Is there any chance you can ask the former owner which type these are?? Read the advice about pruning above. We would not advise cutting/mowing the canes down because if they are summer bearers, they could be abundant with fruit next year (see above), and if they are ever- or fall-bearing, they may have been cut last year. We would wait until spring to see what happens.

Also read the other comments about fruiting/not fruiting below.

Our first best guess, Gladys, is the soil. Is if sufficiently organic, composted, and rich?? See specifics above. And did the canes get sufficient water? (How much? hard to measure—maybe an inch a week.) If the soil is properly prepared it will hold moisture better than poor soil, even it you do not water and it does not rain.

You say you see no bugs o your plants…that’s good but if your canes are dried up and wilting, it could be verticillium wilt, caused by a soilborne fungus. You might have introduced the fungus into the soil with the plants… it’s possible and difficult to confirm. If that’s the case, it might be best—if possible—to start the patch elsewhere, with proper soil and disease-free stock.

Wish we had better news!

You must be doing everything right, Neil! You could certainly thin out your raspberry patch by giving some away. Raspberries spread by runners, so lift them with plenty of root. And remember, it would take while for one to be many, so maybe give friends a few person. 

Hi Tracy,

Congratulations on your new house! It wouldn’t hurt to mound straw, mulch, or compost around the base of the plant. However, it may be going through it’s natural life cycle: Raspberry plants are biennials. Raspberry plants grow in long canes, growing during the first year and producing fruit during the second. After the two years, they die, leaving their seeded fruit or runners to continue the cycle. Your plant may be in its second year of life. 

Unfortunately, your symptoms sound like a textbook case of Verticillium wilt—a soil-borne fungal infection that causes leaf drop, stem death, and sub-par fruiting in a great number of fruits and vegetables. Sadly, nothing can be done for an infected plant, and Verticillium wilt is capable of remaining in the soil for many years, so we would recommend planting any new raspberry plants as far as possible from the diseased patch.

When you remove the infected plant, consider replacing it with Verticillium-resistant plants, like irises, lilies, carrots, beans, or lettuce. A number of other common vegetables and flowers are also resistant.

Hi, Lee: Thank you for this question and your detailed description, including history. It seems as though one of two things is happening here, or perhaps both. We don’t know the condition of your canes, but your description of the leaves can indicate a disease or infestation of some sort. Assuming that you’re not noticing any insect pests, this would leave fungi and all manner of soilborne afflictions, of which there are many. Perhaps–by coincidence–your straw left something behind. More likely, though–and here’s #2–your canes simply became too wet, a condition that itself encourages fungi and that is encouraged by the wood chips, which act like a sponge. If it were us, we would do three things: (1) pull out and dispose of the wood chips, to get rid of both the sponge and any bad things in them; (2) try to find an organic fungicide that is safe for edible produce; and (3) contact your local USDA county extension service to see if they have more localized advice. We would also add a fourth–making sure that your soil drainage is OK–but your previous success with these plants would seem to indicate that this is not a problem. Just for the record, we have had two large and prolific patches at some distance from each other for decades and have never used mulch on them. Thanks again, and good luck!

Lucky you! Freeze them this way: Put a single layer on a sheet pan. Put that into the freezer. When the raspberries are frozen transfer them to an airtight container or bag and return them to the freezer until you’re ready to use them. Repeat as needed with each harvest. They may clump a bit over time but they should not get mushy until thawed but even then some will retain some shape. Frozen or fresh, you can cook them up; here are are few recipes (including one with a sauce you can make and freeze): http://www.almanac.com/search/site/raspberries

If none of these ideas catch your fancy, call us and we’ll take bushels of those berries off your hands!

Small berries can be a result of unsatisfactory growing conditions, like too little sunlight, too little water, or too much nitrogen in the soil, as well as other factors, like too little pollination or infection by damaging insects and viruses. It could also be the case that your raspberry plants need more pruning (see above for tips). Make sure they’re getting enough water, sun, and low-nitrogen fertilizer. If that doesn’t help in future seasons, you may need to get some new plants.

Hi Eileen,

It is not necessary to remove the old canes; they will not prevent new shoots from sprouting. If you prefer a cleaner garden look, you may wish to remove the old growth, but there is no reason to otherwise.

‘Heritage’ raspberries are the everbearing, or fall-bearing, type, meaning that they will produce berries on the old canes (called floricanes) in early summer, and you will get a second crop, this time from the new canes (called primocanes), in late summer/fall. So, a cane of this variety will produce fruit in late summer/fall of its first year, and then again in early summer of its second year. However, the second year crop is not as good in quality as the fall crop from the previous year, and produces less; it also is more prone to certain raspberry pests. Therefore, many gardeners simply prune out the second-year canes during the dormant season in winter/early spring, in order to have a better quality, larger yield in fall. If, however, you choose to harvest that second year, then leave those canes to produce your early summer crop. (Some gardeners trim the laterals of the second-year canes back a few inches.) New canes will also be developing in spring; select about 5 or so of the best ones and remove the others: these will produce your fall crop.

Note that the first year, the canes will fruit on the upper half, while the next year, they will fruit on the lower part; the upper part of the cane that has fruited will die back. Therefore, some gardeners trim back the deadened tips of those canes during the winter, before the second crop is produced the next growing season. Also note that plants should not be pruned the first year you place them in the garden, except to take out dead or damaged wood, so that they can focus on establishing themselves.

As to how far down to prune a cane once it has done fruiting, cut back to as close to the ground as possible, so that any buds that break will be from below the soil line. Otherwise, if buds break from the portion above the soil, the canes that result are usually weak and unproductive.

Before planting, working lots of organic matter into the soil, such as composted manure. Then each year in early spring before growth starts, apply fertilizer again. What you need will depend somewhat on your soil, as well as your crop. It helps to test your soil first to see if there are any deficiencies. In general for raspberries, you can apply 50 to 100 pounds well-rotted cow or horse manure or something like 4 to 5 pounds 10-10-10 per 100 foot row.

Hope this helps!

Hi, Ray: You don’t say how old this growth was, but sometimes new growth can be killed by cold. More likely than not, though, your canes became diseased last year and died for that reason. Thanks for asking and sorry for your loss.

Rather than fool the roots by putting them into soil, Jim, moisten them, wrap them in newspaper (it holds the moisture), then put them into a plastic bag and keep them in a cool place. Before you plant them, separate the roots and soak them in a bucket of water for about an hour. The last frost day is based on averages; it’s not guaranteed or absolute. As noted above, you can plant when soil temps are above 45°F. If a heavy frost is forecast, cover the plants.

You are right to wonder about the fruiting performance of newly transplanted canes. It is likely they will put most of their energy into getting established (root production). You may see a bit of fruiting, but be prepared for that not being the case. Perhaps you could transplant the older canes this spring, leaving the two-year canes to fruit, then move then next spring … just a thought!

Hmm. Good question! I’m not a botanist, but here are my thoughts. Raspberries do not ripen once picked. If the berries were still attached on a branch, but that branch did not have access to nutrients etc. from the main plant, it is unclear whether they would indeed continue to ripen. Would the branch have enough of what the berries needed to mature? It would be a good experiment! You might try a few branches, but otherwise, you can try covering your bushes with garden frost blankets overnight, and perhaps protect the base with a thick layer of straw. Good luck!

Hi Brian,

If you want to have two crops (a light crop in early June and an heavier crop in September), leave 1st-year canes unpruned. For a fall crop only, mow all canes down to 2 to 3 inches after the fall harvest.

It sounds like you are in a USDA Plant Hardiness Zone that is more southern. To learn about USDA hardiness zones, see: http://www.almanac.com/content/plant-hardiness-zones

Although in general raspberries do best in cooler climes, their growth slowing in high summer heat, there are some that offer heat tolerance and have a less of a chilling requirement in winter. Check with your local nursery about cultivars appropriate for your area. Heat-tolerant cultivars include ‘Bababerry’, ‘Dorman Red’, and ‘Oregon 1030’.

Most sources say that early spring (when the plants are still dormant), is the best time to plant raspberries. However, you can plant them in fall (again, when plants are dormant) before the ground freezes, or in the South, in late winter.
 

Sometimes farmers do not harvest berries because they missed the market timing or because weather (such as hail) badly affected their crops and it costs too much to hire laborers for a poor crop. There are a various reasons but it is very difficult to see crop waste, isn’t it? 

Hi Kathryn,

Yes, go ahead and cut the undesirable fruit off. You have the right idea–the plant will use that energy in another capacity, to the betterment of its overall health.

Hi Nicole,

They could bounce back. I suggest maintaining a consistent watering schedule, and giving them until the end of the season to recover from all that activity. You might end up with some new growth, which will fruit the following year, if healthy. I would like to note that raspberries have a sprawling root system that a five-gallon bucket won’t likely accommodate over time.

Hi Susan,

You are wise to want to know which variety you are dealing with, as that will tell you what to expect from your shrub. I suggest taking a few photos to share with a horticulturist at a local nursery (known for its knowledgeable staff). Get a good shot of whatever fruit it might have, the size of the leaves, and its overall growing habit. You might also consider getting onto a fertilizing schedule–that might help speed things along!

Hi Kathryn,

If I understand you correctly, you have small hard berries and are wondering if removing them will enable the plant to produce bigger fruit. (Bramble is a term for the entire group of plants in the Rhus genus, which is why I am a bit unclear.) If it is small fruit you are dealing with, the best thing to do is wait to prune your canes at the right time. Two-year-old canes produce fruit, then die off to be replaced with new canes, which will fruit in two years. So, after a fruiting cane starts to die back, cut it to the ground. Taking the fruit that you have off now will not result in new fruit. Hope that helps!

It’s doubtful your plants are dying, as raspberries are very vigorous and can thrive in pretty tough conditions. If you have just recently planted them, they may be experiencing transplant shock. It could be the heat that is causing leaf curl. Try watering a bit more than usual. New growth is a good sign. If a single cane dies, prune it out. Chances are good another will take its place in no time!

Kevin, we’re thinking you should than your lucky stars: Yellow (aka gold) raspberries are rare and desirable. There are several varieties, and it’s difficult to impossible for us to know what you’ve got. (Fallgold is one.)  But taste them! They are used like red raspberries, usually in sweet dishes—or out of hand. That they are “wild” on your property should not deter you from keeping them. And 30 years is a pretty good run!. Consider that something right there is working for them—the soil, the sun, the water that may fall (and, we’re thinking, pool a bit, keeping the roots moist—is this a lot spot?? Thinking this because you’re considering a pond there…). So you might not have the same success elsewhere. Just a thought. And, per chance we misunderstand: You know that to transplant them you should dig up/lift the root, right?? 

This web site has a lot on raspberries, including the yellow/gold ones. (It’s from Michigan Coop Ext; Ohio’s services were not as indepth): http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/fruit/raspberries-for-th...

Hope this helps. And, ah, send over any extras, pullease!

Plant the raspberry now. It will have time to grow new roots before winter. Keep the plant watered and add mulch around it. This will keep the soil moist and will also protect the plant during the winter months. 

Your raspberries will probably benefit from the coffee grounds as well, as the grounds add nitrogen to the soil and are a natural fertilizer. You don’t need to do it, but feel free to give it a shot! It can’t hurt.

Most raspberries need as much sun as possible. But if you live in a region that gets intense sun most of the day it is  better to plant them in part shade and give them morning sun. Water is very important and especially during hot weather. Good luck!

It’s important to have good air circulation and direct sun on your bushes. The 6 feet between the rows will allow for this. You can maybe plant the raspberries 5 feet apart if that lets you get between the rows to mow and weed.

For a good guide to raspberry varities in the Northeastern region, Google “Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home.”  However, this doesn’t cover wild berries. From what you’re describing, this may be a wineberries. See this page: http://extension.psu.edu/cumberland/news/2011/wineberries

It sounds like they put all their energy into growing healthy plants - a good thing for the first year. If you want 2 harvests then cut the tall canes back to 4-5 feet high in early spring and after that harvest cut out any canes that bore fruit. They will bear again later in the season.
If you just want one late harvest, mow them all to the ground in the fall. They will produce one flush of fruit later in the season.

Wait until spring. Cut them back to about a foot and plant in containers. Make sure to water the tranplanted canes so that they don't dry out.

Usually a raspberry planting is productive for about ten years and produces best in the first five years after planting. Viruses can accumulate in the plants overtime. Remove the plants when they begin to yield poorly and start new plants in new soil if possible.

Ever-bearers produce two crops from each fruiting cane. If you cut a fruiting cane open, it will be green inside. The canes of summer-bearers die once they have produced berries so if you cut one of them open it will be brown inside. I hope this answers your question!

Hi, Jaaaason: Without knowing where you are, what kind of rasperries you have, how much water and sun they have been getting, etc., it is tough to tell, but more likely than not, because raspberries are a biennial, they won't bloom until next year. You should cut back those canes to 5 feet or so, though. So, is this normal? Yeah, probably, or at least it doesn't appear to be terminal. Thanks for asking!

Drought conditions are tough on raspberries. They need a good amount of water to produce good berries. You will need to keep watering the plants to keep the root system healthy for next year. To conserve on water, cut back the canes that have already fruited so the young canes won't have to compete with them for moisture. Be sure to water them well in late fall to lessen chances of winter drought damage.

The worms are larvae from a type of fruit fly, Spotted Wing Drosophila, that lays eggs in the ripening berries. There are a few preventative measures. Keep plants picked of ripe fruit. Set apple cider vinegar traps. Cover the bushes with thin row covers in early summer so that the flies can't lay the eggs. Keep the ground around the bushes clean and prune the bushes so that there is plenty of air circulation. A couple of organic insecticides are available, Entrust and Pyganic.

Raspberries are best transplanted in early spring. Dig them out as completely as possible and replant them right away. Raspberries are like weeds and transplant fairly easily.

We feel for you. Please see our tips on the Japanese Beetle page here: www.almanac.com/content/japanese-beetles

Hi Nicole,
Yes, you can grow raspberries in a pot. Select a big pot (a 24-inch pot can support 5 to 6 canes) with drainage holes. Add a soil/compost mix and plant your canes. Water to keep the soil moist.

If the plants are near your originals, these may be suckers--little plants that pop up from the roots of the mother plant; you can divide these and replant in a desired location. Suckers will draw energy from the mother plant, so if you do not wish to divide and replant them, remove them so that the parent plant will have more energy for fruit production. Too thick a patch of raspberries will encourage disease (reduced air circulation being one issue).
If these young plants came from seed from your yellow or red raspberries, any fruit produced from the new ones may not match those of the parents.

If you're applying netting to protect your berries from birds, then it's best to install two to three weeks before fruit matures -- as the fruit begins to color.

Pruning is a good idea, but that was early for pruning. The best time is late-winter (some also say Dec to Feb). It's still early in season; see if they come back before doing anything right away. Raspberries are generally pretty hearty.

The raspberry plants will do better if you plant them in the ground. They need to go dormant over the winter. Plant them as soon as possible so that they may have a chance to start growing some roots before the ground freezes. Add a layer of mulch around them for protection. Water well.

Find out what type of raspberries you have (summer-bearing or ever-bearing) before pruning. See our pruning advice on this page. For best growing conditions it is recommended for rows to be 1½ to 2 feet wide and to have about 3 canes per linear foot. Wait until early spring to prune and to remove suckers. You probably don't need to do much pruning on your young plants next spring. Just make sure to remove any dead (brown) canes.

It's getting pretty late in the season to transplant raspberries. We suggest that you wait until spring. But you may want to contact the Michigan Extession Service to see if they can give you advice for transplanting. http://msue.anr.msu.edu
 
 

Wait to transplant until spring. Early spring planting is preferred over fall planting. Plant as soon as the soil can be properly prepared. You should also prune the plants in early spring for better growth.

Hi Ericka,
Plant the raspberry now. It will have time to grow new roots before the cold weather sets in. Keep the plant watered and add mulch around it. This will keep the soil moist and will also protect the plant during the winter months. Read our planting instructions on this page.

Although it might be a nutrition problem, or due to inadequate pollination, it might also be caused by the tarnished plant bug, or diseases, including crumbly berry/tomato ringspot virus. For more information, see:
 
http://extension.psu.edu/plant...
 
http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/t...
 
http://extension.psu.edu/plant...
 
http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcolle...

This is a puzzle. I do remember seeing such berries at the market, though. I'm wondering if it might be due to a type of mite? There is a similar condition that occurs with blackberries, in that one or more drupelets (the individual small mounds on a blackberry or raspberry--actually, individual fruits) remain red and hard and do not develop further, due to the feeding of the redberry mite (Acalitus essigi), which is microscopic. From what I could find, it is not a widespread pest of raspberries (but is a problem for blackberries). If it is not this pest, perhaps it might be some other kind of insect damage that is interfering with proper fruit development of that one drupelet, or damaging it. (White or light druplets, on the other hand, are caused by sunscald--UV radiation.) You might ask your county's Cooperative Extension about your raspberry symptoms and ask what they think it might be (and if redberry mite would be a possibility). See:
 
http://www.almanac.com/content...
 
For more information about redberry mite, see:
 
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG...

We're guessing that birds (or other animals) had dropped raspberry seeds in the area recently. Because the site now (we assume) is getting more sun, the raspberry seeds that the birds dropped sprouted. Or, if you have any raspberry bushes elsewhere on your property (within about 10 feet or so), it is possible that the bushes by the former tree appeared via underground shoots from the other bushes. We don't know how long a raspberry bush (or seed) would remain dormant--we suspect that they wouldn't remain so, though, as wild raspberries are often found growing under trees in partial shade (although they don't produce as much fruit).

Browning and yellowing leaves might be due to several factors, from pests and diseases to cultural problems, such as too much heat, or too little water, too much or too little fertilization. Research the specific symptoms of each to see if any fit what you are seeing on your plants. Or, show a sample to a local garden nursery in case a horticulturist there could identify the problem, or contact your county's Cooperative Extension. See: http://www.almanac.com/content...
 
You might also be interested in this diagnostic tool from Cornell University:
 
http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/b...

In South Florida, consider Autumn Bliss, Heritage and Ruby varieties of raspberries. "Dorman Red" is a good variety for hot climates. Stark Brothers and other nurseries carry these plants. Just google online. 

Sounds as if you should ask your daughter what her secrets to success are! 
First, we start with rich, well drained soil. We amended the soil with compost or well-tilled organic matter in the fall. You want fertile soil.
Then, we apply fertilizer in early spring when new growth begins. We use a rate of 4 to 6 pounds of 20-20-20 per 100 feet ofrow.
When new canes start to bloom, we spread 3 to 6 pounds of blood meal per 100 feet of row. You can also spread fertilizer over the surface of the soil in the row when growth is starting.
Hope this helps!

Raspberries are easily crushed and highly perishable. Here are some tips to avoid this. 1. When it's time to harvest (when berries first become completely red), pick them often--every day or every other day. 2. Use wide, shallow containers no more than four layers of raspberries to prevent crushing. 3. Cool the raspberries as soon as possible to keep them firm; every hour counts. Commercial supplies have extra-cold storage with high humidity levels. 4.  Wrap your containers in plastic to prevent water loss
from the fruit and condensation on the berries when they are removed from the cooler. Do not remove the plastic until the berries are at room temperature.

See our pruning tips above. Prune according to what type (summer bearing or everbearing) plants you have. See our page about how to get rid of Japanese beetles at
almanac.com/content/japanese-beetles

We're not sure which zone you live in; usually, berries that grow to their full size but do not ripen aren't getting enough direct sun due to a low sun angle and shorter days.

Summer-bearing types bear one crop in summer for about 1 month on the floricanes (2nd-year canes, stems are usually brown)--there will be no fruit on the primocanes (1-year canes, stems are usually green). Although harvest time varies with variety and climate, many cultivars usually ripen in June into July.

Everbearing types will first fruit in fall on the tip of the primocanes; fruit will then develop further down the cane (so, the riper fruit is toward the tip of the cane). In late spring/early summer, another fruit crop will appear at the point on the cane (now called a floricane) below where the last of the fall harvest took place. This second crop is usually not as productive as the first fall crop.

Fall is the best time to transplant. Cut the canes back to about a foot and dig up as much of the roots as possible. Add some compost to the hole in the new location and make sure to spread out the roots as much as possible when planting.

Did you prune the bushes? Or did you have a late frost this spring? These are the most comon reasons for no flowers. Drought, poor soil fertility and overcrowding can also cause problems.
 
 

Keep watering if the soil is dry. Add a layer of mulch to help keep the moisture in the ground.

Early spring is the best time--in order to get the plants established and maybe get berries the first summer. However, you should be able to plant in the summer, too, if the plants are healthy and strong starts.

If you are seed-saving: Most seed should be used within three years.

Raspberries and blackberries are primarily self-pollinating and do not cross-pollinate.