Raspberries Dry Up Before They Can Be Harvested

I have been trying to grow raspberries for several years. The berries dry up before they are ready for harvest. Should I just give up?

Anthracnose and spur blight are two common fungal diseases on raspberries. They cause spots on the stems and leaves and also dry crumbly fruit. Proper placement, spacing and care is usually enough to keep the plants healthy. Raspberries produce the most fruit and suffer fewest disease problems when grown in full sun. The few stems placed in the garden can quickly take over if not regularly pruned. Remove the canes, right to ground level, that bore fruit in summer. They are done producing fruit. Summer pruning opens up the planting increasing light and air penetration and reducing the risk of disease. Thin the remaining canes in late winter or early spring. Leave about 4 to 5 healthy canes per foot of row. The fall crop on fall or everbearing raspberries forms on new stems that sprouted in the spring. You can prune all the canes to the ground when the plants are dormant. This eliminates the summer crop but will give you a larger and earlier fall harvest. If you want both a summer and fall harvest then follow pruning guidelines for the summer bearing raspberries.

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