Rasperries under attack, but from what?

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Barry
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In our part of Kent, the humidity this year has been very high, following a very wet winter.

I don't know whether this is significant or not, but all the raspberry canes on the allotment have come under attack from something, but it doesn't seem to fit any pests and diseases that I know.

Essentially, leaves begin to go red around the edges, then they become yellowish brown and the whole leaf structure pulps to dust on touch. The canes look dead.

What might be the cause? What can I do about it?

It does appear to spread from one plant to the next.
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Geoff
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If it wasn't affecting several people simultaneously I would think of root rot, read the details and see what you think.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=542
Barry
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Hi Geoff,

I've been doing lots of research, but nothing clearly fits the symptoms. However, I think it might well be verticillium wilt. And there appears to be nothing I can do :(
Barry
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Interestingly, another plot holder has discovered in a 1977 book on allotments that cane blight is a major problem in Kent!!! Apparently, infected canes have to be cut out underground, but surviving canes can be sprayed with bordeaux mixture, so I might be able to rescue my crop yet...

Anybody out there ever suffered from cane blight before?
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Primrose
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Never even heard of it Barry but I only have a small raspberry cane patch and to date nothing seems to have affected them.

I wonder if it,s the same humidity conditions which trigger raspberry cane blight spores to spread as tomatoes and whether the two diseases have any connection? Have you had any Blightwatch warnings in your area recently?
Barry
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Yes, there were about six consecutive days in early June for blight :(

I'm not at all surprised by the attack on the raspberries, even weeds around here are looking sick...
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Primrose
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Wonder if it's possible that somebody near your olot has been spraying or weed killing with something and your raspberry canes has become indirectly in the line of fire. If this has happened I don,t suppose anybody is going to admit to it though.
Barry
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I have raspberries on three sides of my plot; all of them are affected, as are raspberries on plots all around me.

I'm not at all surprised what with such ghastly weather. Apparently, late frosts often cause this, as plants weaken at a time they should be growing.

It looks as though I'm going to lose all my summer raspberries, which will mean having to replace the soil and start with entirely new plants.

This may well be the pattern in the rest of the UK if we keep getting long winters and humid starts to summers.

I sprayed everyt surviving cane today with bordeaux mixture. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that something will survive.

We need really hot sunshine for several days to stop the outbreak, I suspect.
Westi
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Good Luck Barry! It is bad for you but thanks also as we are alerted as anything like this that gets in then it seems to travel.
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RedSonya
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Good luck Barry from me as well!
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