My raspberry plants are suffering badly. I noticed it last year but and cut our all the affected canes. Now I have lost two rows, the leaves curl up and wither, there are few roots if any, and no new growth.
I've read the usual stuff about cane blight but the symptoms don't seem to fit. The canes are only two years old.
The canes affected are the summer fruiting variety, I have a row of autumn fruiting and they appear to be fine - what's happening?
Any help?
Derek
I am having a problem as well so I also an interested in responses. I am beginning to think it is a fungal infection.
Possibly raspberry root rot (Phytopthera) , a fungal disease. Look at the stems just about at soil level, there may be brown patches around the base of the stem. The rotting of the stems prevents water uptake and the canes suffer as you have described.
If it is this disease, best bet is to put new plants in elsewhere, as it does tend to stay around in the soil for a bit. Tends to be worse in heavy soils where water stands in winter, the disease stays quiet then springs into life attacking canes when the temperatures get higher, like it has done lately.
Thanks, I'll have a look at the stems - it would be just my luck for the plot to have an incurable! My brassicas have already suffered from clubroot. If I get any more like this I'll be packing it all in.##
D
Autumn rasps seem to be much healthier than Summer ones.
That seems to be the case, the autumn plants look great but the summer ones have almost gone now, two rows wiped out. Strange thing is that in the allotment next to mine just a few yards away the summer raspberries are going beserk and overloaded with fruit - same soil, same conditions.
I've been researching the web and it seems that the disease cannot be controlled and is exacerbated by excessive watering and poor soil.