If it has a lot of laterals, I'm thinking it is a second year cane. Once the canes fruit in their second year they die and the new canes produced this year will provide fruit next summer. So it's probably dieing, which is normal after fruiting.

if it did fruit yeah you remove canes after fruiting. If it didn't maybe remove it anyway and sispose of it far away.

This post was edited by Drew51 on Sun, Nov 30, 14 at 22:11

it is a first year.

don why would you think it is a second year cane because it has a lot of laterals? just curious, I'm always wanting to learn.

Would like to get a little more input before I cut since they are going dormant now.

I get those black spots on some of my canes too and the plants continue to grow fine the next year. It's probably some type of fungus or mildew. If you spray the canes next spring with lime sulfur, it will kill the fungus / mildew. I wouldn't worry about it now and definitely would not cut or remove the canes.

I suggested second year canes because on my Chester blackberries the canes grow long and unbranched their first year, then in the second year when they fruit they grow a lot of laterals and the fruit is produced on the laterals.