Advice
RHS Help & Advice
Common cane fruit problems
Growing cane fruit can be most rewarding, but there are various problems that can commonly affect plants and fruit during the growing season.
Fungal diseases
The most significant fungal diseases are cane blight (left), spur blight and cane spot. The first also attacks other plants from the rose family. Its water-borne spores enter through wounds, killing fruit canes. The last two are specific to Rubus and are not fatal, but reduce fruit yield. Copper-based fungicides are approved to control cane spot, and applications may give incidental control of the other two pathogens.
Viruses
Cane fruits are affected by several viruses that are spread by aphids and at least one with soil-dwelling nematodes as its vector. Symptoms are stunting, poor cropping and mosaic leaf patterns (left). Destroy affected plants promptly and do not replant on the same site.