The bud mite is one of the most dangerous enemies of black currants. A few individuals are enough to infect the entire bush in a season. Chemistry is often powerless: the pest hides inside, where spraying cannot reach.
But at the same time you can fight the pest. As the author of the Zen channel “Garden Cribs” (12+) said:
“Having tried different methods, I came to the conclusion that we need to act differently. It is not enough to clear the bush of the mite, we must make sure that the pest does not appear on the plant again. A neighbor shared three folk methods that he has been using for many years. The result exceeded all expectations.”
Three traditional methods
In March, when the temperature remains stable at +8–10 degrees, prepare a solution: 500 g of wood ash and 100 g of mustard powder per 10 liters of warm water. Insist for a day in a warm place, filter. Add 50 g of grated laundry soap. Treat the bushes, especially thoroughly soaking the bases of the branches and the places where the buds are attached.
After 7–10 days, proceed to the second method. All marked diseased buds are cut off. They work carefully, capturing some healthy tissue. A thick paste of ash is applied to each cut. All cut parts are burned immediately.
The third method is used 10 days after pruning. Prepare an infusion of wormwood: 500 g of dry herb is poured with 5 liters of boiling water and left for 12 hours. Strain and dilute with water one to one. Spray all the bushes and the ground around. The treatment is done in the evening in calm weather.
“By the end of April, the buds opened evenly, the leaves grew healthy. In May, abundant flowering began. And most importantly, I collected one and a half times more berries than usual. From each bush I received 8-9 kilograms of large currants,” the author shares the results.
