Currant and gooseberry leaf spot

 The first symptoms appear on the leaves in early summer (usually about June):

• Leaves become spotted with very small, dark brown or black spots
• Later, the spots become more numerous and often coalesce so that large areas of the leaves turn brown
• Large numbers of minute fungal spores form in fruiting bodies on these spots and may sometimes be visible as small droplets on the surface of the spots
• When the disease is severe, the leaves fall and the bushes may become defoliated by early July
• Sometimes the fruit shrivels before ripening

Non-chemical control

• Rake up and dispose of (bonfire, consigning to green waste or bury deeply) fallen leaves in order to prevent spring infection
• Diseased bushes should be well fed (Growmore at a rate of 70g per sq m or 2oz per sq yd) – where severe defoliation has occurred, it is probably worthwhile spraying developing leaves with a foliar feed such as Maxicrop, Miracle-Gro or Phostrogen the following season to enhance early growth
• Mulch bushes grown on light soils with a 5-7cm (2-3in) layer of garden compost or leafmould to conserve moisture, and water in dry periods before the soil dries out completely. Rotted manure is ideal for blackcurrants that have a higher nutrient requirement
• Bushes on light soil may need watering every 14 days in dry periods in summer