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Anne Raspberry plant #360441

Asked September 07, 2016, 11:48 AM EDT

Hello, I purchased 5, three year old Anne raspberry plants in 2013 which makes them now, 6 years old. They were purchased from Berries Unlimited and came with a certificate certifying that they were inspected by the Arkansas State Plant Board and were found to be "apparently free of injurious pest and plant diseases". The five plants are in a 2 foot by 11 foot raised bed. The ph is in the 6.5 -6.8 range. We cut the plants down in March so that we get one fall crop The plants started out nice and green in the Spring. I did not apply fertilizer until May 20 when I added 2 cups of fertilizer (which consisted of 2 parts blood meal, 1.5 parts bone meal and 6 parts greensand. On June 5, I added 1 cup of worm castings. The plants were not responding, so on July 3rd, I added another 2 cups of fertilizer (2 parts blood meal, 1.5 parts bone meal and 6 parts greensand). It is now August 31 and we have harvested a total of 3 cups of berries and the leaves are 50-60% dead. Can you help? By way, I have 5 blackberry plants in a 2 foot by 11 foot raised bed adjacent to the Anne raspberries and they are healthy and very productive. They yield approximately 12 quarts of berries each year. Thanks, 

Howard County Maryland

Expert Response

This does not look like a disease or insect issue but we cannot say for sure.  It has been hot and dry and the plants need supplemental irrigation during dry weather.  If the fertilizer was spread over the 5 plants,  this is not excessive and  should not have caused damage. All you can do is prune back to healthy tissue. Next season monitor your plants and send us photos as soon as you notice symptoms. Here is our page on raspberries for more information http://extension.umd.edu/growit/fruit-profiles/raspberries-and-blackberries
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