Sick black raspberry plants - Ask Extension
Good morning, I've had black raspberries for maybe 4-6 years and they have done well and been huge plants but this year they have been sick. I've lost...
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Sick black raspberry plants #913959
Asked August 14, 2025, 6:27 AM EDT
Good morning, I've had black raspberries for maybe 4-6 years and they have done well and been huge plants but this year they have been sick. I've lost a couple of the plants. Even the new canes coming up this spring are dying on some of them. Do I just take out the ones that are most sick and hope the other's make a come back? Do I have to move the whole patch, which would be a huge pain in the but to set up somewhere else. Hoping you have some amazing advice to help me save them! I know it's kinda hard to see what's going on in these pictures but you can see some new canes that came up are now dead and wilted. I know I have had some cane borers but I didn't think they could be responsible for killing everything. Thank you!
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Hi- the combination of cane borers and leaf and stem diseases probably has caused the death and dieback of your plants (assuming that growing conditions like amount of daily sunlight and soil quality didn't change dramatically).
We suggest cutting back to the crown all dead and declining canes. Remove and discard all plant residues to reduce overwintering inoculum. In spring, apply liquid lime sulfur or Bordeaux fungicide in spring to control diseases. Thin and head back new canes to increase air circulation. Consider removing the plants entirely if the canes don't come back healthy and strong. In that case, start with new plants in a new location.
Resources:
(PDF) Cane Diseases of Brambles | University of Kentucky
Raspberry Cane Diseases | University of Minnesota
Controlling Raspberry Cane Borers | Michigan State University
Raspberry Anthracnose | University of Wisconsin
UME brambles page
VA Tech home fruit pest management guide (see pp. 3-23 to 3-25)
Jon
We suggest cutting back to the crown all dead and declining canes. Remove and discard all plant residues to reduce overwintering inoculum. In spring, apply liquid lime sulfur or Bordeaux fungicide in spring to control diseases. Thin and head back new canes to increase air circulation. Consider removing the plants entirely if the canes don't come back healthy and strong. In that case, start with new plants in a new location.
Resources:
(PDF) Cane Diseases of Brambles | University of Kentucky
Raspberry Cane Diseases | University of Minnesota
Controlling Raspberry Cane Borers | Michigan State University
Raspberry Anthracnose | University of Wisconsin
UME brambles page
VA Tech home fruit pest management guide (see pp. 3-23 to 3-25)
Jon
