Three weeks ago, I reported on the rather grim-looking canes on the blackberry bushes in the backyard.
Alas, my fears proved correct, in that all of the large canes that emerged from the bushes last year died over the winter. Several smaller canes on two of the bushes did survive the winter and are showing growth, so perhaps we'll see a few berries this summer.
But the large canes that reliably produce most of the fruit had no life in them at all.
Yesterday I cleared out the dead canes, and that area of the garden looks rather empty right now. I did notice, however, some new growth coming from the roots of the bushes, so perhaps 2016 won't be as barren as 2015 appears to be.