I'm trying to sort out my raspberry patch but have got into a complete mess.
They are summer fruiting and fruited very well this year. How do I know
which stems to chop down now? I've cut down all the ones with obvious signs
of having "old fruit" on them but how do I tell whether the others fruited
this year or if they are new stems? they all look a bit tattered, brown and
ragged. Also each "root lump" seems to have several stems coming out of it.
Are they all supposed to have one? The other problem is that there is an
obvious wire support which I assume they should be tied to but the "patch"
has spread so that most stems are a long way from the wire framework. Should
i bend them back to it (it is a major concreted in affair so not easy to
move.) Finally we are on alkaline soil. What should I do about mulching
them/feeding them? Thanks in advance,

--
Hayley
(gardening on well drained, alkaline clay in Somerset)

"H Ryder" wrote in message
...
: I'm trying to sort out my raspberry patch but have got into a complete
mess.
: They are summer fruiting and fruited very well this year. How do I know
: which stems to chop down now? I've cut down all the ones with obvious
signs
: of having "old fruit" on them but how do I tell whether the others fruited
: this year or if they are new stems? they all look a bit tattered, brown
and
: ragged. Also each "root lump" seems to have several stems coming out of
it.
: Are they all supposed to have one? The other problem is that there is an
: obvious wire support which I assume they should be tied to but the "patch"
: has spread so that most stems are a long way from the wire framework.
Should
: i bend them back to it (it is a major concreted in affair so not easy to
: move.) Finally we are on alkaline soil. What should I do about mulching
: them/feeding them? Thanks in advance,
:

The new stems should have small buds just about visible and this year's
won't. If it's that difficult to tell leave them all on, it won't matter. I
leave any new shoots on the root if they look strong and healthy and as for
securing them to the wire, I have found that they do just as well without
being tied and mine are on top of a hill. I feed mine on well rotted manure
and a general fertiliser but I expect a high potash fertiliser would be
recommended to encourage the fruit and to ripen the wood.
:

"H Ryder" wrote in message
...
I'm trying to sort out my raspberry patch but have got into a complete
mess.
They are summer fruiting and fruited very well this year. How do I know
which stems to chop down now? I've cut down all the ones with obvious
signs
of having "old fruit" on them but how do I tell whether the others fruited
this year or if they are new stems? they all look a bit tattered, brown
and
ragged. Also each "root lump" seems to have several stems coming out of
it.
Are they all supposed to have one? The other problem is that there is an
obvious wire support which I assume they should be tied to but the "patch"
has spread so that most stems are a long way from the wire framework.
Should
i bend them back to it (it is a major concreted in affair so not easy to
move.) Finally we are on alkaline soil. What should I do about mulching
them/feeding them? Thanks in advance,

--
Hayley
(gardening on well drained, alkaline clay in Somerset)

I used to treat my raspberries exactly as Robert advises. I did stake some
of the more vigorous stems and mulched with copious amounts of fresh grass
clippings (to lazy to put them anywhere else) which maintained a very moist
root run.