"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 17:34:55 GMT, "Jon" wrote:

I just bought a house with raspberry canes planted in the back
yard.
I would like to prune and properly maintain them for next year, but
I don't
know which variety they are.
How can I tell whether they are summer bearing or autumn bearing
canes?
Thank you
Jon
Wisconsin, USA

I treat all my raspberry canes as Autumn fruiters by cutting them
all
to the ground in winter. They weere originally some summer, some
Autumn. If you cut them once I don't see how you would tell which
sort they are.
If there are newer looking canes which have not fruited, then these
are the canes to fruit next year. Cut out the other, older ones
which
have fruited. If all appear to have fruited cut them all down.
Don't know how Wisconsin weather compares with ours though.

Another raspberry question.
I have just heard that raspberries need a neutral to acid soil. Mine
is on limestone. Any advice on what to mulch with to make it more
acidic? Would rather not use peat. In the past I've mulched with
mushroom compost. Oops!

If you are actually on limestone, you are unlikely to be able to shift
the pH of your soil, because of the nearly infinite buffer of alkaline
material in the soil. Any acidic matter you add to the soil will
simply be neutralised by the limestone in no time flat.

Franz