In addition to diseases that can occur on the blackthorn, there are often also care errors that damage the growth of the blackthorn.
The sloe (Prunus spinosa) is a robust plant that is rarely visited by diseases and pests and also forgives us so many mistakes in care. The biggest enemy of plants is probably too heavy and too wet soil. Road s alt can also be dangerous for the blackthorn. In the following you will learn which other diseases and pests can occur and how you can avoid damage to your blackthorn by caring for it appropriately to the species.❏ Mottled leaves - now what?
If reddish spots appear on the leaves, the sloe is probably affected by the flesh blotch disease. This fungal infestation, which is harmless in itself, also occurs on plums. The first signs of the disease appear in summer. The leaf spots are initially rather yellowish and later turn orange-red. The leaves lose their shape and are dented.
In the case of an advanced infestation, the leaves dry up and premature leaf fall is the result. The spores of the ascomycete, which is responsible for the flesh blotch disease, overwinter in fallen leaves and particularly affect young plants.
What to do?
Remove all dropped leaves. These should not be disposed of in the compost as the fungus can survive there. Further measures are not necessary. The plant will sprout as usual in spring.
❏ Gray mold - danger for young plants
Gray mold is one of the most common plant diseases in the home garden. The mold Botrytis cinerea affects more than 200 plants. Warm and humid conditions are ideal for the fungus and the risk of infestation increases.
Gray mold is easy to recognize by the velvety covering that covers the affected parts of the plant. As the infestation progresses, the plant cells are destroyed and the sloe begins to rot.
May be attacked by gray mold:
- shoots
- Buds
- Fruits
- Leaves
What to do?
All affected parts of the plant must be removed immediately. cutgenerously and back into the he althy tissue. The sections do not belong in the compost. It is better to dispose of the prunings in the household waste. The fungal spores would survive on the compost.
➔ Tip: An airy location helps to prevent gray mold. Planting garlic near the sloe should also protect the plant from gray mold.
❏ Visit from the spider moth
This uninvited guest arrives in spring. Then the caterpillars feast on the buds and tender leaves. If this is noticed too late, it can lead to defoliation. Due to its large webs, the moth cannot really be overlooked.
What to do?
Act quickly and remove the nests from the plant in large areas. To prevent the caterpillars from spreading unhindered, it is best to burn the nests. Biological pesticides are commercially available. The agent is either added to the irrigation water or the plant is sprayed with it.
❏ S alt damage - the dark side of winter
Winter doesn't do much harm to the sloe. The plants withstand even severe frost without requiring special winter protection. However, de-icing s alt is not tolerated by the plants. This is not noticeable immediately, it can take several years before the first symptoms appear.
The s alts gradually penetrate into deeper layers of the soil and cause lasting damage to the plant. This is noticeable by a brown coloring of the leaves. More and more brown spots appear on the leaves. The hobby gardener will perhaps think of the signs of a location that is too dry. However, this rarely happens as the plant can usually tolerate drought very well. The leaves turn brown, curl up, and eventually fall off.
What to do?
If s alt damage occurs, the right location for the plant has definitely not been found. It takes quite a while before signs of illness appear. You can therefore assume that the floor has already been permanently damaged and needs a complete replacement. The plant should be carefully dug up and replanted in a spot where s alt damage is less of a hazard to the plant.
❏ Diseased plants due to care mistakes
Wrong location
If the sloe is lazy to grow and bloom, it probably doesn't feel comfortable in its location.
➔ Note: Sloes are naturally slow growing. About 20 centimeters annuallyare perfectly normal and not a sign of mishandling.
A lot of sun is very important for the plants, so the location should be chosen accordingly. Even the blazing midday sun cannot harm the sloe. It may just happen that you have to water the plants on hot summer days. The plant shows this with curled and dried leaves.
If the sloe is too wet, it will not grow and will probably start to rot. A heavy substrate that does not allow the water to drain off sufficiently is poison for the blackthorn. The plants like a dry location and can be planted on rocky slopes.
Wrong substrate
The plants are not very demanding when it comes to the substrate. If you don't offer too heavy and moist soil, you won't have any problems in this regard. The soil can be stony and the plants don't mind lime either.
Error when planting
Planting creates the basis for the growth of the sloe. Mistakes should be avoided here. First and foremost, your sloe needs space. Small and puny plants can be the result if the sloe cannot spread. This primarily relates to the roots. However, it is not a mistake to put the flat-rooter in his place here. Install a root barrier. All you need is a concrete ring that you plant about half a meter deep around the plant.
A sufficiently large planting hole gives the sloe the ideal opportunity to spread. If you want to plant a hedge, put no more than two plants per meter. Otherwise the sloes hinder and inhibit each other's growth.
❏ Tips for a he althy sloe at a glance
| Activity | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Select Location | • Sloes need a sunny spot. • The plants also need a lot of space to spread out. |
| Prepare substrate | • Normal garden soil is sufficient. • Compost can be mixed in when planting. • The soil should always be permeable and not too wet. • Calcareous substrate is tolerated. |
| planting | • Before planting, the sloe should be watered for a while so that the root ball can soak up water. • The planting hole should be at least twice the size of the root ball. • The sloe becomes cautiousused to prevent damage to the roots. • Watering is very important in the first few weeks after planting. • Older plants no longer need to be watered unless hot summers result in longer periods of drought . |