Redcurrants under attack

[BeatTheSeasons]

Hi everyone

I was about to dig up my redcurrant bush to replant it down the allotment when I noticed a couple of problems in the attached pictures.

Firstly a strange fungus that looks like lichen gone wrong.

And also some kind of bore holes that look like a miniature woodpecker has been attacking the stem.

Does anyone know what's happened and what I should do?

Thanks
BTS

[boundtothesoil]

Firstly a strange fungus that looks like lichen gone wrong.

I think the first photo is a lichen, so I wouldn't worry about it. The second looks like the result of a fungal attack on pruning wound wood that's a few years old. Don't know exactly what, but someone here will. I'd be tempted to cut back the worst affected branches down to where they join good wood. Some would probably soldier on for a couple of years before dying back completely, but fruit quality/size will suffer and, anyway, you want to encourage a turnover of young growth.

I'm pretty lazy about pruning my redcurrants and often don't remove large branches until they've got symptoms like yours and have actually died right back to the ground. The bushes seem to survive and produce young shoots though.

[Hazel at the Hill]

If you have any blemish-free stems, you could cut them and use them as cuttings instead of moving the bush. I'd certainly chop off the affected stems and dispose of them.

[Gardening_Girl]

hi beattheseasons, I agree that the second photo looks like a fungal infection, have any of the affected stems got any orange spots on? if so it could be the start coral spot, if so just cut out the affected stems to stop the spread, I wouldn't be surprised if it is due to the wet and mild weather we have been having recently.
Hope this helps!

Christy

[FB.]

My currants always seem to develop the "cankered peeling bark" look on stems that are several years old.
They've been like that for years but the stems don't seem to die and the plants seem as vigorous and productive as they should be.