I have 2 bluebeery bushes in pots that have grown and produced well for
the last 2/3 years. They are different varieties, one coming on a bit
earlier than the other. Last year the early on grew upto abound 4ft tall
as well as giving a good crop.

This year it started off well producing leaves and flowers, some of
which had set into berrie, then suddenly the plant just dies. All the
leaves turned a golden brown colour and the flowers shivelled and fell
off. Srt berries also srivelled and now look like litle blue/blck dots!

I left it alone, apart from watering with rain water but it seems that
now the stems are drying and sone "bark" has either come off of faded.
The ither plant next to it is fine and still growing well.

Any idea ofcause (I do not think it was frost) or whether it may recover?

On 21/06/2022 16:16, Polly@golly wrote:
> I have 2 bluebeery bushes in pots that have grown and produced well for
> the last 2/3 years. They are different varieties, one coming on a bit
> earlier than the other. Last year the early on grew upto abound 4ft tall
> as well as giving a good crop.
>
> This year it started off well producing leaves and flowers, some of
> which had set into berrie, then suddenly the plant just dies. All the
> leaves turned a golden brown colour and the flowers shivelled and fell
> off. Srt berries also srivelled and now look like litle blue/blck dots!
>
> I left it alone, apart from watering with rain water but it seems that
> now the stems are drying and sone "bark" has either come off of faded.
> The ither plant next to it is fine and still growing well.
>
> Any idea ofcause (I do not think it was frost) or whether it may recover?

Sudden death can be due to many things, but the most likely is root
damage which prevents the plant taking up water. It can turn from
apparently healthy to dead in a very short time. There are a number of
pathogenic organisms which could be responsible, such as fusarium or
pythium, but these days many point the finger at phytophthora (cinnamomi
or ramorum), which is becoming more common. If it is, it is likely to
spread to the other plant if they are close together.

Unfortunately, plants to not recover from phytophthora, and there is no
treatment.

--

Jeff

On 21/06/2022 16:42, Jeff Layman wrote:
> On 21/06/2022 16:16, Polly@golly wrote:
>> I have 2 bluebeery bushes in pots that have grown and produced well for
>> the last 2/3 years. They are different varieties, one coming on a bit
>> earlier than the other. Last year the early on grew upto abound 4ft tall
>> as well as giving a good crop.
>>
>> This year it started off well producing leaves and flowers, some of
>> which had set into berrie, then suddenly the plant just dies. All the
>> leaves turned a golden brown colour and the flowers shivelled and fell
>> off. Srt berries also srivelled and now look like litle blue/blck dots!

Overwatering is a possibility but disease is also a possibility.
>>
>> I left it alone, apart from watering with rain water but it seems that
>> now the stems are drying and sone "bark" has either come off of faded.
>> The ither plant next to it is fine and still growing well.
>>
>> Any idea ofcause (I do not think it was frost) or whether it may recover?
>
> Sudden death can be due to many things, but the most likely is root
> damage which prevents the plant taking up water. It can turn from
> apparently healthy to dead in a very short time. There are a number of
> pathogenic organisms which could be responsible, such as fusarium or
> pythium, but these days many point the finger at phytophthora (cinnamomi
> or ramorum), which is becoming more common. If it is, it is likely to
> spread to the other plant if they are close together.
>
> Unfortunately, plants to not recover from phytophthora, and there is no
> treatment.

Flinging the dead one into the general household waste stream ASAP might
be the least bad option at this stage and sterilise any tools you have
used on the potentially infected plant. Also where it has previously
stood. My choice is pour on some meths and set light.

I have known the odd stem die back because of drought but generally they
are pretty robust plants that quickly grow back in summer.

Blueberry scorch virus can kill them in the US but is red leaves rather
than golden brown.

https://blogs.cornell.edu/berrytool/blueberries/blueberries-sudden-death-of-whole-plants

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In article <t8sosn$7hv$1@dont-email.me>,
Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>Sudden death can be due to many things, but the most likely is root
>damage which prevents the plant taking up water. It can turn from
>apparently healthy to dead in a very short time. There are a number of
>pathogenic organisms which could be responsible, such as fusarium or
>pythium, but these days many point the finger at phytophthora (cinnamomi
>or ramorum), which is becoming more common. If it is, it is likely to
>spread to the other plant if they are close together.

Just as they used to attribute tree deaths to honey fungus, even when
it demonstrably wasn't. There are a zillion pathogens that attack
roots, and generally they behave similarly.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 4:16:40 PM UTC+1, Polly@golly wrote:
> I have 2 bluebeery bushes in pots that have grown and produced well for
> the last 2/3 years. They are different varieties, one coming on a bit
> earlier than the other. Last year the early on grew upto abound 4ft tall
> as well as giving a good crop.
>
> This year it started off well producing leaves and flowers, some of
> which had set into berrie, then suddenly the plant just dies. All the
> leaves turned a golden brown colour and the flowers shivelled and fell
> off. Srt berries also srivelled and now look like litle blue/blck dots!
>
> I left it alone, apart from watering with rain water but it seems that
> now the stems are drying and sone "bark" has either come off of faded.
> The ither plant next to it is fine and still growing well.
>
> Any idea ofcause (I do not think it was frost) or whether it may recover?

Have you checked the stems for parasites. Ther is one which attacks our gosseberry that looks like a dried brown blister. Sorry cannot remember its name but insecticide kills it. Jonathan