What is wrong with my new blackberry shoots?

toddrod · Jun 22, 2012

I have at least 4 new canes from my Apache and Natchez plants that look like these and have had at least 6 other canes emerge and just die when they get to be around 6-8 inches long. Any suggestions?

This one the tip just turns brown and it dries up

This one the leaves are just all shriveled up but still green

tonyandkory · Jun 22, 2012

We had some tomato plants do similar a couple years back and it ended up being lack of nutrients... Nitrogen specifically I think. not sure if its the same with blackberries

BobF · Jun 22, 2012

Hard to tell w/o closer examination. Maybe this site will give you some ideas what to look for:
http://ncsu.edu/enterprises/blackberries-raspberries/?page_id=1532

Deezil · Jun 22, 2012

Are they getting enough water?

In the first picture, did something make itself a home in the cane next to the new growth in question?

On the second picture.... You say the leaves are shriveling, but are they pointing toward the dirt or toward the sky? Generally when they point down, its something in the soil, and when they aim up, its water/temp/lack of something..

WVMountaineerJack · Jun 22, 2012

You probably have some kind of cane blight fungus, does that black circle go all the way around the cane? We loose some primos every year do to this, our Apache got wiped out by it so we stop growing that kind and switched over to Triple Crowns and Chesters. CC

toddrod · Jun 22, 2012

Deezil said:
Are they getting enough water?

In the first picture, did something make itself a home in the cane next to the new growth in question?

On the second picture.... You say the leaves are shriveling, but are they pointing toward the dirt or toward the sky? Generally when they point down, its something in the soil, and when they aim up, its water/temp/lack of something..

I can not see anything in the cane with the split.

The leaves are still pointing up in the 2nd photo.