I've have 7 bushes, the oldest planted about 20 years ago, the newest just a few years ago. I haven't noticed any problems with diseases or insects. The biggest issue by far is birds -- robins usually strip about half my crop, but I don't mind because the remaining half is more than we use anyway. In dry years the berries are tiny and shrivel soon after ripening, so watering is beneficial. But insects and disease?... never been a problem for me.

No pest problems here either. I have 8 big bushes, they have been in for 12-15 years. Robins and cedar waxwings love them but as don555 says we still have enough to make pies and syrup all winter long. I just dug up some suckers to transplant. I do find that every couple of years one bush doesn't do as well as the others but then the following year it is loaded with blooms. Guess it needs a break like the rest of us. The kids love them and I think they are well worth the space. Cheryl

Other than rust, they're bulletproof. I don't even think the rust does any real damage other than cosmetic.

This is from my own experience but the saskatoon gall mite can also be a problem. It appears as greenish-red bumps on the leaves and affects fruiting.

The recommended treatment is horticultural oil early in Spring before the shrub blooms. It was too late to apply the oil so I resorted to pulling off every infected leaf and disposing of it.

This Spring I found only one infected leaf which I promptly yanked off. The shrub has since fruited and (knock wood) it looks like the gall mite problem has been licked.

I've had my bushes for six years and have had no problems so far. Make sure and don't plant too close. They really need lots of room to spread.

Well that is reassuring to know. Thank you for all the information you have provided. Another question...Pardon my ignorance, but what part of the saskatoon has a "pit"? I read that the leaves and pit of the saskatoon berries have cyanide in them and if ingested, can be fatal!

Saskatoons don't have pits, they have tiny seeds like blueberries. You won't get sick from eating them. It is apple seeds and pits of things like cherries, plums and peaches that have a tiny bit of cyanide-related compounds in them, but a few seeds aren't going to harm you and you'd have to chew them up to release the small amount of poison anyway.

Yes...
I had grown two bushes in my backyard many years ago, the birds
took them before they were ripe, it got rid of them, you really need allot
of space and plant many bushes, then you might be able to share with
the birds.
I found many places now in the wild and can get my needs.

Konrad

Oh..and no diseases at all.
It can be tough for home gardeners growing berries, I found out that people in general don't grow much in berries, so your fruit will be a magnet!
In the natural habitat, there is less pressure because there is a HUGE amount of it.