Sick black currant?

A. Fallowfield · « **on:** April 23, 2010, 19:38 »

My only black currant bush is looking sad, the leaves are curled and blotchy, and its covered in ladybirds suggesting some kind of aphid?
There are lots of ladybirds at the plants base along with ants. The red currant bush at its side is OK!
I have seen another on the plots today with the same problems.
I don't want to blast it with bug killer as it'll kill the ladybirds, any ideas?

azubah · « **Reply #1 on:** April 23, 2010, 19:51 »

Your plant looks a few weeks in advance of mine.

Sorry to say I don't know the answer to your problem, and even sorrier to say that I have had the same problem for about 3 years and half of the bush has died this spring. I think it is the aphids that have weakened it or given it a virus. I did not want to spray either.

cob nut · « **Reply #2 on:** April 23, 2010, 20:17 »

It sounds & looks like it could be aphids, I know that ants 'farm' aphids & protect them in exchange for the 'honeydew' they excret. I found a thick 'coating' of aphids on a rose bush branch the other day which I wiped with a couple of tissues squishing the aphids, then went in search of a ladybird or two & put them on the branch where they set to munching on those I had missed.

hightide · « **Reply #3 on:** April 23, 2010, 23:10 »

With a bit of luck the ladybirds will stick around long enough to do their job, why don't you give them a hand and seek out and destroy the ants nest. Do this often enough and the ants will move on. I had the same problem last year, and while I admire the ants for their ingenuity, they are depriving me of my blackcurrant jelly.

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Sick black currant?

A. Fallowfield

Sick black currant?

azubah

Re: Sick black currant?

cob nut

Re: Sick black currant?

hightide

Re: Sick black currant?

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