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tcstoehr

Crown Gall on Blackberries

tcstoehr
13 years ago

I have a 24-foot trellis with 6 Kiowa blackberries that were planted as bare-root stock in early spring 2009. I had always thought that I could deal with the thorns... I was wrong, I admit that. Today I was digging them out and found large, knarly growths on some of their roots near or at the crown. Some web research left me little doubt that this was Crown Gall. Although there were no symptoms on the canes above ground, there were cauliflower-like growths girdling some roots underground.

I had planned to plant some Boysenberries there next spring. I'm guessing I shouldn't do that for another couple of years at least. Although I read some people just dig out the infected plants and move on. What do you think?

I suspect that the stock I planted was infected, but I guess I'll never be sure. If not, this disease could simply be waiting to strike any cane berries I plant anywhere on my half acre. I have Triple Crowns growing 100 feet away from the Kiowas and they seem very healthy and productive. But who knows what I would find if I dug them up. The Kiowas looked quite healthy too. Is this a disease that cane berry plants can manage?

There's an organic "control" marketed as "Galltrol". It's a competing bacteria that's harmless to plants but out-competes the destructive bacteria. Anyone have any experience with that? I wonder if it's only available in huge quantities to real growers.

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