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Raspberry help please!

timmitesttubetimmitesttube Posts: 22
in Fruit & veg
Hello! I'm growing a few raspberry plants in my son's vegetable bed, I believe they're Tulameen. The plants grow strongly and there's loads of berries, but the majority are spoiled by deformed dark patches around the top near the stalk. A few are just perfect, but not many sadly. Can anyone suggest what might be causing this? Thank you!

Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I don’t know what causes that but it doesn’t make any difference to the taste, you can pick that bit of or just eat the lot. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • timmitesttubetimmitesttube Posts: 22
    Hi Lyn, that's true! I don't expect them all to be perfect of course, and I don't waste them if they're not too badly affected - but a lot are beyond salvation and it would be nice to have a healthier looking crop...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I've had a few the same this year on my summer raspberries (Glen Moy).
    I think it's down to the humidity and rain causing the berries to start to rot here and there where moisture is trapped between the calyx and the top of the berry.
    Some of my autumn raspberries (Joan J) are ripening now and no sign of the same on them.
    It looks like it's warming up now, so I suspect newer fruits will not be affected

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Very true Pete,   Very humid here, but what a good season,  all that rain, don’t think it stopped for a month, then lots of hot sunshine,  a bumper crop.
    another year of raspberries in the freezer me thinks. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • timmitesttubetimmitesttube Posts: 22
    edited July 2021
    Thanks for that Pete - I wonder if the canes are a little overcrowded - perhaps I should thin them a bit to allow more air around the fruits if moisture is causing some rotting...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I grow my summer raspbs. in a 1m square and they are definitely overcrowded now that next years canes are growing, so I think you're probably right.
    My autumn raspbs. are grown in a line and no problems with them

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Maybe picking them a little earlier too might help, just as the tops are changing colour not waiting until the whole fruit is dark red.
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    I sometimes wonder if those parts didn't actually get fertilized?  They are usually underdeveloped looking, from my experience.  I would recommend adding a few canes of fall cropping raspberries.  Mine always perform far better than the summer fruiting variety (as sounds the same from the other comments above).. and it's easier to maintain as you just cut all the canes back to the ground in the early spring.  I have both summer and fall in a small row, situated on opposite ends.  
    Utah, USA.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    I think it is where raspberry beetles have had a bite.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Lyn said:
    Very true Pete,   Very humid here, but what a good season,  all that rain, don’t think it stopped for a month, then lots of hot sunshine,  a bumper crop.
    another year of raspberries in the freezer me thinks. 
    Yes, I've been surprised at the crop this year too Lyn and I've already had some of my Joan J autumn raspberries!
    I don't eat jam, so there's a lot in the freezer. I love them and some blueberries in my porridge :)
    Blueberries are doing well too. Froze 2Kg blackcurrants so far and my blackberries is laden.
    The only miserable soft fruit failure this your has been my strawberries

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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