My blackberries live in zone 5b (Ohio). When the fruit is green it looks good. Then when it turns red the fruit proceeds to turn a pale amber color and doesn't ever develop to black. I think the canes and leaves are OK. No insects have been observed. Some of the fruit does develop to black and is OK.
More photos
Must be a virus or disease of some kind.
Just looked at mine & they are loaded with berries. Maybe two weeks until ripe.
I know, I am not supposed to be able to grow thorn-less here, but I have a secret way of keeping them over winter!
It is one of two things....
Either brown marmorated stink bug(BMSB) damage...
Or it is dry cell syndrome...
This message was edited Jul 18, 2013 9:03 PM
this is BMSB feeding.
Photo courtesy of: http://www.walterreeves.com/gardening-q-and-a/blackberry-fruit-turning-white/
This message was edited Jul 18, 2013 9:05 PM
Thanks. I appreciate your help. What is the best remedy?
Ken33,
For Brown marmorated stink bug I think regular applications (5-7 day intervals)of a good organic insecticide such as Neem oil and pyrethrins would be a good choice.
http://organic-gardening-shop.com/Agorganics/Product_Details.aspx?ProductID=243
If it is dry cell syndrome, I do not think anything can be done. It is a physiological problem and since they dont know the cause not much can be done. I would remove all the berries showing these symptoms and ensure fertility, water and pests and diseases are taken care off. It also seems more prevalent when its very hot.
I have had it but using the product above has improved.
Good luck.
I have checked the plants at all hours and have found no stink bugs. I've checked under the leaves and have found no egg clutches. The white section of the berry seems to be on the sunny side so now I'm thinking I have a problem with sun scalding. The other issue is that I see that some of the leaves have yellow in them instead of being a healthy green. Is that a separate issue?
Those latter pictures do look like sun scald since the damage is on one side. Sunburning is very common and with the last week with the very high temperatures and sunshine that could be the cause. How many years have you had these blackberries? Have you even seen this before? You could try to shade part of the plant. Are there berries underneath the leaves that are out of the direct sun with the same disorder?
The leaf issue is fertility related...interveinal chorosis is ususlally caused by lack of micronutrients like iron or manganese. Is your soil high pH? I recommend using a fertilizer specifically for raspberries and or blackberries with micronutrients.
http://www.millernurseries.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=1269
This is the 3rd year for blackberries but the 1st year with this problem. I have several stands of blackberries and those stands with more shade are in much better shape. Now for the next problem: Japanese beetles. You know what the deal is. They eat the leaves.
Ken,
Same for the Japanese beetles as I mentioned above. A good organic insecticide such as Neem oil and pyrethrins would be a good choice. You might need to spray a couple of times to get them.
You could use something more potent like Sevin (carbaryl) or Ortho Max (bifenthrin) but I recommend using the organic stuff as it can be harvested and consumed up to the day of application.
You do have to be careful with Neem oil or any oil when applying on a hot sunny day as that can cause some foliar injury. But try to apply late in the day or early in the morining or on a cloudy day if possible.
Thanks for the excellent link. As per the link you sent, since the weather has cooled my fruit is now doing great (Problem was sun scalding). No white sections exist on the fruit now developing. Reference problem #2 - yellow leaves: I contacted the agricultural extension office from Ohio State Univ. They insisted the problem was caused by Roundup that either I had applied or had drifted over from the neighbors. However, we weren't using Roundup. The ag rep visited and determined the problem was caused by "Weed and Feed" that I had applied to grass around the plant. Secondly, my neighbor did the same thing and that also broadcast out on my plants - thus giving my plants a double dose.
Thanks for the update Ken!
I use a drop spreader instead of a broadcast spreader for my lawn to reduce problems like that with weed and feed fertilizers that contain herbicides.
What was the herbicide(s) in the fertilizer?
Have the chlorosis symptoms gone away? Most weed and feeds contain 2,4-D, dicamba, quinclorac or for preemergent control pendimethalin. But those symptoms do not look like any of those herbicides. Roundup damage looks sort of like that but the yellowing is usually more concentrated in the growing points.
Its hard to say without seeing it but still looks like iron, manganese, or magnesium deficiency which often can occur under wet conditions. http://www.oakleafgardening.com/problems/inter-veinal-chlorosis-due-to-nutrient-deficiency/
The herbicide was dicamba. The chlorosis has shown no improvement. Attached are some photos adjacent to the berries. These plants also have the chlorosis. Question: If I use a 20/20/20 fertilizer with iron .10, manganese .025, and magnesium .05 do you think that would help? Also, can you id the plant in the photo (It's a purple flower that isn't in bloom yet)? [They reach a height of abut 60 cm.]
I found an old photo of the plant with jagged leaves pictured above.
Ken,
I highly doubt the injury you are seeing is due to dicamba. Dicamba is a product I have researched over many years in my profession. It is a plant growth regulator and would cause drooping, epinasty and hypenasty type symptoms. The herbicide if taken up by the roots would also accumulate at the leaf tip margins not interveinally. What you are seeing isnt likely due to herbicide in my opinion, and the fact that you arent seeing an improvements suggests that it it more likely nutritional. See some of these pics: http://customers.hbci.com/~wenonah/min-def/berry.htm
The fertilizer you mention with micronutrients will probably work well though there are bramble specific fertilizers which tend to have alot of magnesium at 4-5%:
http://www.millernurseries.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=1269
20-20-20 is pretty strong stuff and would probably be alright on raspberries but may be a little strong on blackberry. I'd see if you can find a 10-10-10 with micros or order a bramble specific fertilizer.
Not sure what your plant is. Would like to see the flower to better identify.
This message was edited Aug 4, 2013 12:51 AM
I found an old photo of the plant with jagged leaves pictured above.
drobarr: The Miller Nurseries fertilizer wasn't available in the stores I checked so the closest product I could find was a 12-10-5 fertilizer that had iron, manganese, and magnesium. I put it down today and the weather report shows rain coming in. Now it's a matter of watching and waiting. Thanks for your help.
