I have some second year Killarney raspberries and new suckers started coming
up. They are located in partial shade and I have been lightly breaking up
the soil and then watering them once a week when the soil is dry. However
I noticed that some of the tops of the new suckers were all wilted so I
removed the leaves. Upon removing the leaves I noticed that the inside of
the removed portion was black. Is it possible I just rotted them...or could
this be start of verticillium wilt? I should also add that the longer of
the canes are laying on the ground although they seem to be healthy.

I plan on moving them in the fall as I don't think the partial shade is the
best location. Any feedback on the type of soil they're most happy in would
be appreciated.

seepnezorf1 said:

I have some second year Killarney raspberries and new suckers started coming
up. They are located in partial shade and I have been lightly breaking up
the soil and then watering them once a week when the soil is dry. However
I noticed that some of the tops of the new suckers were all wilted so I
removed the leaves. Upon removing the leaves I noticed that the inside of
the removed portion was black. Is it possible I just rotted them...or could
this be start of verticillium wilt? I should also add that the longer of
the canes are laying on the ground although they seem to be healthy.

Wilting tips is most usually the sign of one of several insects that attack
raspberries. The solution is to clip off the damaged tip down far enough to
remove the insect larva and destroy the clippings.

Here is a diagnostic for raspberry wilting:

http://www.hort.cornell.edu/departme...ry/caneslatera
ls/Rwilting.htm

I plan on moving them in the fall as I don't think the partial shade is the
best location. Any feedback on the type of soil they're most happy in would
be appreciated.

Wild brambles are most often found growing in partial shade (forest edges
and openings). They can tolerate a fair amount of shade and still fruit.
I've also mainly seen wild brambles in sandy, but somewhat humus-y
soil. I've had much better yields from them here (where I grow them in
much amended sandy soil mulched every year with shredded leaves) than
where I used to live (in amended clay* soil mulched with wood chips).

*We took some chunks of blue clay out of that soil that wouldn't have needed
much procseesing to throw pots with. The water table was high enough that
some years we had crayfish burrows in the back of the yard.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)