Laurel Buckwalter

More clarification: in 2005 we planted two rows of raspberries (20 ft across, Prelude and August Red) in the middle of our 150 foot long garden in full sun. So it was our garden soil. We put in rotted manure and such as recommended by the place we bought them (Fedco in Maine), and mulched with sawdust. We top dressed them two years later. They did marvelously for three years, then one row started declining. No signs of disease but in the spring just fewer and fewer plants. In 2011 the first row was down to about 10% so we took it out this year. In 2011 the 2nd row started declining and it down to maybe 30% this year so it will be taken out next year. I can't quite imagine that the PH would change dramatically, would it? They did great for three years. If the mulch gets worked in and it gets weedy, would that make a difference? In the woods, raspberries grow with grass and such around them. The canes that are out there are bearing very well, but there are not that many... We live in western NYS where there is a good bit of rain. If it doesn't rain for a long period, we have soaker hoses laying around them that we can use. The confusing part is that the canes that are there bear well, we still get good berries, but just not many. We cannot see signs of disease on them. I have a call in to the Cornell Cooperative Extension that I trust will be returned...

For clarification, we have woods on both sides of our property but the site does get pretty much a full day of sun, minus an hour maybe at each end of the day. The plants that are there bear fine but the patch has slowly been dying out, with no symptoms that I can see. The canes that are there look fine, but they are getting fewer and fewer in number.

Thanks for the responses. I forgot to say I am in western NYS close to the PA border. Duane, do you have wild raspberries in the vicinity? Morgan, I will call the County Agent again. The first call was not productive, but I will see if they can help diagnose what exactly happened. I am just going on what I have read so far... We will likely try some blackberries and currants, and maybe raspberries again in a different location and see what happens.

Hello, there, I joined this forum as I saw some discussion somewhere that I cannot find now on growing raspberries close to the woods. Our garden is about 75 feet from the woods and we think that viruses from the woods have done in our two twenty foot rows of raspberries. They did well for 2 or 3 years, then quickly declined. We pulled one row that was down to 10% out this year, and will pull out the second row next year. Books I have read said you must remove all wild canes for 600 feet, which is impossible for us as we live tucked between two hills and that will never happen. Has anyone else been successful with cultivated raspberries close to the woods where wild raspberries grow? We loved having lots of raspberries.... Many thanks!

We have used an electric fence around our garden for many years, baited with peanut butter under aluminum foil, and it has worked for us. I wish I wanted a dog, as that would be easier, but alas... I don't.