My Boyne raspberries are 3 year-old. Lots of berries but not ripening and are hard as golf balls
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners.
I can understand your disappointment. Unfortunately without more information it is hard to diagnose your problem. I can give you questions to ask yourself to try and discover the problem.
You mention your plants are three years old. Boyne Raspberries are very hardy early fruiting plants. Did your plants fruit well last year or is this your first harvest?
Before being able to decide what action to take one needs to look at the environment to see if there is anything that is negatively affecting the plants.
- How much sun do the plants get in a day?
- What type of soil do you have?
- Is there good drainage or is it too wet?
- Have they been irrigated or watered through the hot weather?
- Are there any chemicals or fertilizers nearby that could be affecting the plants?
- Are the plants healthy? Are the leaves green? are there any signs of insect infestation or fungi infection?
So many factors can alter the growth and development of plants. Raspberries thrive in full sun with rich well drained soil. If the soil is too wet or too dry it can have an effect on the plants health and your fruit yield.
I am including articles below that clearly outline care for Raspberries. Hopefully this will lead you to finding the issue. If you still have questions please contact us again and include more information about your plants and their location.
https://polk.extension.wisc.edu/files/2014/02/Growing-Raspberry-in-WI-A1610.pdf
https://extension.umn.edu/fruit/growing-raspberries-home-garden