As of: February 22, 2024, 9:47 a.m
By: Ines Alms
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What only looks like a strong shoot on the currant bush may actually be the breeding ground for countless currant gall mites.
These endanger the harvest.
In winter and spring, when there are not many leaves on the berry bushes, the thick, round buds of the currant bush catch the eye, but do not look noticeable at first glance.
As you walk by, you might even think that the plant is in really good shape in spring and is sprouting vigorously.
Take a second look at the shrub.
If there are currant gall mites in the spherical round buds, the growth and yield of the plant will probably be severely affected.
Several thousand currant gall mites sit in a bud
Currant gall mites (Cecidophyopsis ribis) have nested in the bud of a blackcurrant.
© blickwinkel/Imago
The currant gall mite or currant bud gall mite (Cecidophyopsis ribis) lays its eggs in the buds of red and black currants.
On warm spring days, a large number of the tiny gall mites hatch - according to
Beerendoctor.de
, a single bud can contain several thousand mites - and attack the surrounding fresh leaves.
Six generations can develop within a year.
These suck plant sap from the leaves and buds and lead to poorly developed flowers.
In this way, the pests prevent the plant from developing vigorously, which becomes particularly visible from May onwards in the form of dying or malformed leaves.
You can find even more exciting garden topics in the regular newsletter from our partner 24garten.de.
How to fight the currant gall mite
The
North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture
advises breaking off and destroying all heavily thickened round buds - they are particularly easy to spot by April.
If the shoot is severely infected, it should be removed completely before flowering begins.
If several branches are affected, a radical pruning of the entire berry bush is recommended, as wind and rain could otherwise spread the mites to other bushes.
Spider mites, the currant leaf louse and the yellow gooseberry sawfly are also among the common pests that can attack currant bushes.
They are particularly noticeable from spring to summer due to discoloration, webs or signs of feeding on the leaves.