Currant Worms Can Leave You In A Real Jam

Q. My currant bushes are routinely infested with green worms that clean off all the foliage. Who are they and what to do?

A. Currants and gooseberries are very susceptible to attack and defoliation by the imported currant worm, the larva of a sawfly. Although it looks like a caterpillar, it is not and therefore cannot be controlled by using B.t.

WSU entomologists recommend malathion. For those not wishing to use a chemical insecticide, there's a locally marketed rotenone/pyrethrin spray labeled for control of this insect. This organically derived pesticide is also labeled to deal with the currant fruit fly that infests currant and gooseberry fruit with maggots.

Q. There are many flat green beetles with red backs on my raspberry bushes. They don't seem to be doing any damage. Should I be concerned?

A. You probably should be concerned, not because these stink bugs (they're not beetles) eat the plants or the fruit, but because they can and do contaminate the fruit with their odor. There are no insecticides registered for use to control them, so you will need to devise a scheme to rid the plants of them before or during harvest. Try using a forceful blast from your hose to knock them off and hope they stay off.

Q. With all the lawn-watering restrictions, is it OK to use a sprinkler in my garden?

A. No one has yet restricted the types of devices you can use to water vegetable gardens and other plant areas. Whatever way you

water, do it so all the water gets to the plants and none is wasted through evaporation or runoff. Sprinklers should be timed to come on early in the morning before the sun comes up. Little will be lost to evaporation this way.

You may need to set your timer to turn the sprinkler on and off several times throughout the process to give the soils an opportunity to accept the water. Clay soils must be watered more slowly and carefully than sandy ones to avoid runoff.

Q. What's the best bark to use as a mulch around shrubs?

A. All barks seem to work well. Fir bark is likely to last longer than hemlock, but both can serve as effective mulches. In other parts of the United States, pine bark is used as well as bark from hardwoods.

Gardening runs Friday in Scene and Sunday in Home/Real Estate.