Moldy raspberries

[gilwrig]

Can anyone help me?

I have some Autumn bliss raspberry canes in my lottie but both this year and last year most of them get small black spots of mold around the place the fruit joins the plant ( not sure what that is called ). I also have a summer variety called Tulameen which appear to be having the same problem.

I thought it was a circulation problem so this year I moved them and spaced them out.

It's anoying as everone else on the plot just has them in big clumps and they seem to grow just fine.

Come to think of itmost of my soft fruit is a bit rubbish - maybe it's just one of those things I can't grow properly

Any ideas?

Gill

[rustylady]

Are you sure it's mould?

[gilwrig]

It looks pretty moldy to me -it's a bit like soot.

[rustylady]

mmmmmmmmmmmm, I'm stumped. When you said black bits I thought it might just have been little seedy bits where the fruit hasn't developed properly. Is the rest of the fruit OK?

[gilwrig]

yes but it looks like it would travel if left, maybe it's a problem with the canes.

[peanut]

Could it be Raspberry Beetle damage? Mine have suffered pretty badly this year with it.

[gilwrig]

Bingo I think you've nailed it. I haven't found any bugs inside them though.

I wonder why they are attacking mine and no-one elses?

[gilwrig]

Thanks Peanut - what do you use to control it?

[vicky]

I think you have to spray with insecticide Royal Horticultural Society | Advice Search | Raspberry beetle
when the fruits are small and again 2 weeks later (if you spray at dusk the bees are not harmed). Not sure what to do if you're organic? Cover in environmesh?

[peanut]

Thanks Peanut - what do you use to control it?

I'm afraid because I don't use chemicals I grin and bear it.....i've decided all the damaged fruits will be used to make wine or jellies....stuff that only uses the juices....that way it's not a total loss!

And if there is a benefit to it (trying to find a positive!).....it does cut down on the amount of Rapsberries I end up wasting because there are less perfect ones sat in the fridge waiting for me to do something with them!!!

Autumn Fruiting are less prone....

[w33blegurl]

I had quite a bit of these last year, and a few maggoty raspberries!! This year I've used a pheromone trap, so still organic and it has caught quite a lot of the little blighters and I've yet to find more than the odd damaged looking rasp! I am sure a couple of them will get away, but it seems to have helped a lot this year!