We have some beautiful large robust raspberries and some canes that have berries that are small and crumbling. Do you know what is causing this and what I can do to fix the problem? Thank-you
It might be due to insufficient watering of some of the raspberries. I have a similar problem with some canes in both corners of my backyard. The water from an oscillating sprinkler was not reaching the corners adequately. I've now started supplemental watering in those areas.
Thanks, I thought of that and checked the soil. It's evenly moist all through. It must be something else.
I am having that problem to. It is too late in the season to correct now but did the watering ever help? Mine have been sort of dry. Thanks
Bobatvancouver, the watering did fix the problem. Since then, I bought a sprinkler with greater coverage; and I don't have that problem in the corners any more. However, I have also noticed that some plants still have small and crumbling berries. These plants are in an area where their roots are diseased, resulting in poor growth and yellowing leaves. I noticed the disease problem a few years ago and plan to remove the affected plants. I've already started a new raspberry row in a different location. Raspberries are known to develop various diseases after many years in the same location.
Thanks for the reply. I will have to water better next year and probably get some kind of fertilizer for them. I planted most of mine about 40 years ago. Thanks maybe next year will be better.
If your raspberry plants have been in the same location for 40 years, you are lucky to have any of them alive. Most of the ones I planted about 30 years ago have declined and been replaced with other varieties. I found that one everbearing variety, Caroline, is resistant to the root rot that seems to be affecting just about every other variety that I've grown. Caroline plants are thriving where other varieties grew poorly.
Thanks again. I don't know the variety of mine. Some were given to me and I kept making the row longer along the fence (about 70 feet) I have about a 50 foot row beside it . There should be a larger gap between the rows. I should replace them. Did you replace yours all at once or over a period of time. And I guess the spring is the time to do that. I will have to see if they are available locally.
Mostly, I replaced mine over a period of time, until last year, when I replaced one long row along a fence that was rebuilt after adding a concrete foundation. I replaced all of my everbearing raspberries over a very long time, since I used root runners/suckers from the single Caroline plant that I purchased. Note that replacing the plants in the same location is not likely to work very well, unless the replacement plants have more disease resistance than the original ones. The best way to do it is to plant certified disease-free plants in a new location.
