It started off good and then we got a lot of rain and in the last week it has gotten much worse even though the rain has stopped.
Welcome to the forum. I grabbed got a Jewel br this year and it started dying on 2 main branches. The part that died had a flower on it so I assumed it was because that is a cane a year old. Since it’s a Floricane. I just cut it off today, the rest of the plant looks fine. There’s some legit berry berry growers here hopefully they can chime in.
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If you’re in an area with crown borer or have slugs, check the base.
Slugs cut off a few of my canes this season and some type of borer got a few more.
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I have checked for bugs, most of the leaves aren’t chewed or have black spots on them. It looks like they are wilting to the point of hardening and looking brown and yellow
Have you checked the very base of the canes? That’s where the slugs took a few of mine out
Isn’t this root rot? After the plant is exposed to a large amount of water, it prevents the roots from absorbing air, which contributes to their rot.
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Too many primocanes, not enough root structure to support them. Vast transpiration happening with all that foliage.
Most potting soil is neutral so hard for the plant to absorb any nutrients if any nutrients are in that potting soil at all.
Most bramble roots are shallow and wandering… so a deep narrow pot or bag will have a finite time regardless. Roots will travel and wander trying to find a more suitable home to spread and stay shallow. They do this in order form a larger crown which leads to larger canes which leads to more fruits. Kind of like a fruit tree does…it fans out the roots to increase trunk size which leads to more limbs.
In summary the plant will start killing off things to protect the crown until things are resolved.
So if it were me i would remove all canes but the two strongest and straightest and put it in dappled shade as well as diligent watering until the roots and crown can support the canes.
I know thats alot to take in but some measures have to be taken in order to grow brambles in black pots and potting soil with a tomato cage… as that is not their ideal growing conditions.
YMMV though.
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IMO growing perennials in pots is such a massive pain. I get that some people have no choice because they can’t dig, but I’ve had a lot of success growing in ground, even in less than ideal soil but trying to grow in containers has always been a big struggle
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I think there is plenty of opportunity to grow brambles and fruit trees in pots…but i think there has to be alot of bonsai and patience until the roots establish…then still more bonsai moving forward.
I dont know the maths of how many canes per gallon etc…but i do think its a finite number… especially when you factor that there will eventually be floricanes and primocanes in the same space…as well as fruiting.
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For a potted plant like that, diligent watering means poking around an inch or two deep and do not add water if the soil is damp at all at those depths. Keep the plant out of heavy rains.
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Hi, thank you for all that information, it’s very helpful. Quick question if I take the canes out do I cut them or take them out at the root?
Cut to the ground…or top of the soil. Very common practice to remove smaller canes…larger canes… its just part of growing brambles…and something that is done to primocanes and floricanes.
What if I can replant them somewhere else? Do I still cut them at the base? The roots are all tangled because I bought the plant like that…on the website it said that it could be grown in a bigger pot but I can plant some of them in the ground at my parents place if I have to.
“…roots are…tangled because I bought the plant like that…”
What was the plant shipped as: potted, plug, bare root?
I ask because it would seem the plant was bare root if tangled roots were noticed.
Planting this type of plant is more difficult, especially if new tiny white rootlets have formed; these are easily broken during the planting. Root-bound potted plants can get off to a slow start because new roots are easily damaged during planting.
Best just to have patience and pass judgement next year. Plants in black pots can also benefit by shading the pot from direct sun. Just a small square of board placed against the pot due south can help.
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Thank you for all your help, as you can tell I’m new to all of this. It was potted, I thought all the brown string like things were part of the roots and I didn’t want to damage them.
Brown strings were last year or earlier roots–still important. Sounds like you handled the plant with care, but transplant shock can be expected for any one plant even by experienced gardeners. First year mere survival is the goal. Your posted image above looks like a recent transplant, not a plant that is dying.
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Thank you, that makes me feel better about it. With all the yellow and the wilting leaves I thought for sure it was dying.