Kitchen Garden Forum

I started planting blackberries on my allotment three years ago, (13 certified stock over that time) and expected by now to have strong growing bushes. Sadly this has not happened. Although by May/June I have two or three strong and healthy new `branches` growing on each plant,over a day ot two the tips of the new growth turn black and die off. Result - end of new growth and just a few blakberries the following year. It is not frost damage and I cannot work out if it is caused by a virus or a bug.

In an effort to anticipate trouble I have decided to spray the plants at fortnightly intervals with a fungicide and an insecticide. Is this a sensible thing to do or can anyone be more specific in what I should do?

Sounds odd, our blackberries generally grow like mad. If you are a member of the RHS, you could post the top of the damaged branch to them and ask what the matter is - I'm a member and they have always been hugely helpful. Or you could send the branch to one of the advice columns in a gardening magazine, or even to Gardeners' QT on Radio 4?
Experts often want the root too, to check it isn't something going wrong there, but this is usually not easy to arrange without losing the whole plant! It would be useful if you could accompany the cut-off bit with a description of the plant, as detailed as you can manage. For example, what do the leaves further down the branch look like?
Does anyone on your allotment tend to use a herbicide near you at that time?!
Alison.

Thanks Alison for this good advice which I will follow up. I had written to Ken Muir and his `Clinic` misunderstood my problem as they thought the new canes were just emerging fron the base rather than well into growth at a metre long. The Clinic suggested the problem to these sensitive tips could be caused by dryness and have asked about feeds and mulching. I have written again with a better descrption of the problem. I have noticed that the older variety I have, Bedforshire Giant is not affected but the newer varieties Helen and Black Butte and others are affected.

I have chechked out various sites on the Internet but although very informative and technical I cannot recognise my blackberry problem there -and they are all American.

Peejo

Hi Peejo,
I would think by your description that there is a deficiency or something buried in the soil. Lets face it we all complain about Brambles which are kindly deposited by the birds and every one seems to germinate and grow apace. I had a similar problem years ago and I found eventually that one of my past relatives had had the idea of burying all has old unwanted motorcycles and bits and once they had been removed and the land suitably treated and left for a while to recover everything now grows normally.
Hereabouts refuse collection did not start until about 1932 and as my place is in parts about 500 years old there's plenty of scope for me to find plenty more. Years ago they used to dig a pit and throw all the rubbish in and when nearing full they filled it in to give topsoil and moved on to a new pit. I have got at least 5 acres of possible "finds" yet to be revealed.
JB.

Hello Peejo
Have you had any more thoughts about Alison's idea that it might be herbicide damage. Systemic herbicides that contain glyphosate, such as Roundup, can cause damage like this. Some plants are extremely sensitive to it so that drift from nearby spraying can cause problems. I have a hedge at the bottom of my place with lots of bramble in it and watered Roundup on the nettles growing there. I was surprised how badly affected the bramble was - some plants showed symptoms for a couple of years - though I had tried hard to just knock out the nettles. Tomatoes are another plant that is very sensitive to this stuff.
You might not be using this compound but what are the other allotmenteers up to?

John

Thanks everyone,

I had not thought of a herbicide as I am on the end of 5 acres of allottment here in Sutton Norfolk. The blackberries are on the side furthest from my neighbour - about 25 metres. I did not believe a herbicide would cause damage that far away without harming aother plants. However I forgot about the field the other side of the boundary hedge!! Nevertheless I do not believe it is herbicide damage.
As for `stuff` buried nearby there is the remnants of a mattress - only the springs are still there covered with ivy and grass but this is in the hedge and a few metres away.

I may try to get professional advice if it happens again this year as Alison suggests. No reply to my follow up e-mail to Ken Muir -except I received his catalogue - again! Thanks again -Peejo

I have a 'fantasia' from Ken Muirs and its struggling to get a life - been in too years and not got knee high yet - I also have a similar situation to JB, my current garden is on what used to be the rubbish tip for a large estate hunting lodge and everytime I dig I pull out at least a bucketfull of bits of pottery and glass - its so bad I never garden without stout gloves. I also suffer from a lot of moles and I wonder they are all not amputees the amount of glass I find in the mole hills I wonder if there is something nasty burried under my blackberry?