[Grubbypaws]

Whilst I was picking off potato leaves with early blight my OH called me to see the raspberries 

The leaves are yellowing and dying and the stems are turning brown. Whole canes are dying. What worries me is that in the area that is affected there is no new growth of canes for next year.

Has anyone any idea what may be the cause?

What with the mildew on the courgettes and my dying parsley and coriander my allotment is beginning to look like a hospital for poorly plants.

[Goosegirl]

Is it just one area in the bed or are all the leaves / canes affected? Have a furtle in the soil beneath and see if it is too wet or too dry. Also, I'd pull out all the affected canes and cut them open to see if there are any nasties inside the bark, then burn them.

[Kirpi]

Do you have the raspberry row well mulched? We had a drought early this year and my raspberries were looking dead. I mulched and watered them and they have picked up since.

they are shallow rooting so they need a little water often when it is not raining. Mulching helps to keep the roots cool and moist.

[Ivor Backache]

I have a similar problem. A good crop but much reduced on last year.
I have a heavy clay soil and because of the rain has become waterlogged in places on several occasions. It is those places that the plants have died.
I have ordered new plants and will dig over the whole area and incorporate a lot of compost and manure. I will also looka t ways to improve drainage.

[SG6]

What sort of soil have you got ?
Yellowing is generally a sigh of a deficency of one sort or another (Magnesium ? )
Wondering if your soil type tends to be low in minerals and so they need an addition.

[Grubbypaws]

It is certainly worst in one area with all canes dead but the damage is spreading.

During the dry spell they were watered with a soaker hose but during the rains the soil was very wet for a prolonged period. I fear that this weakened the plants and they now have raspberry cane blight.

The question is if it is blight can I do anything about it or are the plants doomed 

[Christine]

I'd be for starting again, getting the soil right and hoping for a better year next year. Oh and possibly planting somewhere else on a different patch of soil.