Those gardeners who have berry bushes in their garden know perfectly well how difficult it is to deal with their pests. They appear simultaneously with young leaves, and at the same time, a stubborn struggle against parasites begins.
Sometimes we spend all summer trying to save the harvest, and as a result, victory is not on our side. But there is a tried and tested method - watering the bushes with boiling water, which gives good results.
In ancient times, when there were no pesticides at all, a hot spring "shower" in the garden was used everywhere. At the same time, the berries were clean, there were fewer diseases and pests, and the yields were quite good.
Instead of a wide variety of eradication spraying with strong poisons, sometimes dangerous to humans, berry bushes were treated with hot water. This was done, as a rule, in the spring, when the snow was already running out, and the buds on the plants had not yet blossomed.
At the same time, wintering eggs of aphids, scale insects and galitsa, caterpillars of currant bud moths and various sawflies, as well as spores of powdery mildew and other fungal diseases die from the hot "soul".
Autumn watering currants with boiling water will not give the expected result, especially against the kidney mite, since at this time the buds in which the pests have settled are already covered with a dense crust. This will prevent the hot water from reaching its target and the mites will remain unharmed.
Therefore, treatment is carried out in early spring, when the buds have not yet begun to swell, but already react to warming with a slight color change. This may even be during a period when the snow has not yet completely melted.
Later, when the buds begin to bloom, it is impossible to process the bushes in this way, since boiling water can not only destroy pests, but also suppress the growth of leaves and shoots.
Before starting work, the bushes that we will water are determined and the order of work is outlined so that all of it is carried out smoothly and quickly, until the water has cooled down. If the root system is close to the soil surface, it is covered with boards, plywood sheets, slate, or sprinkled with earth. It is most convenient to water with boiling water from a metal watering can with a strainer.
The most important point of such treatment is that spraying must be done only on dormant buds. To do this, in dry weather, when the snow is already running out, and the buds on the bushes have not yet swollen, boiling water is quickly poured into a watering can with a fine strainer, and this water is evenly and thoroughly poured over the bushes.
One watering can of hot water is enough for a large fruiting bush. In this case, the bush is sprayed very carefully so that the water moistens each branch from top to bottom. Water temperature for raspberries is + 55 ... + 65 ° С, for other berry bushes +80 ... + 85 ° С.
But, using this method, you must remember well the basic rule - the bush must be processed only in one step !!! If drops of boiling water do not get on all the branches, in no case should you spray the bush a second time.
Why? And the fact is that boiling water, killing all living things on the surface of the branches, quickly cools down, heating the shoots and buds. And when re-processing with boiling water, when the bush is already warmed up, hot water of high temperature will easily penetrate the kidneys, burning them. Therefore, when re-processing a bush already warmed with boiling water, severe burns to the buds and branches and even their death are possible.
That is why some gardeners have the opinion that boiling water cannot be used for spraying at this time. You can apply, but you need to know and observe this most important rule.
And for the convenience of such spraying, the bushes must first be tied with twine so that they have a diameter of 60–70 cm.
Simultaneously with this spraying of the bushes, the soil under them is watered with boiling water, which kills the pathogenic principles of many diseases and has a detrimental effect on the eggs of pests laid on the surface.
For best spraying results, you can (but don't have to) add 1 tablespoon of caustic soda to the watering can.
Carrying out such spraying in the last days of snow melting has certain inconveniences, because it is this time that is inconvenient for carrying out such work, since a lot of dirt adheres to the boots and it is difficult to pass between the bushes. In this case, the soil is heavily trampled and after drying it must be loosened again. Therefore, many gardeners do this work in the fall. But personally, I prefer a spring shower for plants.
Simultaneously with the destruction of parasites by watering currants with hot water, other positive results are achieved. Plants acquire resistance and resistance to diseases, their immunity and ability to withstand adverse weather conditions increase. The yield of currant bushes and the taste of fruits increase.
Bushes treated in early spring are less sick during the summer, the greens on them are more juicy and fresh, they look better, and more shoots appear during the growing season. For winter, such plants are more prepared and tolerate it better.
Hot water (+ 60 ... + 65 ° C) is also well watered in beds with garden strawberries in the first ten days of April. Getting to the garden, the water cools down a little and does not burn the roots. They warm water, as a rule, near the beds, scoop it up with a ladle and quickly pour it into the center of the bush and onto the leaves.
Such treatment leads to the death of not only the transparent strawberry mite, but also other pests: raspberry-strawberry weevil, strawberry sawflies, leaf beetles, pennies bibs, ticks and even nematodes.
And having seeped into the soil to a depth of 4–5 cm, hot water already has a temperature of no higher than + 30 ° C, and therefore the roots of strawberries do not suffer from it.
"Ural gardener", No. 14, 2017
