Blackberries, red berry mite, and Neem oil.

[Losos]

Hi everyone out there

I have been trying for three years to get some blackberries from a plant we inherited when we moved here. First two years were a disaster, red berry mite all over, and due to me not training the canes properly very small berries. So this year I made a proper frame to tie the canes into AND I sprayed with Neem oil early in the year.

Great improvement, about 50% of crop is free of the dreaded red berry mite and fruits are bigger.

BUT, I may have sprayed at the wrong time.

Do any of you use Neem oil :?: and what time of year do you use it :?:

Neem oil is not a chemical, I think it comes from some tree in Asia, perhaps someone can confirm that.

Any thoughts from anyone out there will be most welcome.

[burnie]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/pla...m-oil-uses.htm
Have to say I'd never heard of it, but the link might help.

[Losos]

Burnie - Thank you for that link which I had not seen before. New info contained relates to frequency of use. I only applied it once whereas the link says it can be applied once a week.

I think I'll continue using it next year and maybe more often.

Should you wish to try it I purchased mine from www.pinksun.co.uk - It wasn't what I would call cheap

[Jungle Jane]

It says in the link it's nearly non toxic to birds,bees etc,so it is toxic. They always say things like considered safe,that doesn't mean it is,if it was safe they'd say it is safe. If you use it early evening could it cause hedgehogs harm if they snuffled into the oil & got some in their eyes?

[Losos]

It says in the link it's nearly non toxic to birds,bees etc,so it is toxic. They always say things like considered safe,that doesn't mean it is,if it was safe they'd say it is safe. If you use it early evening could it cause hedgehogs harm if they snuffled into the oil & got some in their eyes?

Hi Jane, do you have an alternative :?: I did read that diluted washing up liquid could be used but Neem oil was more effective. I just want to get rid of these pesky mites which are ruining my blackberries and their close relation the 'dry berry mite' which seems to attack my Tayberries.

I don't use it in the early evening and I would like to think that hedgies don't climb up Blackberry canes, mine is covered in thorns, even I get scratched

[Jungle Jane]

Hi there is an alternative mentioned by ken muir;
"There is no satisfactory method of chemical control against this pest and where the damage to the fruit is severe the only remedy is to cut out all of the canes, both old and new and burn them. Once you have interrupted the life-cycle of the pest in this way the problem should be resolved, and it should not be necessary to resort to burning again unless re-infestation occurs.
As a preventative measure and if there is sufficient space, it is worth considering planting two bushes and cropping them in alternate years so that when one bush is cropping in one year the other is in its ‘off’ year. This can be achieved by simply pruning all the canes down to ground level in the autumn of the ‘on’ year and burning them. This will interrupt the life cycle of the mite so that in the ‘on’ year there are no mites to cause damage to the fruit.
http://www.kenmuir.co.uk/image/data/...%20Disease.pdf

I found your post from last year about the problem,I'd go with what ken says to stop the life cycle.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ice_91110.html

[Losos]

Hi there is an alternative mentioned by ken muir;
"There is no satisfactory method of chemical control against this pest and where the damage to the fruit is severe the only remedy is to cut out all of the canes, both old and new and burn them. Once you have interrupted the life-cycle of the pest in this way the problem should be resolved, and it should not be necessary to resort to burning again unless re-infestation occurs.
As a preventative measure and if there is sufficient space, it is worth considering planting two bushes and cropping them in alternate years so that when one bush is cropping in one year the other is in its ‘off’ year. This can be achieved by simply pruning all the canes down to ground level in the autumn of the ‘on’ year and burning them. This will interrupt the life cycle of the mite so that in the ‘on’ year there are no mites to cause damage to the fruit.
http://www.kenmuir.co.uk/image/data/...%20Disease.pdf

I found your post from last year about the problem,I'd go with what ken says to stop the life cycle.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ice_91110.html

Thank you JJ The bush I wrote about above was here when we moved, I do have another one grown in a pot (It's one of these new hybrids - Reuben) so I could adopt Ken Muirs plan, however when I phoned the supplier of my Reuben bush he said that these 'mites' often drift in on the wind from infected wild hedgerow blackberries of which we have a lot around here (Suffolk)

The Reuben is fruiting now and yes they are big fruits, but sadly they seem to be just as susceptible to the 'Red Berry mite' and since the druplets are also bigger the red ones stand out even more

The Neem oil was expensive (for me at least) and since I'm a 'tight git' Ken Muirs plan attracts me. TBH I think I do need to cut down some wild bushes growing just the other side of back garden fence, I had one session last year and early this year but they keep popping up as soon as I take a break

[devonuk]

If you are that tight, and surrounded by wild blackberries, perhaps just go blackberrying and trash your existing plant in favour of some other fruit which isn't available for free and isn't a martyr to mites? I stewed up some wild blackberries with domestic Keswick codlin apples last night. Fabulous!

[Losos]

If you are that tight, and surrounded by wild blackberries, perhaps just go blackberrying

I have thought about that Where I walk the dogs there are loads, about 75% infected with the dreaded mite, but the remainder very good and like you say absolutely free. My two dogs like to keep moving, don't think they would appreciate Dad stopping for long just to pick Blackberries