Got this question from my SIL: She has a black raspberry bush that in past years produced beautiful berries. The past couple years, getting worse each year, they start out looking good. But then when it gets berries on it, the berries turn brown and kind of shrivel instead of ripening. The leaves on those branches are pale green and look a bit dried out. The branches with no berries still look healthy and it keeps sending up new shoots. The branches with the brownish, shriveled berries also get swarmed with flies (when it used to produce good berries, it never had flies like that.
(I'm doing this by description over the phone-- haven't actually seen the plants myself)
I suggested the milk solution just in case it was something fungal - can't hurt, right? But anyone have a better idea of what might be going on?
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rainbowgardener
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rainbowgardener wrote:Got this question from my SIL: She has a black raspberry bush that in past years produced beautiful berries. The past couple years, getting worse each year, they start out looking good. But then when it gets berries on it, the berries turn brown and kind of shrivel instead of ripening. The leaves on those branches are pale green and look a bit dried out. The branches with no berries still look healthy and it keeps sending up new shoots. The branches with the brownish, shriveled berries also get swarmed with flies (when it used to produce good berries, it never had flies like that.
(I'm doing this by description over the phone-- haven't actually seen the plants myself)
I suggested the milk solution just in case it was something fungal - can't hurt, right? But anyone have a better idea of what might be going on?
One thing perhaps worth having a look at RG is the two bud mites Aceria essigi and Eriophyes gravitis.
The first is usually on blackberries the second rasps.
Both will cause distortion and early rot which would attract fruit flies.
It's the same problem that causes blackberries to stay red...hence the name 'redberry ' used to describe the condition. As a result wild blackberries can be an infection source.
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rainbowgardener
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- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
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Thanks so much for the suggestion!
What would she look for to know if it might be this?
She said the flies aren't fruit flies, they are regular (house) flies and the berries don't seem rotten (mushy) more like drying out. The whole branch the berries are on seems a little like dried out. But like me, they have had tons or rain, so it shouldn't actually be dry...
What would she look for to know if it might be this?
She said the flies aren't fruit flies, they are regular (house) flies and the berries don't seem rotten (mushy) more like drying out. The whole branch the berries are on seems a little like dried out. But like me, they have had tons or rain, so it shouldn't actually be dry...
Sorry I can't be more help on this one RG. We have not had to deal with this pest although the odd 'Red berry ' does occur. I suspect that our routine sprays against Raspberry beetle takes care of the problem usually.rainbowgardener wrote:Thanks so much for the suggestion!
What would she look for to know if it might be this?
She said the flies aren't fruit flies, they are regular (house) flies and the berries don't seem rotten (mushy) more like drying out. The whole branch the berries are on seems a little like dried out. But like me, they have had tons or rain, so it shouldn't actually be dry...
It could be the culprit though as it is known to cause 'Dry Berry' in sheltered moist situations.