Let us know if any change. if you think it could be a deficiency the best way is a soil sample to your local extension, and tell them you want to grow raspberries. they will tell you what you need. If you want to just cover all bases. use Holly Tone or any complete balanced organic fertilizer. Dr Earth is also excellent. Many exist. You could add azomite, rock phosphate, also use kelp. This will supply all trace minerals and such. Iron is good too, like Iron-Tone. In the photo I see a small leaf with tip burn. That is usually too much nitrogen. Possible you have a leaf spot of some kind. If not many leaves are like this remove them. You can use copper, sulfur, lime sulfur as a preventative. All organic fungicides. I don't have any fungal problems here, but do use a preventative, as I need it for fruit trees, I hit the brambles while I'm spraying the trees.Usually early in the season before any flowers or berries. I use nothing once flowers form.

Hi everybody, Thanks very much for all of the feedback - much appreciated. Here's the follow-up: I was agreeing with the fungus theory (and the overfertilized theory), and then I took two leaves from this plant to my local garden center where I got a chance to show them to our local plant expert (sells houseplants and does a regular column in the newspaper). He looked at the leaves carefully and said that not only does this plant have scale but it has *spider mites* and he believes this is the crux of the problem. He diagnosed the spider mites by a slightly metallic sheen the leaves had when held up to the light. Also, there was a fair amount of honeydew on the leaves, which I thought was a product of the scale. He sold me some Bayer's Rose and Plant Insect Spray which I have dutifully sprayed all over the plant. I confess I'm feeling pretty guilty about this since I generally prefer organic means to work through things like this but the plant is in such distress I caved in and bought the spray. I'm going to give it a week and see what happens. I also intend, once it's had a few days to recover from the spraying, to replace all of the potting soil and thus eliminate the overfertilization variable. Thanks again for all of your suggestions. If any of you thinks that this solution seems mistaken, please feel free to respond. cheers, papercarver

I have the same thing happening this Year.I am sure it is Blackspot.I have been using a fungicide and it seems to be helping,at least it is getting any worse,and the Bush is looking really healthy apart from the already infected Leaves.

balbc, it appears to be a ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata or Nolina recurvata); and it might be infested by mealy bugs or a (hard) scale. It is not a palm! link.: so treat it accordingly.