Weak growth on some raspberries

The spring I posted about a Jewel black raspberry that seemed really weak compared to the others, and it did eventually die.

The jewel next to it is now starting to look a little iffy. It bore a decent crop, and the primocanes looked good initially, but now that I’ve cleaned up the old floricanes, the new growth is very spindly and weak in comparison to others (including Jewel) in the next row over. Makes me think there’s a soil issue.

The Jewel raspberry in question

The others

It kind a looks like herbicide damage but I haven’t sprayed any herbicide near this area. Hence all the damn stiltgrass behind the first pic!

I spy a little bit of chlorosis going on. Looks like you need some Nitrogen and possibly Iron. Milorganite has both…in small quantities… Or you can go with something like berrytone or hollytone which both have the nutrients you need… or you can add some humus rich compost and manure if you are against fertilizers. In the end to me they look to need some nutrition…

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The two images look similar for cane vigor. What is the diameter of weak canes vs the diameter of ‘others’. Both images look like trailing-type growth.

My Jewel have about 1/2" canes at ground level and grow bamboo-straight up for several feet before curving slightly.

The “weak” Jewel has canes about 1/2” or better at base but the tips are less than 1/4” thick.

Bristol is more like 3/8” at base but still 1/3” at the growth tips. Longer canes too.

The jewels in the other row are stronger.

FYI I pinched them at 32” height and they branched. The branched canes arch more.

Perhaps if I zoom in you’ll see the concern.

Comparing these two…bottom pic (the weak Jewel plant) is lighter and weaker.

All the stated cane diameters sound fine, cane diameter will taper towards the tip.

The difference in foliage color may be of concern and krismoriah advice could be helpful.

I have seen the pinching and branching technique in commercial fields.

@LarryGene here’s a closeup of the differences.

I suppose it could be a nitrogen issue but why only that one plant?

@BG1977 … you might also check the PH of that one raspberry planting hole area.


Raspberries prefer a soil pH of 5.6 to 6.2 ; acid soils may require applications of ground limestone to increase the pH.

It could be a little off from the others. Not able to fully use the soil fertility if the PH is a little off.

It could be off in either direction. The native pH is about 4.8, but I did lime that plot. Tested at 6.0 last time I looked, (but not that specific spot). Maybe I either overlimed or underlimed that area.

Sending out for a soil test. A couple of the other ones in that same row look a little iffy now.

So I got some arborists wood chips that I put around these raspberries as mulch. I know everybody says that if they stay on the surface, they don’t “rob” nitrogen, but could that be it?

@BG1977 … not sure about that BG but my rasberries can look a little ragged late July, August just from the heat of our summers.

When the pcanes first come up (thru the fcanes) they look awesome… but by the time my fcanes stop producing and i get those cut out and removed… my pcanes are already looking a little stressed.

Then the HEAT of late July and August hits… and they continue to look a little stressed until it finally cools off some… early Sept my everbearing varieties start producing again.

Our summers can be brutal… and this one has been.

They do produce again in the fall… and over winter survive and come out looking awesome again in spring.

It may not be just the summer heat affecting yours… but down here… the really hot months seem to be more than a raspberry can stand and be completely happy.

We had our coolest June in 10 years here, and up until the last two days, it hasn’t been that hot this month, either.

It seems like all of the hot weather has stayed west of the Appalachians.