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Raspberry plant #801005

Asked July 13, 2022, 8:59 PM EDT

We purchased 5 everbearing raspberry plants last spring and planted them last spring. We got lots of berries in the fall and a good amount this summer. Suddenly, after a few days of heavy rain, it seems something happened to the remaining tiny berries that would have matured, and they all shriveled up and died. The berries that were already ripe or already full sized remained unaffected. I picked two that seemed to have possibly some mold (picture attached). We are trying to garden organically and would appreciate any pointers on what this is and what we can do about it. Also, if there are any steps we need to take to preserve our fall bearing raspberries.

Isabella County Michigan

Expert Response

Hi Kathleen!

So it definitely looks like you have some kind of mold (most likely grey mold) on your raspberry, which isn't uncommon after a bunch of rain since many molds need water to infect the fruit. Picking and eating your fruit quickly is a good way to help combat this fungi. If you were looking for a way to chemically control the fungi, copper is a good organic option you can look into for future years. One of the best ways to ensure your fruit are happy and healthy is to prune regularly! Here's a really awesome article about pruning:  https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/Pruning-Raspberries-PDF

As far as the other fruit dying... Did you notice any oozing on the canes where the fruit died? And did the dying tissue travel down the cane at all? Do you have any more pictures of the canes and fruits themselves?

Thanks! 

An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 20, 2022, 3:08 PM EDT
Hi,

Thank you for your response! I didn’t notice any oozing on the canes of the fruit, and I should note it was all 5 bushes that had fruit that were affected. Here are pictures of the canes and fruits. One thing that I noticed was the fruit that was fully ripe or almost there seemed to be unaffected. Aside from those two berries I sent pictures of previously.

Our fall berries seem to be coming in (so far) without any problems.

I actually do have copper spray I purchased for our tomatoes, is this something I should use on the fall berries to protect them? 
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On Wed, Jul 20, 2022 at 3:08 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
The Question Asker Replied July 30, 2022, 10:02 PM EDT

Hi Kathleen!

So as far as the dying fruit goes, with no ooze or anything and the almost ripe fruit being fine, the plant might have just been stressed due to all the water and stopped giving the less-developed fruit nutrients which led to them dying. If you're able to improve drainage in the area that can help for future years if you get lots of water. I'm glad your fall raspberries are looking good! 

With the copper, I would read the label and double-check when it says you can spray. There are pretty strict guidelines for when you can and can't spray which should be explained on the label.

Cheyenne 

An Ask Extension Expert Replied August 02, 2022, 10:09 AM EDT

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