On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 12:37:59 -0000, "Miss Perspicacia Tick"
wrote:

~Two or three seasons ago I planted a half-dozen raspberry canes - they were
~an early-fruiting variety ('Glen Magna' if memory serves) which promised a
~crop in the first year (even though I have read you shouldn't pick the first
~year's crop you should let it wither on the canes to provide nourishment for
~a larger crop the following year). I waited with anticipation, looking
~forward to my first crop of organically home-grown rasperries to puree for
~sauce for my homemade organic vanilla ice cream. Well, I'm still waiting. To
~date I have had three rather hard and wizened berries - and that's it. The
~canes look dead - I am hoping (rather forlornly, I suspect) for them to
~suddenly undergo a miraculous ressurection, but I fear it isn't going to
~happen.

They probably are indeed dead, then. I read Amateur Gardening and
Anne Swithinbank has had similar problems with raspberries recently.
Damp autumns don't help.

~I want to have another go - could someone point me to Raspberry Growing for
~Dummies? Although I am on the edge of the Chilterns, the soil here is sandy.
~What conditions do they prefer? They are down the bottom of the garden, up
~against the fence that divides us from next-door. I tried to prepare the
~soil as best I could (my sister has a horse so, if anyone in the Chilterns
~area wants any manure I'm sure an arangement could be reached). Someone
~suggested blood and bonemeal but I have to say I didn't get any - should I
~have done? I really rather fancy growing a mix of red and yellow ones this
~time - Dobies have 'All Gold' at £10.95 for 5 canes and 'Joan J' for £9.95
~for the same amount. The latter has a four month fruiting period. The
~fruiting period for 'All Gold' isn't stated.

For rasps to do well, they like acid, well drained and shady
conditions. However with enough mulching with manure etc, you can get
them to grow reasonably happily in alkaline conditions, though the
canes (once established!) don't last as many years.

For summer raspberries:
You need to get your canes and spread out the fibrous roots on top of
a shallow (2-3", 5-8cm) trench which has been prepared with well
rotted manure and is upto a foot (30cm) wide. Cover up the roots and
firm the canes in, then cut the stems back down to the ground. Any
canes growing in the first year will be the fruiting canes for the
following season, so just make sure the ground doesn't dry out but
isn't waterlogged either.

For autumn rasps, plant in the same fashion, cut down to the ground
and keep your fingers crossed that you might get a few berries in Y 1.
These fruit on the current year's growth so fruit later in the season.
Though as AG said last week, you can cheat. Leave your autumn
raspberry canes through the winter and instead of pruning them down to
the ground after they've died back, only prune the tops off down to
where there were no fruits. These stumps will fruit the following
June, while the main canes are growing, and so you'll get continuous
fruiting all season from one lot of canes. But they did say to beware
- the cane lifetime is again shortened.

~But, before I outlay any more, can I revive what I have? They certainly look
~dead but, as I am a thicky when it comes to all things both
~horti-and-agricultural, I am hoping that there might be a slim chance they
~could be coaxed back into some kind of life. Raspberries are my favourites -
~and I think they're maligned as people appear to prefer strawberries. I do
~not - give me a bowl of (organic) raspberries and (organic) cream any day!

I'd lose them and plant more if you can manage it. Preferably away
from the original site in case there was anything influencing their
demise where they had been. Best chance for this year is the autumn
ones. Here I can recommend Joan J thoroughly - have had them a couple
of seasons now and they grow like crazy. Though only 10 of my dozen
grew. I've got oodles of jam from last year as I ran out of freezer
space... on top of the Glen Amples I have for early cropping!

All Gold is a sport of Autumn Bliss, so is late season.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

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