My Red Raspsberries And Blackberry Had Full Flowers And Have…
Terri Asked
My red raspsberries and blackberry had full flowers and have fruit. But then they started to look like they were drying up. The plants are 4 years old. They don’t have bugs, they have been fertilized just like the other plants, good location. Could you give me an insight on what may be happening?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Terri: As a general rule, black raspberries are more difficult to grow than blackberries and/or raspberries. They typically do not do well here in Kentucky due to environmental conditions and bird problems. They are susceptible to several disease problems but since you mentioned that the plant itself looks healthy we can rule out most of them. Without seeing your plant it is hard to say for certain but gray mold, also known as botrytis fruit rot, is a possibility. This fungus affects only the flowers and the fruit. It is most common when we experience extended rainy and cloudy periods at bloom time. The flowers turn brown and dry; this is known as blasting. The fruit mummifies and if left on the plant will eventually be covered in a gray mold. The only way to be certain that this is the problem is to have a sample of the flower/fruit analyzed. You can do this through your horticulture agent at the Warren County Cooperative Extension Service. The Web site is ces.ca.uky.edu/warren
. For now you will want to clean up all fallen flowers and fruit since this fungus can overwinter on plant debris.
