Hi Rose.

I got the pictures that you sent with your questions about what is happening to your blackberry plant. After extensive research, I cannot find anything telling me what is happening with the exception of maybe the Rednecked Cane Borer. Rednecked Crane Borer (vt.edu) Please see the pictures of the cane in the link provided. But your canes look much healthier than the ones in the link, so I question if this is really this borer. I also have scars that look like this on my blackberries, but the berries continue to produce with little dieback. And since each year after the fruit has been harvested, I cut off the 2 year old canes, with fresh production next year. Is this the first year you have had this problem? How old are your blackberry plants? And how long have they been growing in this container?

https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/75426/3104-1562.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

The leaves that are turning are another matter. With the images provided, it looks to me like the container the blackberries are in might be too small. Blackberries like to stretch their roots to feed naturally on the nutrients in the soil around them and they like well drained soil. So, if you want to continue to grow your blackberries in this container, you will need to test the soil for adequate nutrients to successfully grow happy canes We have free soil sampling boxes in the office at 721 Foster Street in Durham, NC. A soil test is free here until around Thanksgiving.

Also, it is possible that there might not be enough drainage in the container, therefore the roots could be struggling to breathe. Here is a link with more information on successful growing of blackberries. Blackberries for the Home Garden | NC State Extension Publications (ncsu.edu)

I am sorry that I cannot definitively answer your question about your blackberry plants. If you still want further information, please bring in a sample of leaves and roots and we can send it into the lab for further analysis.

I see lots of berries growing on the plants so they should be getting ripe and ready for picking. Good luck and happy eating!

Kat,

Durham County Extension Master Gardener