Hi All

I've recently taken over a garden, and discovered a few raspberries
growing among the undergrowth. The canes have been neglected, are
surrounded by rampant weeds, and produced a very meagre crop last year.

Will I be able to restore them to productive use by clearing away the
weeds, feeding, pruning, whatever else I have to do, or is the only
sensible thing to dig them up and plant new ones?

Any tips on the best way to do the preferred one of those options?

Thanks

Adam

The message
from Adam contains these words:

I've recently taken over a garden, and discovered a few raspberries
growing among the undergrowth. The canes have been neglected, are
surrounded by rampant weeds, and produced a very meagre crop last year.

Will I be able to restore them to productive use by clearing away the
weeds, feeding, pruning, whatever else I have to do, or is the only
sensible thing to dig them up and plant new ones?

Any tips on the best way to do the preferred one of those options?

Try weeding round them and digging out the underground runners when they
appear in the spring. (Replant the runners for new canes)

Cut the canes down (this year) as soon as possible - you'll put them
into autumn-fruiting mode, and give them a little more time to recover.

I don't fertilise mine because the soil here is good, but if it's
exhausted, some compost with some fish, blood and bone mized in should
help.

Should you be in East Anglia where magnesium levels are low, (and other
places, I expect) this can result in yellowing leaves which look not
unlike a virus attack. A feed of Epsom salts won't do any harm.

I don't know what the recommended distance apart for plants is, but nine
inches to a foot seems about right from (visual) memory. (My raspberries
amount to two roots ATM, around eight feet apart, which is not something
to aim for...)

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
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On Sat, 17 Jan 2009 08:25:50 +0000, Adam wrote:

Hi All

I've recently taken over a garden, and discovered a few raspberries
growing among the undergrowth. The canes have been neglected, are
surrounded by rampant weeds, and produced a very meagre crop last year.

The conventional wisdom is that raspberries and the like pick up viruses
over the years and become less productive. Conventional wisdom is that
every four or five years they should be uprooted, burnt and fresh
certified stock planted in a different place. But, hey! it's your garden.
Well rotted manure each spring as a top-dressing is usual, I believe.