Autumn Bliss
 

My Autumn Bliss raspberrry bushes, about thirty, have produced excellent
crops for the last 6/7 years. This year about half of the bushes are short
in growth and have light green leaves. They are not producing, although the
remainder are producing an excellent crop. The bushes are pruned back to
ground level every February.
Are they lacking the proper fertiliser, or just getting beyond it? Any
advice would be welcome.
Alistair

Autumn Bliss
 

Alistair Macdonald said:


My Autumn Bliss raspberrry bushes, about thirty, have produced excellent
crops for the last 6/7 years. This year about half of the bushes are short
in growth and have light green leaves. They are not producing, although
the
remainder are producing an excellent crop. The bushes are pruned back to
ground level every February.
Are they lacking the proper fertiliser, or just getting beyond it? Any
advice would be welcome.

As my oldest raspberry planting is over 15 years old and still producing,
I doubt that yours is "just getting beyond it." It's some problem with
disease or fertility or (not knowing your layout at all) possibly a growing
competition with trees for resources after seven years. (And I can tell you
from experience that trees can send out roots a surprisingly long way to tap
into richer, better watered territory.)

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"So, it was all a dream."
"No dear, this is the dream, you're still in the cell."

email valid but not regularly monitored

Autumn Bliss
 

Thanks Pat for your advice which I think may be relevant to my problem.
Within six feet of my raspberry row I have a vigorous Golden Delicious, and
equally vigoroue Bramley and this year a heavily laden peach tree. If their
close proximity is causing the problem and I have no wish to dispose of the
fruit trees, what kind of feeding (for next year) would compensate?
Alistair in Kent


"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message
...
Alistair Macdonald said:


My Autumn Bliss raspberrry bushes, about thirty, have produced excellent
crops for the last 6/7 years. This year about half of the bushes are short
in growth and have light green leaves. They are not producing, although
the
remainder are producing an excellent crop. The bushes are pruned back to
ground level every February.
Are they lacking the proper fertiliser, or just getting beyond it? Any
advice would be welcome.

As my oldest raspberry planting is over 15 years old and still producing,
I doubt that yours is "just getting beyond it." It's some problem with
disease or fertility or (not knowing your layout at all) possibly a
growing
competition with trees for resources after seven years. (And I can tell
you
from experience that trees can send out roots a surprisingly long way to
tap
into richer, better watered territory.)

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"So, it was all a dream."
"No dear, this is the dream, you're still in the cell."

email valid but not regularly monitored

Autumn Bliss
 

Alistair Macdonald said:


Thanks Pat for your advice which I think may be relevant to my problem.
Within six feet of my raspberry row I have a vigorous Golden Delicious, and
equally vigorous Bramley and this year a heavily laden peach tree. If their
close proximity is causing the problem and I have no wish to dispose of the
fruit trees, what kind of feeding (for next year) would compensate?

Yes, trees growing up near the raspberries will compete for water and
nutrients! Depending on which direction they are in relation to the
raspberries, they will also "compete for light" -- that is, cast shade.

I fertilize my raspberries in spring with a balanced organic fertilizer mix,
plus a thin layer of alfalfa pellets topped with a mulch layer of shredded
leaves (saved from the previous Autumn). They also get some overshoot
of the (organic) lawn fertilizer I apply a couple of times during the summer.

It may be wisest (if you have the space) to start another row somewhere
farther away from the fruit trees.

In my opinion, in terms of crop value for space and effort, raspberries
would come first, followed by the peach, with the apples last.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"So, it was all a dream."
"No dear, this is the dream, you're still in the cell."

email valid but not regularly monitored

Autumn Bliss
 

Thanks again for the advice. I think you have hit the nail on the head. I
would appreciate it if you could describe the balanced organic fertilizer
mix After pruning at the beginning of the year I apply phosphates, bone
meal and Growmore, and give regular Miracle Grow feeds during the growing
season. Is this enough or should I be better following your mix? If so what
exactly does it consist of?

"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message
...
Alistair Macdonald said:


Thanks Pat for your advice which I think may be relevant to my problem.
Within six feet of my raspberry row I have a vigorous Golden Delicious,
and
equally vigorous Bramley and this year a heavily laden peach tree. If
their
close proximity is causing the problem and I have no wish to dispose of
the
fruit trees, what kind of feeding (for next year) would compensate?

Yes, trees growing up near the raspberries will compete for water and
nutrients! Depending on which direction they are in relation to the
raspberries, they will also "compete for light" -- that is, cast shade.

I fertilize my raspberries in spring with a balanced organic fertilizer
mix,
plus a thin layer of alfalfa pellets topped with a mulch layer of shredded
leaves (saved from the previous Autumn). They also get some overshoot
of the (organic) lawn fertilizer I apply a couple of times during the
summer.

It may be wisest (if you have the space) to start another row somewhere
farther away from the fruit trees.

In my opinion, in terms of crop value for space and effort, raspberries
would come first, followed by the peach, with the apples last.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"So, it was all a dream."
"No dear, this is the dream, you're still in the cell."

email valid but not regularly monitored

Autumn Bliss
 

Alistair Macdonald said:

Thanks again for the advice. I think you have hit the nail on the head. I
would appreciate it if you could describe the balanced organic fertilizer
mix After pruning at the beginning of the year I apply phosphates, bone
meal and Growmore,

I usually use Espoma brand Garden-tone on the raspberries in the spring.
I apply that, then a layer of alfalfa pellets topped with shredded leaves as a
mulch. The alfalfa give a boost of nitrogen as well as potassium.

Your routine sounds very high in phosphorous (which can accumulate in
the soil) and maybe short of nitrogen and potassium (which can become
depleted and/or leach away, especially in sandy, well-drained soils).
My soil tests to have a fairly high level of P to begin with. That's why the
bulk of my spring fertilizer is alfalfa (for the N and K).

During the growing season, the only fertilizer that gets applied to the
raspberries is what hits them when I fertilize the surrounding lawn with
high nitrogen, low phosphorous organic lawn fertilizer (end of May,
end of June, beginning of September, and late October -- this last being
a high potash, 'winterizer' formulation).

and give regular Miracle Grow feeds during the growing
season. Is this enough

I'm not so keen on liquid fertilizers even for potted plants, where I instead
use something like Osmocote Plus (or similar products). That is, an
encapsulated, slow-release fertilizer with micronutrients.

One heavy rain, and the water soluable fertilzer could be washed away.

...or should I be better following your mix? If so what
exactly does it consist of?

It's not my mix, just a commercial mix whose brand name I didn't mention
in the first go-around (as other brands of balanced, organic fertilizers could
be substituted).

Ingredients and analysis of the brand I frequently use he

http://www.espoma.com/p_consumer/pdf...Esp_Garden.pdf

If there is any 'trick' to what I'm doing, it would be the alfalfa + leaf
mulch, I guess...


--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"So, it was all a dream."
"No dear, this is the dream, you're still in the cell."

email valid but not regularly monitored

Autumn Bliss
 

An excellent coverage of solutions to my query. I have visited the web site
bur unfortunately cannot find the brand Espoma listed in any UK sites. It
would appear that you are domiciled in America and I am resident of the UK.
Does anyone know of a comparable British brand?
Alistair in Kent UK
"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message
...
Alistair Macdonald said:

Thanks again for the advice. I think you have hit the nail on the head. I
would appreciate it if you could describe the balanced organic fertilizer
mix After pruning at the beginning of the year I apply phosphates, bone
meal and Growmore,

I usually use Espoma brand Garden-tone on the raspberries in the spring.
I apply that, then a layer of alfalfa pellets topped with shredded leaves
as a
mulch. The alfalfa give a boost of nitrogen as well as potassium.

Your routine sounds very high in phosphorous (which can accumulate in
the soil) and maybe short of nitrogen and potassium (which can become
depleted and/or leach away, especially in sandy, well-drained soils).
My soil tests to have a fairly high level of P to begin with. That's why
the
bulk of my spring fertilizer is alfalfa (for the N and K).

During the growing season, the only fertilizer that gets applied to the
raspberries is what hits them when I fertilize the surrounding lawn with
high nitrogen, low phosphorous organic lawn fertilizer (end of May,
end of June, beginning of September, and late October -- this last being
a high potash, 'winterizer' formulation).

and give regular Miracle Grow feeds during the growing
season. Is this enough

I'm not so keen on liquid fertilizers even for potted plants, where I
instead
use something like Osmocote Plus (or similar products). That is, an
encapsulated, slow-release fertilizer with micronutrients.

One heavy rain, and the water soluable fertilzer could be washed away.

...or should I be better following your mix? If so what
exactly does it consist of?

It's not my mix, just a commercial mix whose brand name I didn't mention
in the first go-around (as other brands of balanced, organic fertilizers
could
be substituted).

Ingredients and analysis of the brand I frequently use he

http://www.espoma.com/p_consumer/pdf...Esp_Garden.pdf

If there is any 'trick' to what I'm doing, it would be the alfalfa + leaf
mulch, I guess...


--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"So, it was all a dream."
"No dear, this is the dream, you're still in the cell."

email valid but not regularly monitored