The branches of the willow are turning black. Common Willow Diseases and Pests and Effective Control

Willows require a lot of space, so they can often be found in parks or squares.

Among the wide variety of the willow family, the goat is decorative and can be grown to decorate a summer cottage. Planting a woody plant is not difficult, and caring for it is quite simple.

Willow goat Pendula: description

Weeping willow goat Pendula is a deciduous tree with a beautiful tent-shaped crown. You can distinguish this representative from other species by the crown and color of the leaves. A deciduous tree grows along roads, in the mountains, on the edges, near water bodies.

The crown size is 1.5 m. Every year the tree grows 5-10 cm in height and 10-20 cm in width. Willow lives for 30-40 years.

The leaves of Pendula are oval-pointed, reaching a length of 6-8 cm. The outer side of the leaves is smooth, and the inner side is velvety. They are dark green in summer and yellow in autumn. blooms almost all spring. The flowers are yellow during flowering. Can grow in any humidity.

The willow is not demanding on the soil. Willow goat Pendula can withstand even the most severe frosts. It needs to be regularly looked after and watered abundantly.

Goat willow planting

When buying seedlings, you need to pay attention to their quality. The survival and development of the tree depends on this. It is important to know by what method the process was obtained - by pruning or grafting. If the shoot was obtained by grafting, then the bark and the grafting site should be examined. It should not have dead scales. These are the basic requirements when choosing a seedling.

The ideal place for planting a tree is loamy soil. If there is groundwater nearby, this does not prevent the development of the willow. First, you should prepare a pit 50 cm wide and 40 cm deep. Add compost, peat, humus to the bottom of the pit.

It is also important to make mineral deposits in a timely manner. Mix the contents in the pit, and then proceed to planting a tree. At the end of planting, water the willow with plenty of water.

If the willow has a closed root system, then it is important to ensure that it does not dry out.

You can plant at any time from spring to autumn.

Goat Willow Pendula Care

The first time after planting, the tree should be constantly moistened. For 2 weeks, the willow should consume at least 50 liters of water. If the summer is dry, then you need to water much more often. In the second year of life, it is enough to irrigate every week.

Video about what Pendula goat willow is:

Like any woody plant, Pendula willow needs to be fed. From spring to autumn, fertilize only 2-3 times with special complex fertilizers. In autumn, you can use superphosphate as well as potassium sulfur.

Mulching is necessary to stop weed growth. This procedure is designed to retain moisture in the soil. Mulching can be done with various components: peat, sawdust, paper, expanded clay, pebbles. Any material must be crushed and scattered at the base of the tree.

The dried earth under the willow should be loosened. When cracks form, loosening is carried out after watering, preferably every other day. The tree is resistant to low temperatures, but the stem must be covered for the winter.

In the first years after planting the willow, it is necessary to prune the shoots. The decorativeness of the plant depends on the correct implementation of this procedure. Shoots should be shortened even from small seedlings, while leaving about 15 cm with one healthy bud. She must look up.

Mature trees should be pruned after flowering. In order for the crown to become thick and begin to branch, it is necessary to shorten the shoots by at least 2/3 of the entire length. During the summer, new shoots will have time to form, become strong and beautiful.

Goat willow can be propagated by grafting on a trunk, but it is rather difficult to do it on your own. The seedling obtained in this way in most cases dies.

It is better to purchase a seedling in a nursery. Willow goat will look good. A flowering tree can be combined with various perennials, ground covers, dwarf conifers, evergreens.

Problems when caring for goat willow

Willow is rarely infected with any diseases. Sometimes it can be found on a white coating on the leaves of a tree. This is powdery mildew. It develops with a fungal infection. Leaves that are located on the lower crowns are mainly affected.

In a neglected situation, the foliage begins to turn yellow and fall off. Tree treatment consists in the timely removal of bad leaves. To combat the fungus, you can use special antifungal drugs.

Often, small black spots can be found on the leaves of a tree. This is a black spot, which is caused by marsupial fungi. To prevent further spread of spots, the leaves should not come into contact with water. It is also necessary to carry out weeding in a timely manner and remove debris under the tree.

Goat willow can be affected by willow leafworm or flower fly. This is one of the most important pests of the tree. To get rid of them, you should purchase a special chemical preparation in a flower shop and spray the tree with it.

Flower fly larvae can be removed by watering the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Insecticides may also be used.

If you take care of the willow correctly and in a timely manner, then in the spring you can observe its beautiful flowering.

More than 550 species of willows are known, their appearance surprises with its diversity. Willows can be high growing and low growing. Trees are better known in our area, but shrubs are very common. They differ in color and leaf shape. But despite the appearance, and all its diversity, willows are threatened by many diseases. Dangerous and incurable should be considered in more detail.

In order to avoid pests and diseases in willow, it is necessary to regularly treat with solutions and concentrates. Since pests live mainly in the ground and in fallen leaves, the land near a tree or bush also requires special care. Leaves are recommended to be collected and thrown away from trees, and the earth is deeply dug. It must be remembered that any prevention is much better than the treatment of the plant.

Disease prevention

As a preventive measure against diseases, trees should be regularly inspected, the leaves and bark of a tree or bush should be observed. Once every six months, willows should be treated with Bordeaux liquid (3%), this procedure is recommended to be carried out at the end of autumn. In early spring, trees are treated with copper sulfate (1%). It is important to carry out the processing correctly, otherwise your efforts will be in vain. Processing should be carried out twice, within five days. Such procedures should be carried out when the sun is clearly shining outside and there is no wind.

White heart rot

The causative agent of willow disease is a fungus. This disease is dangerous because it is difficult to diagnose, since its focus is in the middle of the trunk. It becomes noticeable only when rotten hollows appear on the trunk. A tree cannot always be saved. It depends entirely on how late the disease was detected. If you managed to notice the disease in time, then you need to:

Trim affected areas.
Process the cut areas.
Seal all wounds, destroy mushrooms.

In cases of late detection of the disease, the tree will have to be destroyed so as not to infect the rest.

Brown leaf spot

The very name of the disease speaks for itself. There are several types of willow ailment: brown, brown, black. Spots of the above listed colors appear on the leaves. Moisture is the key to the development of the disease. In cases of detection of a disease, a tree or a bush is abundantly treated with chemicals intended for woody plants. Black spot deserves special attention. It rages on all 550 types of willows. Clear signs are spots on the leaves. But they are not black at all, but quite the contrary, they are white. And only in the fall, small spores of the disease become noticeable on these spots. Spores mature only in March, they are on the leaves all winter, and in the spring they infect new leaves. Infected leaves, possibly even entire branches, must be burned. The whole plant is simply treated with a chemical preparation.

crown gall

These are huge formations on a tree trunk, sometimes on a rhizome. They are a protective reaction of the plant to fungal diseases, as well as all kinds of bugs. Single formations are not terrible for the plant. They pose a threat only when the trunk is completely fouled. This will greatly weaken the tree. As a result, it may die. There are not many methods of struggle, or rather, he is one. It is necessary to ensure that there are no pests on the tree that would cause such a protective reaction.

powdery mildew

A disease that affects not only willows, but also many other plants. It is well known to people who grow vineyards. A sign of this problem is a white powdery whitish coating on the foliage of the plant. Fungal disease. It appears only in the middle of summer. Powdery mildew spores overwinter on the leaves. The disease is much easier to treat in the early stages, when it is not yet running. It is much more difficult to deal with a neglected form of powdery mildew. Therefore, watch the plant, and at the slightest hint of a sore, immediately treat it with fungicides (1 time in 14 days). To avoid willow disease, carry out preventive spraying in spring and autumn.

willow scab

This is also a fungal disease. The peak of the development of the disease occurs in autumn or spring, when air humidity is high. On an infected tree, leaves and shoots turn black almost immediately. Affected parts dry out over time. If the tree is not sick for the first year, then it weakens and dries out completely. Methods of struggle are no different from methods of dealing with other fungal diseases. Trees need to be treated with fungicides.

Rust

It is also a fungal disease and the methods of dealing with it are absolutely similar to the above methods. It appears on the leaves with a rusty coating. First, brown dots appear on the leaves, which eventually affect the entire surface of the leaf.

Cortical necrosis

Young willow disease. The disease in 90% of cases leads to the destruction of the plant. In order not to catch necrosis, your tree must be perfectly healthy. Since the causative agent of necrosis, it can only multiply in affected trees. Diplodin necrosis is a type of necrosis that is characteristic only of weeping willows. Tubercular necrosis is also a subspecies of necrosis. Methods of dealing with necrosis are completely different from each other.

Birch heart fly

This small pest harms the tree, forming so-called tunnels in its shoulder straps. Of course, they are tightened over time, but they do not pass without a trace. Yellow traces form in place of the tunnels. Pest control is impossible. Methods of struggle simply do not exist.

willow volnyanka

White and very alluring butterflies that eat the leaves of a tree or bush. A butterfly caterpillar can completely destroy the leaves of a small tree. Towards the middle of summer, the caterpillar turns into a butterfly, laying eggs on the remaining leaves. As a result, the process is repeated next year. Fight butterflies with the help of birds. Draw them to the tree in any way possible.

alder weevil

A clear sign of the alder weevil is dried leaves and shoots, as well as passages in the stems. These are usually pests of young plants. Weevil larvae perfectly endure harsh winters, as they hibernate in the bark of a tree.

willow leaf beetle

The second generation of willow leaf beetles has a destructive effect on the willow, they almost completely destroy the leaves of the tree. Beetles lay eggs in spring. The larvae feed exclusively on the lower part of the leaf. At the end of May, the larvae pupate. And in the middle of summer, that same second generation of bugs appears. For the winter, the willow leaf beetle climbs deep into the bark, where it tolerates winter well. Fighting the willow leaf beetle is not easy. In autumn, you need to get rid of all dry branches. It is desirable to burn them. The soil under the tree must also be disinfected (straw can be set on fire on it). In this way, it is possible to destroy beetles that have decided to winter not in the bark, but in the soil. In summer, they try to catch leaf beetles with traps. In case of massive damage to a tree, the strongest chemical preparations are used.

willow leafhopper

A pest that destroys shoots of willows. In spring, it lays larvae in young shoots, which subsequently weaken and crack. The larvae feed exclusively on the juice of the shoots. Young shoots stop growing, become irregular, weaken, and eventually die. Affected shoots must be immediately removed, the larvae destroyed. They can be collected or caught by special methods. And, of course, if the tree is severely affected, then chemicals are used.

spider mite

It is a sucking insect, lives on the inside of the foliage, it is from there that Yin draws all the juice. After that, the leaves are deformed, dry and crumble. The tick can overwinter both in the bark of the tree and in the soil, and in the spring begin its vigorous activity. With a slight infestation, a soap solution and insecticides are used. With a large lesion, they resort to more silty drugs, for example, karbofos.

willow common aphid

This insect is also considered sucking. In spring, it sucks the juice from the leaves and bark of the willow, and also spreads to nearby plants. Signs of aphids are similar to tick-borne invasion, the foliage is deformable, dries and falls. A distinctive feature is that in the presence of aphids, whitish scales (the old “skin” of the individual) are visible on the ground under the tree. As soon as the winged aphid is born, it moves to the rows of the garden, actively reproduces, and by the end of summer returns to the tree. An insect can overwinter in the bark. You can avoid the spread of aphids by not planting crops such as carrots, parsnips and dill next to it, then it will have nowhere to breed. For the fight, spraying with a soap-kerosene solution is used, treated with insecticides. You can resort to improvised means, prepare a decoction for spraying from the tops of potatoes, onions, mustard and peppers (all plants that are insecticidal will do).

Mouse-like rodents also pose a threat to the willow, they damage the root system of the tree. They are especially dangerous for planted cuttings. You can exterminate them with the help of poisonous baits.

Of course, there are a lot of diseases and pests of willow. It's almost impossible to see everything. But the most dangerous are outlined above. It is important to remember that timely preventive maintenance is the key to a healthy plant.

On a note! Do not forget that pests and diseases of a different nature most often affect a weakened plant. Therefore, take care of your willows correctly, fertilize, fertilize, water, remove fallen leaves, take preventive measures in a timely manner. To a strong and strong tree, many problems are not terrible. And of course, inspect the willow more often, it is easier to get rid of the problem when it is at the initial stage of its development.

Without requiring special attention to itself, the willow fully responds to the care shown - with a lush crown, an elegant bend of weeping branches and a light silver haze of leaves. Willows are very common and very famous plants in the middle part of Russia. Most species of willows love moisture and settle in damp places, while relatively few species grow in dry places (on slopes, sands, etc.) and in swamps. Willow is also found in forests, as a mixture with other trees.

willow ( Salix) - trees and shrubs of the willow family ( Salicaceae). Popular name: willow, willow, shelyuga, willow, vine, willow, tal, willow.

White willow, or silver willow, Vetla. © white willow Content:

Willow Description

Willow appeared on earth quite early, its prints are found already in the Cretaceous formation, and even modern species lived in the Quaternary era: Ash willow ( Salix cinerea), white willow ( Salix alba), Willow ( Salix viminalis).

The genera of willows include at least 350 species, distributed mainly in the cool regions of the Northern Hemisphere, where the willow goes beyond the Arctic Circle. Several species grow in the tropics. There are over 65 species in North America, of which only 25 reach the size of a tree. Most willows are small trees 10-15 m or shrubs, but there are willows 30-40 m high and over 0.5 m in diameter.

In cold countries, willows grow far to the north, such are very undersized dwarf willows: Salix retusa), netted willow ( Salix reticulata), grassy willow ( Salix herbacea), polar willow ( Salix polaris).

Low-growing willows grow in the mountains. Willow herbaceous ( Salix herbacea) and others that reach the very snowy border. Polar and alpine willows - undersized creeping shrubs - up to several centimeters in height.

Their interspecific hybrids are often found. Various types of willow, as already noted, are called: willow, willow, shelyuga, willow (large trees and shrubs, mainly in the western regions of the European part of Russia); vine, vine (shrub species); tal, willow (mostly shrub species, in the eastern regions of the European part, in Siberia and Central Asia).

Due to the ability to give adventitious roots, willows are easily propagated by cuttings and even stakes (with the exception of Salix caprea- nonsense, or goat willow). Seeds lose their germination within a few days; only at Iva Pyattychinkova ( Salix pentandra) seeds remain viable until next spring.

Babylon willow. © sjg bloom

willow cultivation

Willow is very unpretentious to soils. However, it grows best on light to medium loam, especially if it is remembered to feed it with organic matter. It easily tolerates the close occurrence of groundwater.

Willow planting

To plant a seedling of shrub willows, you need to dig a hole 50x50 cm, for tall trees of slightly larger sizes - 60x60 cm and a depth of 40 cm. 40 cm more). Fill it with soil mixture (from 1/3 to 1/2 of the volume of the pit), which will consist of soil, compost or quail manure and peat (1: 1: 1).

If the soil is heavy, sand is added to the soil (up to 20%). In addition, for willow it is necessary to apply complex mineral fertilizers, for example, azofoska (150-200 g). Mix the soil mixture in the pit well. When planting a hedge or a dense alley, it is advisable to dig a trench 40-50 cm wide and 40 cm deep.

A willow with a closed root system can easily take root at any time - from April to October (the main thing is that the lump and roots are not overdried). But plants with open roots are best planted in early spring, before bud break, or in September, with the beginning of leaf fall. When planting in autumn, the leaves of the seedling must be removed. Low-winter-hardy species and varieties should not be planted in the winter, as their immature roots and shoots can die from frost before they have time to develop.

Weeping form of Salix × sepulcralis. © Jdforrester

Willow care

Willow in the first season after planting needs abundant watering: 20-50 liters of water (depending on the size of the plant) once every two weeks and every week during the dry season. Then moderate irrigation will be enough for her. Shrub species that form a hedge should be cut once or twice a season (spring and mid-summer).

As for top dressing, during the spring and summer, complex fertilizers are applied two or three times, and at the end of August - superphosphate and potassium sulfate. In rainy years, gray and black spots often appear on willow leaves, similar to a dirty coating. To return the tree to its original beauty, it is necessary to spray it with copper oxychloride (HOM) or oxychome.

In autumn, it is desirable to remove fallen leaves from the site. Grafted trees in summer or autumn must be freed from wild growth. We must not forget about the shelter of non-hardy varieties. Do it in October - early November.

Weeping willow. © Darren Larson

How to decorate a willow garden?

In gardens and parks, willows are most often traditionally planted on the shore of a reservoir. And this is understandable - a natural landscape, a familiar image. But, of course, such a plastic and unusually spectacular tree will decorate any corner of the garden, and its crown will protect from the sun.

Willows, planted at intervals of 1.5-2 m, form a high hedge, and in two rows - a shady alley. The alley of white weeping willow is especially beautiful when the trees close their crowns. To do this, already in the second or third year after planting, the branches directed towards each other are intertwined at a height of 2.5-3 m or connected using ablation. Ablactation is a method of grafting used to connect the shoots of one or different plants without cutting them.

True, this method requires special skills, so it is easiest to braid the branches by fixing both tops with a thin plastic tape. After closing the branches of the willow, a green openwork tunnel is obtained. And if there is no place for an alley in the garden, then you can limit yourself to a green arch at the entrance - only two trees.

Shrub willows (twisted, purple, Caspian) - an excellent material for hedges. They will shade and at the same time decorate a children's or sports ground. But no less picturesque are the bushes, simply planted in a row or in several curtains along the garden path. And how interesting dwarf or weeping willows look in rockeries, especially if a stream flows nearby or a small fountain beats.

However, a lone willow on a wide lawn is also impressive, surrounded by flowering ornamental shrubs or in company with coniferous plants, whose prickly beauty only benefits from such a contrast.

Types, varieties and forms of willow

There are more than 350 species of willows in the world of various shapes and sizes - from mighty twenty-meter giants to creeping shrubs several centimeters high. More than a hundred of them are in our country (only in the middle lane there are about 20 species).

White willow (willow)

• shape silver. The tallest (up to 10-12 m) and the most unpretentious of the ornamental willows. The name was given due to the spectacular silver color of the leaves. It is magnificent in parks - against the background of dense dark green foliage of large trees: horse chestnut, elm, linden. And planted in the background (along the hedge), these willows with their silvery foliage emphasize the beauty of red-leaved maples, plums, barberries or dark needles of mountain pine and yew.
• weeping form. A tree 5-7 m high, with a very beautiful crown, falling in cascades, and long (up to 2-3 m) branches descending almost to the ground. It is undemanding to the soil, winter-hardy, moisture-loving. It tolerates shade, but in the absence of sun, the crown is not as dense and not as decorative. Weeping willow is good both on its own and in a small group of trees, especially along the banks of water bodies. Ideally combined with flowering and decorative deciduous shrubs and low conifers: thuja, juniper, cypress.

White willow, or silver willow, Vetla. © Willow

Brittle willow (willow)

• spherical shape. The crown is very dense, regular spherical or dome-shaped. The tree is multi-stemmed, sometimes reaching a height of 7 m. It does not freeze even in cold winters. Gorgeous in both single and group plantings, can serve as a good background for other ornamental plants. A small curtain or string of such willows is especially picturesque on the shore of a reservoir. Rakita is also used as a hedge.

Brittle willow, or Rakita, cultivar ‘Bullata’. © Kymi

goat willow

• weeping form. Very spectacular, with weeping shoots located in a "tent" on the top of a small, usually one and a half meter stem-stem. Recently, it has become popular thanks to foreign planting material that has appeared in our country. In good light, the tree forms a narrow tent-shaped crown with shoots hanging vertically down, sometimes to the very ground. In spring, they are densely covered with fluffy flowers, turning the trees into large dandelions. It almost does not grow up, exceeding the height of the trunk by only 30-40 cm. It is planted in groups. But one tree is also beautiful against the background of plants with a different shade of foliage or at the turns of garden paths.
  Goat willow is cared for in the same way as any standard grafted plant. First of all, it is necessary to timely remove the wild shoots that form on the stem under the grafting site (below the bases of weeping shoots at the top of the trunk), otherwise the grafted part may die. Since this type of willow is not very winter-hardy, it should be planted in well-lit and wind-protected areas. In the northern suburbs, it is better to cover the grafted part of the seedling for the winter by wrapping it with several layers of non-woven. When planting, standard plants must be tied to three stakes in order to maintain verticality.

Goat willow, cultivar ‘Pendula’. © baumschule

willow

• Matsuda form. Golden spiral shoots with slightly twisted leaves give it a special charm. Like any beauty, Matsuda's willow is very capricious. A foreigner, she does not tolerate Russian frosts: in the Moscow region and more northern regions, in severe winters, it freezes up to the level of snow, so she needs to be covered. This willow is planted only in lighted places, well protected from the wind. But even under ideal conditions in the Moscow region, plant height rarely exceeds 3-3.5 m.
• Ural twisted. No less attractive than Matsuda, but better adapted to the Russian climate. The tree is low (up to 3.5 m), but very decorative, and at any time of the year. Its spiral greenish-gray shoots look glossy brown in the sun. Regardless of the season, it tolerates pruning and shearing, therefore it is suitable for hedges. Thanks to twisted shoots and twisted “curly” leaves, this willow is a delight to the eye both on its own and surrounded by other willow trees.

Branches of Willow Matsuda, cultivar ‘Tortuosa’. © baumschule

willow

• Variety "Hakuro-Nishiki". A very interesting form with snow-white leaves at the end of the shoots and variegated in the middle and closer to the base of the branches. It grows as a low bush (up to 1.5 m) or a low tree - when grafted onto a trunk. The disadvantage is low winter hardiness. In the middle lane, it is better to plant non-standard seedlings and cover plants for the winter.

Whole-leaved willow, cultivar ‘Hakuro Nishiki’. © plantenbestel

purple willow

• medium-sized shrub, up to 2-2.5 m high, with a dense, almost spherical crown and glossy reddish shoots. In recent years, this species has become increasingly popular in Russia. Shade-tolerant, but not very hardy. After freezing, it grows easily, it is not necessary to cover for the winter. It is better to plant in places protected from the wind.

Purple willow, or yellowberry, variety `Nana Gracilis`. © sadevalja

willow caspian

• spreading three-meter shrub with thin long shoots of pale yellow color and narrow hard leaves. Shade-tolerant, but not very hardy. After freezing, it grows easily, it is not necessary to cover for the winter. It is better to plant in places protected from the wind.

Thickets of Caspian willow. © Ilya Smelansky

The main pests of willows and measures to combat them

Willow bark has long been used as an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agent. But the beneficial properties of the plant do not end there. Suffice it to mention that salicylic acid - the active substance of aspirin - takes its name from the Latin word salix - willow.

In addition, willow is a wonderful honey plant, its fluffy gray flowers with yellow stamens are unusually rich in nectar. And from flexible shoots of willow weave strong baskets and make light furniture. Looking forward to your advice!

These diseases appear, as a rule, in the second half of summer. With a high level of damage, the assimilation of the leaves decreases, they dry out and fall off prematurely. The causative agents of diseases in winter are stored on fallen leaves.

powdery mildew

caused by powdery mildew fungi Uncinula (= Erysiphe) adunca and Phyllactinia guttata. In July, a white powdery coating appears on the leaves, consisting of mycelium (mycelium) and conidial sporulation of pathogens. When infected with the first pathogen, plaque develops mainly on the upper side of the leaf blades, with the second - only on the bottom.

Conidia form every 10–14 days during the summer, are dispersed by air currents, and carry out massive re-infections of young leaves. Around the end of July, fruiting bodies of mushrooms - cleistothecia - are formed on the mycelium, which look like small, initially yellow, later brown or black dots, scattered or in groups. Cleistothecia overwinter on the soil or on fallen diseased leaves. In the spring, bags ripened in them are thrown out by bag spores, which carry out the primary infection of young leaves. The development of the disease is favored by warm weather and good lighting.

Rust

Caused by rust fungi of the genus Melampsora, which require different host plants for development. Willow is the main host for all rust pathogens. Intermediate host plants for various fungal species are predominantly currant and larch species. In the development cycle of pathogens, several forms of sporulation are formed that perform different functions.

In summer, urediniospores develop on the underside of the leaves in the form of bright yellow or orange, highly powdery pads protruding from epidermal ruptures. With a strong development of the disease, sporulation pads can almost completely cover the lower surface of the leaves. During the summer, several generations of urediniospores form, infecting young leaves. At the end of summer, on the upper side of the leaf blades, the overwintering stage of pathogens (teliosporation) is formed, which has the appearance of numerous yellowish-brown, slightly convex crusts, which swell strongly when moistened.

In the spring of the following year, basidia and basidiospores are formed on the fallen affected leaves, which infect intermediate host plants. At the beginning of summer, aetsia appear on both sides of the currant leaves and on the underside of the larch needles - sporulation in the form of small yellow vesicles filled with a yellow-orange powdery mass of aetsiospores. They are easily spread by wind and infect willow leaves. The active development of rust is facilitated by wet and warm weather in the spring and summer. The causative agents of rust are photophilous, therefore, open, well-lit places are most favorable for their development.

Brown leaf spot(causative agent - mushroom Marssonina salicicola)

affects different types of willow. The first signs of the disease appear in early July. On the upper side of the leaf blades, reddish-brown spots of irregular shape are formed, with blurry edges. Later, sporulation of the pathogen develops on the spots, which look like scattered small flat whitish or yellowish pads.

brown leaf spot

caused by the fungus Monostichella salicis (= Gloeosporium salicis). It affects different types of willow, but more often white (Salix alba) and holly (S. acutifolia). In early July, very small, slightly convex round spots of brown, dark brown, or almost black color appear on the upper side of the leaves. On the spots, sporulation of the fungus is formed in the form of small flat light pads, clearly visible against a dark background.

Blackish leaf spot

is caused by the fungus Pseudocercospora salicina (= Cercospora salicina) and affects various willow species. In the second half of summer, irregularly shaped blackish spots appear on both sides of the leaves. With a strong development of the disease, numerous spots merge, as a result of which the leaves acquire a characteristic dirty black color. On both sides of the spots, sporulation of the pathogen is formed in the form of small dark sods, which can only be seen with a magnifying glass.

Black leaf spot(causative agent - mushroom Rhytisma salicinum)

affects different types of willow. In July, rounded light spots with a diameter of 2 to 15 mm appear on both sides of the leaves. In August, on the upper side of the spots, dense, rounded, black, convex and shiny plexuses of mycelium - stroma, are clearly visible even from a distance. In the fall, they form bags with spores that ripen in the spring of the following year. Mature spores infect leaves.

The development of spots is promoted by increased humidity in the spring and summer.

Scab

(blackening of leaves and shoots) is caused by the fungus Pollaccia saliciperda (= Fusicladium saliciperdum). It affects different types of willow, especially strongly weeping forms. The disease manifests itself in the blackening of young leaves and shoots. The first signs of damage are found in the spring after the leaves bloom. They are manifested in the formation on the upper side of the leaf blades of a dark olive, almost black, poorly visible plaque, consisting of mycelium and sporulation of the pathogen.

Leaves turn black and die. From the leaves, the mycelium penetrates the shoots, which also turn black and die. During the growing season, several generations of spores are formed that infect young leaves. Diseased shoots stand out sharply against the background of a healthy green part of the crown.

The intensive development of scab is facilitated by wet weather in the spring and summer. The most active spread of the disease is observed in the first half of the growing season, when a large amount of precipitation falls and the mass of young leaves susceptible to the disease quickly increases. In winter, the fungus persists as mycelium in the affected shoots and leaves. Repeated from year to year, the defeat of the willow leads to a strong weakening and death of plants.

Diseases of trunks and branches

Cortical necrosis

As a rule, the plant is affected against the background of preliminary weakening caused by various natural and anthropogenic factors. Sources of infection - individual shrunken diseased branches or entire plants. Necrotic diseases accelerate the drying process and lead to relatively rapid death of young willow plants.

Diplodin necrosis of trunks and branches(pathogen - fungus Diplodina microsperma)

It affects various types of willow, but most of all weeping forms. Signs of defeat appear in the spring, in April - May. At first, the bark of diseased trunks and branches acquires a red-brown color, but soon it dies off, darkens and becomes bluish-gray. This is especially well seen on thin terminal shoots without leaves, which stand out sharply against the green background of healthy branches.

On trunks and large branches, separate areas of dead bark are formed - local necrosis, which are clearly demarcated from healthy bark. On thinner branches and shoots, the bark quickly dies off in a circle. Dead bark acquires a characteristic yellow-red color. During this period, sporulation of the pathogen is formed in the thickness of the cortex - conidiomas, which at first look like small black tubercles covered with the epidermis. As they develop, they protrude from under the epidermis with yellowish tops.

Mature spores (conidia) in the period of moisture come out of the conidioma in the form of grayish nodules or pads. Conidia spread during the growing season mainly by rain, less often by insects and wind. Infection of plants occurs when spores penetrate into the tissues of trunks and branches through various wounds and cracks in the bark. The mycelium (mycelium) of the pathogen spreads at high speed in the longitudinal direction, therefore, on trunks and thick branches, local necrosis has an elongated ribbon shape.

The pathogen overwinters as mycelium in the affected trunks and branches. It can also overwinter in the marsupial stage (Cryptodiaporthe salicella), but it is rarely formed. Under favorable conditions for the disease, the most susceptible species and forms of willow dry out in 1–2 seasons. Weakened plants are often colonized by stem insects, including the alder crypt borer (Cryptorrhynchidius lapathi L.), which accelerates the death of plants.

Cytosporal necrosis (cytosporosis) trunks and branches

Signs of the disease are manifested in the death of the bark. On thin branches and shoots, the bark dies off in a circle. When skeletal branches and trunks are affected, separate (local) necrotic areas of various shapes appear on the cortex, often limited by callus ridges or cracks. The bark of necrotic areas acquires a characteristic red-brown color.

In the thickness of the dead bark, sporulation of pathogens is formed - pycnidia. In this case, the entire surface of the affected bark is covered with numerous, densely seated small conical tubercles with dark gray or almost black peaks. They protrude from cracks in the bark in longitudinal rows or randomly. Sporulation is especially well seen on the thin and smooth bark of trunks and branches.

In spring (April-May), at high humidity, mature spores of pathogens emerge from pycnidia to the surface of the bark and solidify in air in the form of drops, thin flagella or spirals of yellow, reddish, bright red, or orange-golden color. This is the main, characteristic sign of cytosporosis. Mature spores are spread mainly by rain, less often by insects and wind.

The disease can also affect other breeds: horse chestnut, ailanthus (Chinese ash), walnut, apple, mulberry, poplar, rose, raspberry. This greatly increases the risk of cytosporosis. The reasons for the decrease in the resistance of trees to cytosporosis and the occurrence of foci of the disease can be: adverse weather conditions, disease damage, damage by insects of different ecological groups; air and soil pollution by industrial emissions; violation of the technology for creating landings and caring for them.

Sources of infection are diseased trees, fallen or cut off affected unharvested branches and bark. Cytosporosis leads to rapid (often in one season) drying of planting material.

Tubercular necrosis of branches(causative agent - fungus Tubercularia vulgaris)

It affects various types of willow and many deciduous trees and shrubs, including maple, horse chestnut, ailanthus, caragana, cotoneaster, beech, oak, robinia, mountain ash, and others. The fungus is often found as a saprotroph on shrunken trunks and branches, but often settles on weakened but viable plants.

In the thickness of the affected cortex, sporulation of the pathogen is formed - stroma, which look like rounded pads with a diameter of 0.5–2 and a height of up to 1.5 mm. At first they are smooth, reddish or bright pink, later they become as if granular and acquire a brick red or brown color. The stroma protruding from the cracks in the cortex are arranged in longitudinal rows or randomly. Often they completely cover the affected areas of trunks and branches.

T. vulgaris often settles on willow affected by other diseases, including diplodin and cytospore necrosis, and accelerates the death of plants. To reduce the harm caused by diseases, it is necessary to carry out a set of measures aimed at preventing the occurrence of foci and limiting their further spread. Of great importance is the supervision of the state of planting material and the appearance of diseases.

Surveillance is advisable during periods when characteristic symptoms of diseases appear. Signs of necrosis diseases are found at the beginning of the growing season, scab - 10–14 days after leafing out, and powdery mildew, rust and leaf spot - in July.

Creating optimal conditions for the growth and development of plants makes them more resistant to necrosis diseases. Mechanical damage to the cortex, through which pathogens easily penetrate, should not be allowed. Timely pruning of diseased branches and harvesting of shrunken specimens, which are sources of infection, contribute to a decrease in the level of necrosis damage. To reduce the stock of overwintering infection that causes primary infection of the leaves, it is necessary to destroy the fallen leaves.

At a high level of damage, causing a strong weakening and drying of the planting material, it is necessary to apply chemical protection measures, including eradication and protective (prophylactic) spraying with fungicides. Eradication treatments are carried out to destroy the wintering infection and suppress the primary spring infection of the willow with scab, powdery mildew, rust, spotting.

Spraying can be carried out both in late autumn and early spring. Protective spraying prevents the penetration of pathogens into plant tissues and prevents the development of diseases. They are carried out during the growing season, during the period of mass spread of infection.

Foliar spraying against powdery mildew, rust and blotches should be started at the first signs of disease. One or two repeated treatments are carried out with an interval of 2-3 weeks. To protect the willow from scab, the first treatment is carried out immediately after the leaves bloom, the second - after 10–12 days.

Protective spraying against cytosporic and diplodin necrosis is recommended at the end of summer. If this treatment has not been completed, spraying should be carried out next spring, in May.

For chemical treatments, fungicides approved for the protection of woody plants for the corresponding year should be used, with strict observance of the regulations for their use.

Willows are often planted in parks and gardens near bodies of water. This is, firstly, natural, and, secondly, they will not look so aesthetically pleasing anywhere, and will not be as shady and healthy as in the immediate vicinity of the water. They make hedges and tunnels from willow or plant it separately in the middle of the lawn, making it possible to favorably shade flowering ornamental shrubs or conifers.

However, one reservoir for the health of this primordially Russian beauty will not be enough. After all, the willow, like most plants, has its enemies. Particularly affected by the invasions of leaf beetles and aphids are Russian, purple and rod-shaped willows.

So, willow pests.

Willow pennitsa

poplar leaf beetle

It is found wherever willow and poplar grow. The poplar leaf beetle is a beautiful beetle 10-12 mm long, with red elytra with one black spot in the middle of each. Beetles hibernate in fallen leaves. In the first days of May, they come to the surface and begin to feed intensively, gnawing through holes in willow leaves. After fertilization, the females lay their eggs on the back of the leaf. Egg laying includes 200-500pcs. After 8-12 days, larvae with a pleasant smell of cinnamon appear. These larvae very quickly deal with the leaves, skeletonizing them, grow and spread along the tree. After 20 days, the larvae pupate and beetles appear. These beetles lay their eggs at the end of July, the cycle repeats, and the next generation of beetles remains for the winter in fallen leaves.

The poplar leaf beetle can cause significant damage to a tree under favorable conditions and, accordingly, mass reproduction. Young plantings suffer the most.

It doesn’t happen year after year, but if mass reproduction of this beetle is really observed, trees need to be treated with insecticides.

Aspen leaf beetle

The aspen leaf beetle is similar to the poplar leaf beetle, but slightly smaller (7-10 mm) in size and without a black dot on the elytra. Similarly, beetles hibernate in fallen leaves, come to the surface in May, nibbling the edges and making through holes in willow leaves. In the second half of summer, eggs are laid, the hatched larvae eat away the leaves and crawl along the tree. Then they pupate, turn into bugs, which again lay eggs. The second generation grows up and winters in fallen leaves. Etc.

The aspen leaf beetle can reproduce in large numbers and severely damage aspen, poplar, and willow shrub species.

Similar to the poplar leaf beetle, the aspen leaf beetle is best controlled with insecticides.

Willow silkworm

More often it affects the willow. The adult is a white butterfly with wingspan of 44-55mm. Butterflies fly during June and July, then they lay their eggs on willow bark or leaves, moreover, they glue the masonry with a silvery mass. Thus, a bunch of eggs resembles a flat cake.

In this state, the eggs hibernate. However, sometimes black caterpillars with yellowish-gray sides and white spots on the back hatch from them, which spend the winter in the crevices of the bark. Caterpillars are very capable of eating willow and poplar leaves, and the process of eating continues during the night, and during the day the pests, as if nothing had happened, calmly sit on the branches of a tree. Pupation occurs inside several leaves fastened with arachnoid threads from the top of the shoot. As a result, the shoot bushes and loses its technical qualities.

The only control measures can be attributed to scraping the testicles from the foliage and the morning collection of white butterflies, which are kept in the lower part of the trunks.

Common willow aphid

It affects not only willow, but also carrots, dill, parsnips. Aphids settle on the apical part of the foliage, due to which the leaves are deformed and twisted. Aphid eggs overwinter in cracks in willow bark, in buds. In spring, aphids settle on leaves, shoots and begin to feed on their juice. Later, winged aphids appear, which fly to dill, parsnips and carrots. Several (up to 10) generations of aphids are born on these plants. And in August, winged individuals return to the willow to lay their eggs in the bark for wintering.

Control measures include the isolation of willow plantations from crops of carrots, dill, parsnips, the destruction of wild carrots. It is also necessary to spray decoctions of volatile plants - marigolds, onions, henbane, mustard, potatoes, peppers.

spider mite

Willow pests can also be attributed to the spider mite, which is attached to the back of the leaf and sucks out its juice. As a result, the leaf dries and falls off. Adult female spider mites overwinter in fallen leaves.