is usually carried out in several periods:
- before the buds open,
- in the green cone phase (beginning of bud opening),
- before flowering
- during budding.
The arsenal of drugs is huge, but this does not mean that you need to use them all to the maximum and at every stage of plant development. No, each drug has its own purpose, its own processing time. In this part of the article we will do short review preparations, a kind of cheat sheet: what else, besides boiling water, can be used to treat currants in the spring.
BEFORE buds open, against spores of fungal diseases overwintering on the branches, currant bushes are treated with the following preparations:
- 3% Bordeaux mixture,
- 4-5% solution of urea or ammonium nitrate.
During the swelling of the buds, currants can be treated (from ticks and other pests) with the following preparations:
- Aktellik,
- Novaktion,
- Karate Zeon,
- Fitoverm,
- Akarin.
The first treatment is in mid or late April, when the buds are already swelling. After 2 weeks - repeated treatment, but with a different drug. Then they are used after flowering.
In the green cone phase (at the beginning of bud opening), treatment is carried out berry bushes insecticides (against wintering pests):
- Kinmiks,
- Kemifos,
- Fufanon,
- Fitoverm.
During the budding of berry plants, insecticides are used to combat gall midges, aphids, and mites:
- Aktellik,
- Kemifos,
- Kinmiks.
Select one of the drugs and apply it according to the instructions, strictly observing the dosage and frequency of treatments. With kidney mite and powdery mildew fight with a 0.5% solution of colloidal sulfur. To prepare it, take 50 g of sulfur powder and first stir it in a small amount of warm water until it becomes a paste, and then gradually increase the volume of water to 10 liters. The prepared solution is sprayed onto the bushes and the soil underneath them.
In the fight against bud mites, manual collection of buds infested with the pest is very effective. Since such buds are easily distinguishable by eye, they are collected and burned (required!).
Watering currants with boiling water is effective in combating the currant bud mite, which is the main distributor of terry fruit. It settles in the buds of the plant in early autumn and finds refuge in them throughout the winter. As soon as the buds begin to wake up, the mites begin their activity. The females lay eggs, and after two weeks, disfigured leaves appear in place of the buds, looking like miniature bitten heads of cabbage. After another three weeks, the currants take on a pitiful appearance: there is almost no greenery, the remaining leaves are faded and underdeveloped, new shoots do not develop. With the beginning of autumn, the mites again move into the kidneys, and everything repeats. Watering currant branches with boiling water allows you to destroy mites, thereby interrupting the process of their reproduction.
When to process currants with boiling water?
Watering currants in autumn with boiling water will not give the expected result, since at this time the buds in which the pests have settled are covered with a dense crust. Because of this, the hot water will not reach its target and the mites will remain unharmed. Treatment is carried out in early spring, when the buds have not yet begun to swell, but are already responding to warming with a slight change in color. This may even happen during a period when the snow has not yet completely melted. Later, when the buds begin to bloom, the bushes cannot be treated, since boiling water can not only destroy pests, but also suppress the growth of leaves and shoots.
How to pour boiling water over currants?
Before starting work, the bushes that will be watered are determined and the work order is outlined so that the whole procedure is carried out smoothly and quickly, until the water cools down. If root system is close to the soil surface, it is covered auxiliary materials- boards, sheets of plywood or slate, you can also sprinkle with earth.
It is most convenient to water with boiling water from a metal watering can with a strainer on the spout. Since a plastic watering can can be deformed by hot water, it is not worth using, and it is irrational to water from a bucket - the consumption of boiling water is too high. If in hot water add salt, a little manganese or copper sulfate, the processing efficiency will increase.
On the stove or on a fire, water is brought to a boil and poured into a watering can and the processing of plants begins immediately. The branches are scalded as evenly as possible, without missing anything, but also without staying in one place for a long time, without stopping for more than five seconds in one place.
Almost every garden, even the most shabby one, has at least one currant bush planted. This phenomenon is most likely explained by the unpretentiousness of the culture, annual harvests, tasty and healthy fruits and a variety of varieties. I have already written, and now I will repeat it - black currant is one of my favorite berries, especially in its raw, “just picked” form. I love currant jam and compote. And what aromatic tea made from currant leaves! Just beautiful!
Three currant bushes were planted at my parents’ dacha; I have already written about them. Last year, dad decided to propagate the large-fruited “Dove” and planted a few more cuttings in the fall, we’ll see how they take root this year.
Caring for currants is not difficult, and the bush is very grateful in response to simple manipulations on the part of its owner, giving us generous harvests.
Today I would like to talk about feeding currant bushes, in particular, about the first application of fertilizers to spring period. What and how to feed currants so that they are generous for a rich harvest?
In general, feeding the bushes is carried out throughout the season. Focus on the phases of the vegetative cycle of plants:
1. Awakening of the bush, swelling of the buds (1 feeding);
2. Period of budding and flowering (2 feeding);
3. Appearance of ovaries and ripening of fruits (3 feeding);
4. Time after harvest (4 feeding);
5. Preparation for winter (5 feeding).
Remember the main rule: nitrogen-containing fertilizers, which some gardeners love so much, are acceptable only before the flowering period of the bush. That is, in other words, nitrogen should be fed only in the first two feedings; in other cases, complex fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus will be needed.
When to feed currants for the first time?
Watch the bushes: if the buds are swollen and the plant is about to release its first sticky leaves, then this means that this is the best time. Since currants show leaves quite early, probably earlier than all the fruit and berry bushes in our areas, the main thing is not to miss it. IN middle lane In Russia, this time comes already at the beginning of April - at the same time you should feed your beauties.
How to feed currants?
As I already wrote above, it should be nitrogen-containing fertilizers. For example, these:
· Chicken droppings;
· Rotted manure;
· Ammonia and others.
The most popular is urea (carbamide); it can be bought in any halfway decent garden department. Urea can be applied directly under the bush without diluting the granules: 40-50 g for young two-year-old plants, and 60-80 g for adult fruit-bearing bushes. The granules are evenly scattered around the bush and embedded in the soil, in the trunk space, and then the bushes should be watered well. There are other options for using fertilizer - read the instructions carefully and act in accordance with the recommendations.
If you are a supporter organic farming, then urea can be replaced with traditional fertilizers: chicken manure, compost, manure, peat. Simply place compost and peat around the bush (a bucket on the bush) - it will “work” as mulch. Litter and manure should be diluted with water, left to infuse, and the resulting solution should be used as top dressing.
So, droppings are infused in a ratio of one part fertilizer to 12 parts water, and manure - one part fertilizer to 4 parts water. An adult bush will need about a bucket of this infusion.