[isobel]

Please can anyone help with this problem? I planted a new tayberry in my fruit bed this year and it has never looked very happy. Obviously it has rained cats and dogs for months so maybe this has contributed? There are dark spots on just about all the leaves, most of them are very dark in colour and several are withering. Is this fungal, chemical, parasite or what?  What can I try to improve or cure it? Thanks!

[viettaclark]

When did you plant it? Is it the original growth that is sickly? If so this is the "old" wood which dies off and there should be strong new canes growing from the roots for next year's fruiting.
Have you got straight new stems growing? If so, cut back the old grotty growth after fruiting (have you any fruit? prob. not if it's a new plant) and start tying in the new canes.
If you've got no new growth try feeding it although it's a bit late now. Won't hurt to let it carry on and see what happens.....even to next year when it may put out new growth for the following year. Plants do need time to settle in.
The leaf problems don't sound dangerous, just natural die-back, but someone else may disagree!.