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New raspberry bush problems #654644

Asked June 22, 2020, 5:16 PM EDT

I just planted three Polana raspberry bushes and one Anne bush.  They all sat in their 1 gallon plastic pots for about 4 weeks before I planted them. They grew well and looked healthy. Before planting, one of the Polana’s top leaf edges started to curl upward.  After planting it has gotten more severe, with lower leaves turning brown and the curled up sections turning black when they are unfolded.  Now the other three plants are having similar symptoms, but it’s their lower leaves and the leaves are turning brown more than curling up.  There is nothing to indicate worms in the curls. There are no visible aphids, but there are holes in the browning leaves, indicating that some insects are eating some of it.  Any ideas?  It doesn’t look like any of the pics I see online.  
Thank you!

Boulder County Colorado

Expert Response

Hello,

We have some questions but have included some information as well.

 

Are these planted in tin pots, and if so, do they have any drainage?

Are they in full sun because it looks like there may be some leaf scorch on the leaves?

 

Although raspberries like to be planted in full sun, the information we found mentions soil moisture being important. If the pots don’t have drainage holes they may be getting too much water and the roots could be saturated. If the do have drainage but are in a hot environment they may need more water.

 

Are the plants in the same place as they were in the original pots?

 

Have you talked to the nursery where you bought them to see if they are having similar issues?

 

 

Planting Raspberries

https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/761.pdf

 

Causes of leaf browning

https://blogs.cornell.edu/berrytool/raspberries/raspberries-leaves-are-turning-brown-along-the-edges/

 

The link for cornell has additional information available by clicking on links on the top right.

 

Please reply if you need further assistance.

Best Regards

An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 23, 2020, 2:02 PM EDT
Thank you for your response!   To answer your questions - yes, they have holes and get extra water because they are in containers.  They are not in the same spot, but get a similar amount of sun - but they are not in as protected spot from the wind.  I did call the nursery, but they never got back to me...and at this point they have all died.

But, now the rest of my veggie beds are starting to have a similar problem. My green beans started out healthy (from seed) and now two plants are dead and the other seven are on their way.  The leaves on the bottom of the plant start browning, then it moves up the plant until it’s entirely dead.  Other plants that I think it’s starting on are both summer and winter squash, pumpkin, and watermelon.  In addition, my entire pea plants all just turned a light brown, including ripening and fully ripened pods.  The plants and pods look like light brown tissue paper.  I’ve never seen that before.  The tomatoes, peppers, basil, spinach, onions, broccoli, kale, lettuce, and carrots don’t seem to be effected yet.

I’m wondering if there is something in my soil or water that can be causing this?  And in case it’s relevant, none of my shrubs are doing well.  The yard was planted last year and most shrubs are struggling to produce growth (half the plant is dead with only a few stems/branches with growth on them).  I think with this scale of problems in my yard, it makes sense to have someone come look at it - do you provide that service or can you recommend someone who does?

Thank you for any help you can give! 

Tonya

The Question Asker Replied July 09, 2020, 11:57 AM EDT

Good morning, Tonya,

            Given that your entire garden is affected, we do wonder about your soil and water, or possibly any compost or mulch that was used when the plants were installed. We also noticed that in one of the images the soil is dry and cracked. 

Common issues with compost in Colorado are high sodium and potassium and/or too much organic matter (such as chunks of wood), which takes a long time to break down. Here’s some information regarding compost:

https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/243.pdf

            We’re very sorry to say that due to COVID-19, we aren’t doing any in-person consulting, nor is CSU receiving samples from home gardeners. We can recommend labs to test your water and soil:

 https://www.bouldercounty.org/environment/water/water-testing/

  http://al-labs-plains.com

Sometimes these tests can be quite costly, so do check their prices. However, it may be worth it to you considering the extensive damage to your garden.  Here is some information that will help to interpret the results:

https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/agriculture/soil-test-explanation-0-502/

We hope this will help you determine  and remedy your garden issues. Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.

Kind regards ~ Boulder County Master Gardener Diagnosticians

An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 09, 2020, 1:30 PM EDT

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