Diagnosing Diseases (prevention first)

Cultural practices that reduce most problems

• Plant in full sun; keep rows narrow and airy.
• Use drip irrigation; avoid wetting foliage late in the day.
• Mulch to reduce soil splash.
• Sanitize: remove spent canes/leaves after harvest.
• Rotate annuals; avoid planting brambles where brambles were recently removed if disease pressure was high.

Blackberries/Raspberries

• Anthracnose / cane blights: Purple/gray lesions on canes; dieback. Prune out and destroy; maintain airflow; copper or biofungicide sprays at budbreak if recurring.
• Botrytis (gray mold): Soft, fuzzy mold on fruit in wet spells; pick promptly, avoid overhead irrigation.
• Phytophthora root rot (wet soils): Sudden wilt in warm weather; ensure drainage; use raised rows; remove affected plants.

Passionfruit

• Fusarium / collar rots (wet, cool): Ensure drainage; avoid burying the crown; sanitize tools.
• Foliar spots: Improve airflow; prune dense curtains; copper/biofungicides if pressure persists.

Pomegranate

• Leaf spots & fruit rots in humid summers: Space plants, prune for light; harvest before prolonged wet spells; discard infected fruit.

> If you decide to spray, select products labeled for edible crops and your crop type. Follow re-entry and pre-harvest intervals.