I live in zone 7 and have some berries planted in 20gal containers. The varieties include red, gold, and purple raspberries 1 blackberry and 2 tayberries. Currently my blackberry and tayberry have developed an issue that I can't figure out. I have these planted in a mixture of peat moss with compost and pune needles as mulch. I pre fertilized the soil prior to planting.
There is, definitely, a pH or nutrient imbalance. Unfortunately, you won't be able to tell by looks, alone. Testing your soil will reveal what it wrong.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-moisture-in-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/soil-ph-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/test-soil-for-pests-and-diseases.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/making-sure-soil-drains-well.htm
Is there a difference between raspberry canes and raspberry suckers? If I transplant a cane, will it turn into a plant, rather than dieing after it fruits(after it's 2 years old)?
It will produce a sucker. Established canes are still alive at the root zone. It is easier to take an established sucker, since it is faster. It bypasses the need for the established cane to produce a sucker that will go on to fruit.
I'm looking for a little help please -y husband found this strange little "thing" on a raspberry leaf and I'm hoping you can tell me what it is?
That is an insect egg of some sort, but I have never seen one like that before! You may take samples up to your closest agricultural center for answers on local pest eggs that resemble that one.
Thank you BushDoctor that's helpful, I don't know if there's an agricultural centre close to us (we are in Bridge of Earn) but I'll certainly be trying to find one.
I received many raspberry canes. I planted the best ones at the beginning of my row and the worst canes at the end. After a while some started to leaf and others did not. I left the dead-looking canes in, just in case they had life in the roots. Since we had irrigation and trellis supports in place I decided to use the space for other plants. I put in sunflowers and gladiolus. The sunflowers and glads are doing great where the raspberries look dead. But where the few canes have leafed out, nothing else seems to be growing.
Sunflowers and Raspberries will, likely, not play nice with each other. You may have found another species that they do not play nice with as far as the glads go, though!
Plants can make enemies, too, unfortunately.
This collection of articles will help you to care for your raspberries:
What is the best way to treat my garden from Japanese Beatles, ear wigs, and mosquitos. The Japanese Beatles are destroying my raspberries/raspberry leaves!!!
Here are articles with suggestions for how to control these pests:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/japanese-beetles.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/removing-earwigs-garden.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/backyard-mosquito-control.htm
My 2 yr old raspberry bush has produced raspberries but they are small, dark red and hard. Are they still unripe, overripe or do I need to wait til next year for edible fruit?
Raspberries need proper pruning and fertilizing to produce edible fruit. Canes are either summer bearing or everbearing and they are pruned accordingly. These articles tell you how and when to prune the canes for the best fruit.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/raspberry/care-of-raspberry-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/raspberry/prune-summer-raspberry-bushes.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/raspberry/fall-bearing-raspberry-pruning.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/raspberry/how-to-harvest-raspberries.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/raspberry/when-to-feed-raspberries.htm
tell me how to prevent them next year? At the start time of the summer there were lots of small white insects flying from leaf to leaf (they are shown in 2 photos). I am wondering if they then turn into the caterpillar (sawfly??) shown. I have been vigilant to remove any of the caterpillars as soon as I spotted leaf holes. Later on in the season little black insects on the underside of the leaves also started to appear underneath some sort of web/cocoon. They appear to be growing into the bigger black grubs shown. I am not sure what they turn into next.
This looks like a bad leafroller infestation. Here is an article that will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/leafroller-damage-control.htm