How frequently did you water them? If I recall correctly, don't you live near Atlanta? That's a hot climate for raspberries, so you would probably have to water them pretty frequently to keep them going.

I water them every 3 days if it doesn't rain. I did had some miracle grow liquid feed through the sprayer head attachment.

I would probably just wait until late Winter before I pruned them back. If you didn't get any new growth this year then you won't get any berries next year. This variety fruits on 2nd yr canes so at best, you won't get berries until 2016. If it were me, I'd return them and buy some primocane fruiting raspberries that would produce a crop by next Fall. If you purchased potted primocane fruiting plants with some growth on them, you could possibly get berries twice next year. You can get the money back just not your time and effort.

I'm watering my blackberries with a weak solution, one teaspoon per 2 gal, of Miracle grow at every watering both pots and inground. They are growing like weeds. So you might try more fertilizer.

UPDATE:

I just discovered new growth coming up from the ground and growing from the old canes. I guess I will let the new sprouts grow and cut out all the dead tops in winter. I'm glad I didn't cut them down thinking they were dead.

Hi! I was thinking about getting one of these raspberry shortbread bushes, i was wondering what's your opinion on them, did they live up to your expectations? Are the fruits any good? Thanks!

Update: Sorry for not replying (parmix) I don't think I received an e-mail indicating a response. Here are some updated pictures. I ended up cutting off my second year growth by mistake and obviously I didn't get any berries this year just new growth so I'm not touching these canes until I know they fruited. Mine never really flourished liked I hoped but that might because of the 95 degree days we had here in Atlanta, Ga and they are in partial shade. I water the plants every 3 days (maybe to much?) and used Miracle Gro when the leave browned which did help, I definitely think they do easier in pots but I newby to this stuff.

This raspberry could be more prone to heat stress and diseases than other kinds of raspberry.

UPDATE: All the canes from last year that should have fruit, all died? I'm going to put them all in pots and give them away, not sure if I'm doing something wrong or if they just do better in pots? They are spreading from the mother plants but no berries in 2 summers?

I got one last November 2015, can't say anything about fruits yet but growth wise went from merely a twig to a nice bushy plant. It's potted in a 50lt container filled with garden compost and store bought one with added perlite for drainage, I fertilized once this spring with a general organic tomatoes granular feed, never watered so far thanks to the unmissable lovely Irish rain. The pics was taken 2 weeks ago , it's a taller and fuller now. Your locale could be to hot for it, maybe pot a few suckers and move them to a cooler spot.

Parmix I have the strawberry shortcake . This is the second year and is loaded with berries . They had berries last year also and I love the flavor.

I have 2 of these in pots. They were covered on berries. Then SO's granddaughter came and ate every one of them,just like last year. Sigh. Mine always do very well. This is the 3rd year Ive had them.

Great picture, enjoy those berries. I have to wait another year for mine.

I’ve had mine for 3; years now. They are in huge pots on the patio. _6 hrs of afternoon/ late afternoon sun. They seem to go great (zone 6) in the spring, then around the beginning of june they start to die. I fight to keep them alive by watering and fertilizing from the moment the begin to leaf out in spring but by the middle of June I have sticks with bedraggled leaves that look sickly. I nurse them through the summer then cover with leaves/mulch up against the house foundation per the garden center where I got them. I haven’t ever had a berry in 3 years, but I have managed to keep them alive (barely)...

I gave up on mine, but I only want plants that I don't have to baby. I gave all of mine to my mom in Kings Mountain NC and she grows hers in pots in about 4 hours sun a day and they have been doing great for 2 years now with good berries so I think they didn't like the hot sun here in Atlanta GA and I think they do better in pots?

I have grown them in large (20G) containers for going on 5 years and they do beautifully for me!! Fruit every year.....if I can beat the deer to it :-) This is about the easiest (and tastiest) no-thought raspberry I think you could grow. But then I do not have a lot of summer heat......that could be the deciding factor.

Catfish what raspberry are you trying now? i moved a little north of you I know raspberries don’t like the southern heat. I’m hoping bababerry, itsual, and dorman red work out. I have others I’m trying but those are they only ones I’ve heard success from in the south. One advantage I have is being in the foothills temp never gets above 93