Blackberry Woe's

[Python15]

I bought a bare root blackberry root last year and planted it in a 40 litre pot. It grew well and this year it really took off there were flowers in abundance which soon started to form into fruit. At this point, all the leaves started to wilt and die and the fruit stopped growing. It was well watered, fed and looked after so I'm wondering if I've done something wrong or I'm just unkucky? Thanks guys.

[ameno]

It probably got cane blight. If you look at the cane near soil level, you will probably see that it is blackened. It's a disease cane fruit are rather prone to.
The roots might still be alive (cane blight only kills the canes one at a time), so it may grow back. Although since it was such a young plant, it may have been weakened too much by losing this cane in the middle of the growing season.

[Python15]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I haven't really looked at the base of the canes. The canes that grew this season (unfruited ones) seem to be in decline also however I can see some even newer canes staring to grow now. Would it be best to cut back all the old canes now or just bin the whole lot?

[ameno]

Cut back all of the dead or dying canes to at or just below soil level, and if you can clean the secateurs with rubbing alcohol or some other disinfectant between cuts, then bin or burn all of the stems.