Can someone tell me why my raspberries which were half developed just dried up? The berries and stems turned brown in so many bunches but other bunches were fine. It's got me stumped. I have a timer on the sprinkler for each night.
Did the entire stem with leaves dry up and turn brown or just the fruit? Raspberries and most other members of the Rubus genus are susceptible to a soil fungus, Verticillium wilt. Here's a link that explains the problem in detail with a few, not so great photos:
pam - gardengal
Is it only the fruiting canes that were affected, or are the new canes (primocanes) also browning?
If it is only the fruiting canes, they could have been injured last fall or winter in various ways (tree crickets laying eggs in the canes is one of the stranger injuries I've seen).
If the new canes are also dying, it could be verticillium wilt, Phytophthora root rot, or crown gall.
Here's a raspberry diagnostic page (watch for line wrap):
Wet overnight? you killed them with kindness. Water the soil not the foliage and do it in the morning so things dry during the day. When we get a few days rain during the middle of fruiting the same thing happens. Mulch to keep the soil from splashing, prune to allow good airflow, plant with good air drainage like roses , and remove spent canes.
Hello, If the stem ends look withered as if burnt by fire, it could be fire blight which can attack some plants, often flowering cherries and things like that. One trigger is wet foliage at night. Wet seasons can see alot of fire blight. If you have your timer to go on in the middle of the night, set it for early morning just before the sun comes up, that way the foliage will dry off quickly, or have the water directed at the roots. I'm not sure how to combat fire blight other than that. Also other diseases that will 'burn' the ends. Also look just underneath the spot where the branch dried up to see if there is a small hole that a borer worm made into the stem. Also if you break that stem above that hole the stem may be hollow and a worm inside. charles
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