Q: This year I lost my entire raspberry crop. In June, the leaves were turning brown and shriveling up. The berries dried up before they ripened. I watered the bushes about once a week. In spring I put on year old compost from my bin. Did I over-fertilize, or was this some sort of blight? The raspberries are about 20 years old. I have dug up most of the roots – just left about 10 new shoots. Should I buy new plants and put them in the same place? Could there be something wrong with the soil? Or is it just from the heat?”
Jean Konda-Witte, Abbotsford
A: It’s the lack of rain and hot sun that’s ruined your raspberries. Twenty years is about the age when blight and viral infections happen – but the key to your problems is when you reported that the leaves turned brown as well.
It might be a good idea to buy some new plants – but frankly if next year’s weather is like this, you could have the same problem again. It might be best to wait and see how your ten new shoots do.
If they do poorly, then you could buy new roots and plant these in another site. If your present raspberry site is in full sun, try a more shaded spot for the new plantings.
Next year, you could try Sea Soil as an amendment or mulch (or both). Home compost is excellent, but Sea Soil has an additional advantage in drought – it holds onto water very well. Grass clippings are a nutritious and water-saving mulch, which are all the more valuable for being absolutely free. With raspberries, you can pile grass mulch thickly. Just make sure the mulch layer is thinner right up against the canes.
The reason for this is because thick, fresh grass layers get hot enough to burn delicate plant tissues (and unprotected human skin).
Anne Marrison is happy to answer garden questions. Send them to her via [email protected]. It helps if you can add the name of your city
or region.
