Help for My Dying Gold Raspberries

Growth Patterns

• Everbearing gold raspberries grow canes in the spring that bear fruit on the top third. Later in the summer, they fruit again but on the cane's bottom. After the fruiting finishes, the cane dies off. Cutting the cane down to the ground makes room for new canes. If a plan has many old canes, mow the whole plant to the ground in the spring. The new canes bear a healthy crop of fruit in the fall and again in the spring.

Root Problems

• Raspberries do not grow well in wet areas where fungus attacks roots. Make sure that the soil around the gold raspberries drains well. If it seems soggy, lift the plants up by forming hills for them to grow on top. Dig up your plants and inspect the roots for fungus. Discard and destroy any diseased plants. Raspberries rarely need irrigation with the right soil mixture.

Nutrients

• Raspberries grow well in soils high in organic matter and respond well to a 6-inch layer of mulch every year. Composted plant material in the soil holds moisture close to the roots, while delivering nutrients for earthworms and other soil organisms. Make sure there are no nightshade plants, such as potatoes or tomatoes, growing nearby, as they do not grow well together.

Moisture

• Although raspberries rarely need water through the season, they need extra moisture immediately after planting. If insufficient moisture is the problem, the plants quickly respond to the water. Long periods of heat without rain might strain the soil's water reserves, hindering the raspberries' fruit production. Extra mulch each spring usually holds enough moisture for golden raspberries.