Question: I have wild black raspberries growing in my yard. One grouping of them seems to have been infected by raspberry …
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Question
I have wild black raspberries growing in my yard. One grouping of them seems to have been infected by raspberry leaf curl. The leaves near the top look greasy in the summer, and curled up. It produces very little fruit that are shriveled. The canes bend over. My question is: how and when should I remove it without infecting the other wild black raspberry plants nearby? I understand it is spread by aphids, and I'm wondering if I should just burn with a weed burner, right now (early spring).
Answer
Dear Erilia, good morning. I'm sorry your black raspberries are dealing with this disease. As I understand, there is no cure, so you need to cut the canes that are infected and burn them or double-bag them for removal. While the raspberry aphid (Aphis rubicola) is important, it only moves the virus around. You can use an insecticidal soap to remove them so as not to spray anything harsh on your food plants. Good luck.
