So, I put in some raspberries last spring and half of them died. so, I got some more this spring and so far half of them have died as well. It is always after watering/rain. Now, I also got some other raspberries and put them in another area and those are doing just fine despite the rain/water. This leads me to believe that there is something wrong with the soil where this original berry strip is located. I added seafood compost to it last spring prior to planting and I wonder if the plants hate it. I wonder if everytime they get watered a bunch they get fried from the compost. or maybe it is something completely different? the new patch of berries are in a mound of garden soil/loam and they're doing awesome. no casualties. is there anything I can do to these? is it the wrong time of year to dig and move them? can I add something or dig some of the compost up and replace it with loam? or is there nothing I can do until fall?
the ones that are still alive from last year are all yellowy looking (not yellow yellow but a light green) and they aren't spreading like my neighbors are (we planted the same things from the same batches last spring at the same time). hers are filling in like mad.
Hi She.
Raspberries do not like having their feet in wet soil for any length of time.
That's why its best to plant them on a raised ridge if you suffer from cold wet soils like heavy clays. They do like plenty of water though to crop well but it must not be standing water.
One of the side effects of waterlogging can be to promote an infection of phytophthora. This is a real swine once in the soil and can cause massive cane death. Harmless to a lot of plants but to rasps and strawberries a nightmare.
Raspberries do not like having their feet in wet soil for any length of time.
That's why its best to plant them on a raised ridge if you suffer from cold wet soils like heavy clays. They do like plenty of water though to crop well but it must not be standing water.
One of the side effects of waterlogging can be to promote an infection of phytophthora. This is a real swine once in the soil and can cause massive cane death. Harmless to a lot of plants but to rasps and strawberries a nightmare.
Still possable to get the desease into the soil though Shee.
Test it out with a couple of strawberry plants . If it's in the soil..they are sure to go down with it.
It might pay also to try some other plants that grow quickly...lettuce, radish etc. They could give give you an indication if there is some other problem with the soil.
The seafood would not have harmed them at all, in fact it is used a lot to give plants a boost. Often its sprayed on in liquid formulations.
If all else fails then it might pay to send a sample off for testing as it sounds as if the act of watering is releasing some problem in the soil.
Test it out with a couple of strawberry plants . If it's in the soil..they are sure to go down with it.
It might pay also to try some other plants that grow quickly...lettuce, radish etc. They could give give you an indication if there is some other problem with the soil.
The seafood would not have harmed them at all, in fact it is used a lot to give plants a boost. Often its sprayed on in liquid formulations.
If all else fails then it might pay to send a sample off for testing as it sounds as if the act of watering is releasing some problem in the soil.
right. I will check it all out.
for now, I took one that kicked the bucket a few days back and yanked it. it had little shoots trying to come up so I stuck it elsewhere to see if its happier somewhere else.
there are shells in the compost. what makes me wonder if it was shocking them is if when it rains/water, the pH is shooting way up because of the shells?
for now, I took one that kicked the bucket a few days back and yanked it. it had little shoots trying to come up so I stuck it elsewhere to see if its happier somewhere else.
there are shells in the compost. what makes me wonder if it was shocking them is if when it rains/water, the pH is shooting way up because of the shells?