Have you noticed that the leaves of your apple tree curl, become covered with a white coating and fall off? The fungus Podosphaera leucotricha, which causes a dangerous disease – powdery mildew, is to blame for this. If you do nothing, the fruits will grow small and ugly, covered with a rusty net – and the entire harvest will go down the drain. Expert Nikolai Vladimirovich Khromov told us how to spray an apple tree in May-June to protect it from this scourge.
Infusion recipe for spraying
Preventive treatment is needed even for those apple trees that still look healthy on the outside. In rainy summers, trees even with strong immunity are at risk of getting sick – for example, if there are cracks in the bark, where pathogenic microorganisms easily penetrate.
An alkaline environment is destructive for powdery mildew spores, so prepare a solution of soda ash to spray the apple tree.
You will need:
- soda ash – 50 g;
- water – 10 l;
- a little soap for sticking.
Dissolve baking soda and soap in water and spray the apple tree late in the evening. Repeat the procedure with an interval of 1-2 weeks 2 more times.
Features and nuances
The fungus loves dense trees, so be sure to carry out sanitary pruning – but in a limited amount, removing dry, infected and broken branches. Do not feed the apple tree with nitrogen, since fattening shoots are a treat for the pathogen. Potassium and phosphorus should predominate in fertilizing.
Water the apple tree exclusively at the root. Mulch the tree trunk to prevent moisture from evaporating and falling on the leaves.
