A couple of things to think about: Were the leaves healthy in the summer and fall? If so, you should have new leaves coming out now and last year’s will fall off soon. If the leaves were brown last summer, it might be a problem caused by overhead watering. Overhead watering and poor air ciculation can bring on powdery mildew. If so, it would also affect the berries. You should also try your local nursery, for suggestions. They might have additional ideas on what happened in your area last year that could cause that problem.
Thanks for writing!
- Amy