My raspbery bushes are infested with byturus. 90% of the berries are beyond saving, shriveled up and nasty looking. I guess this is what I had also last year and probably the year before, but I didn't mind so much because there were still lots of good looking berries. This year they have gotten so bad that there is nothing to save. BUT these are multi-crop berries, and I was wondering if I cut the canes back beyond flowers/fruits/buds, and burned the infested parts, could I hope to have a later harvest this year?
Do the bugs winter in the ground in which case there will be the same problem next year and I should spray instead ? The bushes are very close to the veggie garden, which would likely get chemicals if I used the various sprays I read about. Also when it says spray before the fruit comes out… if it’s a multi-crop berry, how is that possible? They’re always in some stage of berry production, as of March/April (unless I cut them back). Also, since they are in full production mode if I cut them won't they lose a lot of their sap/energy? The other tip I heard was to pick off the infected berries. I have about 50 bushes, each with 3 or 4 canes so I can’t really pick them over easily, but if I have to I will !!!
BTW I live in the western suburb of Paris (France) which is about like the weather in Virginia US, but not so hot in summer. I just thought that we've been having mild winters the past 3-4 years and this could account for the fact that byturus has survived so well.
