What to do if rust appears on the leaves of honeysuckle and how to treat it

Diseases and pests are the most common cause of crop loss and honeysuckle death. The disease is caused by a parasitic fungus that gradually destroys all parts of the plant. It becomes covered with red formations, from which a rusty powder pours out.

Rust occurs equally in decorative and edible plant varieties. Without timely treatment, it leads to the death of the entire bush. A fungal disease can be cured if its signs are noticed in time. What are the symptoms and causes of rust on the leaves of honeysuckle and how to treat the plant, read on.

Description of the disease

Rust is a fungal disease that affects crops. It is caused by a whole group of fungi. Moreover, some pathogens are capable of developing only on an infected host plant, while others spread throughout the garden to all plants.

The infection first affects the leaves and then all parts honeysuckle... It progresses slowly. Usually, the infection of honeysuckle with a fungus occurs in early spring. In this case, pustules with spores are formed only in the middle of summer.

note! In areas where junipers and ornamental conifers grow, the risk of rust infection of honeysuckle increases significantly.

Rust affects almost all fruit trees and shrubs. Especially often suffers from this illness honeysuckle.

Signs of defeat

The easiest way to treat the disease is at the initial stages of its development. In order to timely identify rust, it is important to know its symptoms and stages of development:

1. On the inside of the leaf, flat dry spots of a red or reddish color appear. On the outside of the leaf plate, light yellow spots of irregular shape are formed.
2. The infection spreads to young shoots. Brown and red spots appear.
3. Over time, the spots become covered with yellow and orange pustules (pads). When ripe, a rusty powder falls out of them. These are fungal spores.
4. Convex formations merge into large curved bands. Over time, they flake off the surface of the affected part of the plant.
5. In August, the leaves dry up, curl up and fall off. Infected shoots die off.

The rate of spread of the disease through parts of the plant depends on the pathogen fungus. Some types of rust affect honeysuckle locally.

Note! Regardless of the pathogen, the symptoms of rust are always the same. They can be seen in the photo.

The reasons

To get rid of the disease forever and prevent its relapse, it is important to understand why the leaves rust. The main reason is the ingestion of fungal spores on the plant. Their active development is provoked by the following factors:

1. Pests. Insects and mites carry many plant diseases, including rust. A plant affected by pests has a reduced immunity, which allows the fungus to take root on it faster. Birds also carry spores.
2. Weeds. They get sick with rust, infecting nearby cultivated plants. Especially dangerous is the neighborhood with acid, sedge, barley, cereals. These plants are called intermediate hosts.
3. Conifers. It is believed that they are most susceptible to rust and become its carriers.Honeysuckle growing in the same area with any coniferous plants or located in an area near a forest is especially prone to rust.
4. Plant residues... Fungal spores overwinter in fallen leaves. The remains of weeds and cultivated plants on the site also contribute to the infection of honeysuckle.
5. High humidity. Like most other fungi, the causative agent of honeysuckle activates in wet, cloudy weather. The risk of plant infection is especially high after heavy rains.
6. Cold snaps and sudden changes in temperature... These factors reduce the plant's immunity and promote the growth of the fungus.

The fungus spreads over the site not only by pests, birds and plants, but also by the wind. It is impossible to completely eliminate the likelihood of rust development on honeysuckle.

Danger

Rust not only spoils the appearance of crops. It is a real threat and, without treatment, leads to the death of the bush.

When damaged by rust, the leaves and shoots of the plant begin to quickly lose moisture, wither and dry out. The sheet plates are curled. All leaves from honeysuckle fall off ahead of time. Often the fruits do not have time to set. The shoots fall off.

The plant stops developing. New shoots do not grow.

Photosynthesis of honeysuckle worsens, immunity weakens, frost resistance decreases. Affected crops often do not survive the winter and die.

Note! Due to the decrease in the immunity of honeysuckle with rust damage, the likelihood of infection with other diseases increases.

Rust on decorative and edible honeysuckle

Symptoms of rust on the ornamental honeysuckle vine and bush with edible fruits are the same. Rusty leaves, pustules with red spores and peeling streaky spots appear on all varieties infected plant.

There are differences in the treatment of different types of honeysuckle. If, in the case of a shrub on which fruits develop, after the formation of inflorescences, only biological products and folk remedies are allowed, then the ornamental plant is treated with effective chemicals at any time of the year.

Also, liana better tolerates global pruning... If you remove absolutely all the affected parts, this will not harm the plant, and it quickly compensates for the removed parts. Removing large numbers of branches and shoots from edible honeysuckle will reduce yields and take longer to grow new shoots.

Rust treatment methods

If the leaves and shoots of honeysuckle are rusted, it's time to treat it. The fungus is afraid not only of chemicals, but also of some folk remedies.

Folk methods

Folk remedies are the cheapest and safest. Many gardeners prefer to use them. For their manufacture, food products, organic fertilizers, garden waste and pharmaceuticals are used.

The disadvantage of this method is its low efficiency. It will be possible to get rid of the disease with the help of folk recipes only in the early stages of its development:

1. Iodine and serum... 2 liters of whey are poured into a 10 liter bucket and 20 drops of iodine are added. The rest of the volume is topped up with water. All ingredients are mixed. The drug is sprayed on the plant and the soil around it.
2. Manure. 2 kg of rotted manure is poured into 6 liters of water. The ingredients are mixed and allowed to brew for a week. At the end of this time, the mixture is mixed again and filtered.
3. Hydrogen peroxide and boric acid. In 10 liters of warm water dissolve 10 tablets of hydrogen peroxide, previously ground into powder, and 5 g of boric acid.
4. Aspirin, oil and soda. In 10 liters of water add 3 aspirin tablets crushed to a powder state, 3 tbsp. l. sunflower oil, 3 tbsp. l. anti-dandruff shampoo and 3 tbsp. l. soda. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed until completely dissolved.
5. Herbal infusion. The bucket is 1/3 filled with weed. The rest of the volume is poured with warm water.The tool is insisted for a week, then filtered and used for spraying.

Agrotechnical techniques

At the initial stages of the development of the disease, some agrotechnical methods are also effective. If several leaves with yellow spots appear, they are cut off to avoid spreading the disease. Sick shoots are cut 10 cm further than the lesion site.

After all the diseased parts have been removed from the honeysuckle, it is treated with preparations containing copper (copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid). Otherwise, the risk of relapse is high.

Biologicals

Biologics are sold at gardening stores. They are also effective against rust, safe for the environment and humans. They are considered less effective than fungicides, but with the timely detection of yellow leaves, they can cope with the fungus.

Biological products are made on the basis of bacteria, which, when they get on the fungus, destroy it. The following remedies are most popular:

1. Fitosporin. Biological fungicide that is effective against fungal diseases. It is it that is usually used in preventive and therapeutic treatments, in which the agent covers the leaves and shoots of honeysuckle with a net that prevents the development and ingress of the fungus. For spraying, 6 g of the preparation are diluted in 10 liters of water.
2. "Binoram". Contains two types of bacteria that not only protect honeysuckle from rust, but also stimulate its growth. To prepare a solution, 75 ml of the product is diluted in 10 liters of water.
3. "Baktofit". Effective against most fungal diseases. It is used for spraying honeysuckle in the form of a 1% solution.
4. "Alirin". A relatively new drug of high efficiency. It is used to treat diseased plants and soil around them.

It is biological products that are recommended to be used for preventive treatment of not only growing honeysuckle, but also soil with planting material. The described agents, in addition to antifungal properties, stimulate the growth of honeysuckle.

Chemicals

Chemicals are considered the most effective. They save the plant even in the later stages of infection. Such funds protect it from reinfection for a long time.

The drugs that are used to fight fungal infections are called fungicides. It is they who are recommended to be used for decorative honeysuckle, the fruits of which are not eaten. With the help of such means, the disease can be cured in a short time.

Edible honeysuckle is allowed to be treated with chemicals only before flowering. After that, they negatively affect the quality of the fruit. If the berries have already appeared, the use of aggressive fungicides is prohibited. Poisonous substances not only remain on the surface of the berries, but are also absorbed inside.

The most popular anti-rust agents on honeysuckle:

1. Abiga Peak. Fungicide containing copper. Effective against all fungal diseases. To prepare the solution, add 40 g of the product to a bucket of water at room temperature. To cope with the disease and exclude relapse, honeysuckle is treated 3 times. The intervals between treatments should be 2 weeks. This is exactly how much the drug protects the plant from re-infection.
2. "Topaz". A systemic fungicide that is especially popular for its speed and effectiveness. To treat the disease, 2 g of "Topaz" are diluted in 10 liters of water.
3. "HOM". Medium toxicity fungicide. Considered harmless to mammals. To prepare the solution, dissolve 30 g of the drug in a bucket of water.
4. "Stroby"... Effective against all fungal diseases. To prepare the product, dissolve 2 g of the substance in a bucket of water.

The described means are sprayed with infected honeysuckle. They are not washed off during precipitation, provided that they have managed to be absorbed into the plant cells. It is recommended to process not only the plant, but also the soil around it.

Note! Fungi develop immunity to fungicides.In case of re-infection, use a different drug.

How to deal with rust properly

To cope with rust, it is important to know the basic rules for processing:

1. Before spraying, cut off all infected shoots and remove stained leaves. Places of cuts are covered with garden pitch.
2. All weeds and plant residues around the diseased bush are removed and burned. It is recommended to thoroughly loosen the soil.
3. Processing is carried out early in the morning or in the evening, when the sun is inactive. Otherwise, burns will remain.
4. Do not exceed the indicated dosages. It will not help to get rid of rust faster, but will only increase the risk of plant death.
5. It is necessary to work with medicines for plants with gloves and a protective mask.
6. Despite the fact that fungicides are not washed off by rain, there will be no effect if they are treated with honeysuckle later than 32 hours before precipitation.

Terms and scheme of processing bushes

The timing and treatment scheme for honeysuckle depends on the type of product used:

1. Fungicides. They are not washed off with water and remain on the plant for 10 to 14 days. Approximately this gap should be between treatments. For rust treatment, 3 chemical treatments are sufficient.
2. Biologicals. On average, a diseased plant is treated with such means 3-4 times with a break of 1 week.
3. Folk remedies. Are washed off by precipitation. Processing is carried out every 5-7 days. It takes 3 to 5 treatments to get rid of rust.

Rust-resistant honeysuckle varieties

To prevent honeysuckle from getting sick with rust, it is worth choosing varieties that are resistant to the causative agent of this disease. These include:

• Blue spindle;
• Bakchar giant;
• Moraine;
• Blue bird;
• Long-fruited;
• Leningrad giant;
• Kamchadalka.

Preventive measures

To avoid rust infection of honeysuckle, gardeners are engaged in prevention:

1. In the fall, fallen leaves and plant remains must be removed. They are taken away from the site and burned.
2. In the fall, the site is dug up.
3. Honeysuckle is isolated from conifers.
4. In early and late spring, the culture is sprayed with biological products or containing copper. Preventive treatments must be carried out after prolonged rains.
5. The area around the honeysuckle is weeded.
6. They fight pests in a timely manner.

Conclusion

Rust is a dangerous disease that affects many crops. It leads to a decrease in the yield of honeysuckle and death. Disease is recognized by red spots on leaves and shoots and formations with rusty powder inside.

It is possible to cure rust. To do this, remove all affected leaves and shoots from the honeysuckle, and then treat the plant with a homemade or purchased antifungal agent. Compliance with the rules of prevention reduces the likelihood of relapse.