Blackberry Diagnostic Tool

Leaves are Unusually Colored, Spotted, or Necrotic

Veins are yellow or necrotic, leaves have ringspots or yellow blotches (go to virus section)

Herbicide damage

Gramoxone on leaves, plants can usually overcome this damage if it is isolated.

Surflan damage in young primocanes

Casoron damage occurs in some blackberry cultivars

Orange rust is a systemic fungal disease and infected plants never recover. Orange spots occur on the undersides of leaves, but can appear on canes.

Pierces disease is a bacterial disease that is lethal to grapevines, and has been detected in wild blackberry in western North Carolina. At this time, it is not thought o be a problem in blackberry.