Diseases of honeysuckle

Unfortunately, like any plant, honeysuckle has its own diseases and pests. It’s good that nowadays there are many ways to combat any ailment.

Diseases of edible honeysuckle

So what diseases do edible honeysuckle have?

Blackening on drying branches

The main feature of the disease is a black coating on the leaves or bark of the mycelium. The pathogen settles in a weak and drying plant. It also spreads via spores.

Powdery mildew

Forms a spotty coating on leaves and shoots. As a rule, it gives the first signs at the beginning of the summer period, at the time of the growth of new leaves and shoots. After some time, fruiting bodies of the fungus appear in the infected tissue, which are able to withstand winter, the leaves also acquire a brown tint and begin to dry, and there will be dark spots on the shoots. Shoots for myceliums are a wintering place; closer to spring, spores appear in the bark, and the painful cycle repeats.

Common crayfish, European crayfish

Forms an overgrown callus with an influx near a deep wound in the honeysuckle bark. Externally, the forms of cancer differ. The closed type is characterized by the fusion of sagging and the formation of small cracks. During intensive growth, the cracks begin to open, resulting in a deep ulcer, which leads to the rapid drying out of the tree. Even if during the summer period the wounds are healed with callus, frost will still damage the engorged tissues, and the ulcers will continuously increase, which will also lead to the complete drying out of the tree and bush. The disease is spread by spores that emerge from dark red bumps on infected areas in the summer.

Rezuha mosaic virus

This disease is a polyphage virus that can infect edible crops, such as berries, vegetables, grapes, and ornamental ones. Causes bushiness on cuttings of honeysuckle, as well as carnations. Because of this, a sharp shortening of the internodes follows, the buds of the sinuses awaken, and side shoots grow in large numbers. The foliage will remain underdeveloped, the bush itself will become smaller and dry out after some time. Spread occurs due to low quality planting material and nematodes.

Black plaque

This disease is characterized by the fact that initially dark turf from spores and mycelium forms on the leaves, after which they continue to grow until they completely cover the leaf blade. Leaves with this disease dry out and fall off.

Red spot

With this disease, large round red spots form on the leaves. Over time they become darker. Fruiting bodies appear inside the tissue infected with the disease, where the fungus survives the winter. As a result of the disease, the foliage turns yellow, dries out and falls off.

Mottling on leaves

This disease is a viral type. It is characterized by the fact that mid-visibility mottling appears on the foliage, sharply streaked or arched. The disease can affect 800 or more plant species, with potatoes and tomatoes surviving the worst. Transmission is carried out using 9 types of nematodes.

Frost cracks on shoots

Because of this disease, closer to spring, honeysuckle shoots begin to crack, burst, and mushrooms with a dark film grow on frostbitten tissues. The shoots begin to dry out.

Pests of edible honeysuckle

But in addition to diseases, edible honeysuckle also has pests that you also need to know about.

Willow scale insect, acacia scale insect

These pests are capable of attaching to shoots and sucking the juices out of them. As a result, the plant weakens. The growth of berries slows down, and after some time the bush will completely die. A characteristic feature is sinuous stripes with a pale and withered surface.

Behind this sign are the larvae of leaf miner flies, which lay eggs under the leaf blade. They interfere with photosynthesis, make paths in the leaves and feed on plant juices.

Honeysuckle fingerwing

It has a gray or brown color. The ovary penetrates deeply and destroys not only the seeds, but also the pulp. The consequences of the pest are expressed by the early blue color of the fruit, as well as their dropping. A large number of pests can greatly reduce yields.

Honeysuckle aphids

Very common in honeysuckle. Over the course of a season, more than two generations of this pest can be seen. Damage causes weakening of the bushes due to loss of juice from the leaves and shoots.

Gooseberry moth

Large size butterfly. Around the middle of the summer period, it begins to lay eggs, from which caterpillars will emerge, feeding on leaves and young shoots.

Rose leaf roller

It is a heavily pubescent brown butterfly whose caterpillars feed on young leaves on a growing shoot. Due to pests, honeysuckle loses its growing points and the affected parts of the bush become a dense lump covered with cobwebs.

How to protect honeysuckle from diseases

So how to protect honeysuckle from diseases? Below are several ways.

Powdery mildew

To combat powdery mildew, it is necessary to prune infected shoots, and also treat honeysuckle with the help of Vectra, Scora, cumulus and colloidal sulfur during the growing season.

Black plaque

If affected by black plaque, you need to collect infected fallen leaves in the fall and spray the bush using Abiga-Peak, Bordeaux solution, copper oxychloride.

Common crayfish, European crayfish

For treatment of common and European cancer, it is necessary to clean the infected stems phytosanitarily, also using 5% copper sulfate and oil paint on drying oil, disinfect the cuts and use Bordeaux solution, it is necessary to spray the bushes annually in early spring or immediately after the flowering process.

Tuberculariosis

To combat tuberculosis, you need to prune and destroy infected stems, and also spray the bush with Bordeaux solution and copper oxychloride in early spring and after the flowering process.

Frost cracks on shoots

Frost bugs are dealt with as follows. First you need to trim the frozen shoots, then use Bordeaux solution to spray the bushes after the honeysuckle blooms. This is done to remove infections that love weak plants.

Red spot

To combat red spot, you need to collect infected fallen leaves in the fall and spray the bush using Bordeaux solution, copper oxychloride, abiga-pik.

Blackening on drying branches

Pruning dried branches helps against blackening of branches, as well as using Bordeaux solution, spraying plants in early spring, or after the flowering process.

Mottling on leaves

To combat mottling on leaves, it is necessary to carry out phytosanitary cleaning and destruction of infected shoots, as well as isolate diseased bushes.

Rezuha mosaic virus

They fight the “mosaic mosaic” by phytosanitary cleaning and destruction of infected shoots, as well as isolating diseased bushes.

Ways to control honeysuckle pests

Also, any gardener needs to know how to combat honeysuckle pests.

Willow scale insects, acacia scale insects

To combat scale insects, it is recommended to use insecticides. With this method, you need to do everything in weather without precipitation and with a form of fine-drip irrigation. When two days have passed after treatment, you need to verify the effectiveness of the drug. If watering was not enough, you need to repeat the treatment procedure.

Honeysuckle aphids

To combat aphids, it is recommended to use an infusion of tobacco dust and soap solution (100g - 10l). This method is one of the most effective. The layer should cover all damaged leaves, as well as shoots. To achieve this result, the procedure must be carried out in weather without precipitation and the bush must be treated from all sides.