[maddave]

I've just taken ownership of my first allotment and very keen to get digging and planting.  Today I went up to have the first proper look at the site and see what work needs to be done straight away. It is full of weeds and nettles so needs a good clear out, but generally ok. However, I have a few questions.

Firstly, the previous owner gave me a little map of some of the perennials growing on the site, some of which are summer and autumn raspberries.   Looking at where they are growing, all I see is a load of weedy storks and nettles, and so not sure how best to clear up this patch.  Here is a picture:

I take it the dark storks are the raspberries, but should I do anything with them?  Prune them all down perhaps.  How do I weed this without destroying them!?

Secondly, I noticed a neat line of this stuff growing and have no idea what it is? My reckoning is some kind of chard, or is it a neat weed! :


Finally, the previous owner showed on her hand drawn map a load of asparagus in one part of the site. It's difficult to understand exactly where they would be as the area is completely covered in weeds at the minute. I've had a brief poke around, but what would I be looking for at this time of the year to make sure I dont dig them all up whilst clearing the weeds?!

Thanks for any advice.

[devongardener]

Your second pic looks like chard although its difficult to see,  Pruning the raspberries depends on whether they are summer or autumn fruiting and the asparagus would only be dormant this time of the year.

You have two options.  Either dig or pull out all the weeds you know are weeds and then wait until spring and see what comes up or you can dig the whole lot up and start afresh.  Neither is a perfect solution but depends on what your ultimate aim is.

[3 allotments]

Hi dave welcome,firstly it is swiss chard,secondly they are rasps cut them right back to the ground  and put a mulch around them thirdly you wont see any asparagus yet, but look out for long brown  spindly stalks 3-4 feet if it was left to grow, asparagus mignt be in the bed behind rasps,plenty of advice and tips on here good luck,Darren

[diospyros]

The problem with cutting the raspberries right back now is that if they are summer fruiting ones they fruit on the stems that grew last year, so if you cut all back you will have no raspberries from them this year.  You will however get fruit from the autumn fruiting ones which fruit on the stems they are about to start putting up this spring.  So at least then you will know which are which.

Not sure what happens if you leave autumn fruiting ones to flower a second year...!

I agree you will have to leave the weeding for a bit to find out where the asparagus is, because you will damage the roots if you try and hoe too deep. I'm not sure whether you will have to give up on it if it has got badly infested with perennial weeds, mulching might help.

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site and congrats on your new lotty 

If you could add your general location to your forum profile it may help us answer any questions you have in future whose answers depend on us knowing climate issues 

Re. the raspberries, I'd have a look at the tops of the stalks - you can usually tell whether they are new shoots or ones from last year by seeing whether there are any dried-out fruiting ends (i.e. where the raspberries have dropped off).

[maddave]

Thanks all for the replies.

The raspberries all look like thigh high single storks to me, with no growth on their ends, so assume they are quite old and not new growth.  I may chop them all down  to help clear the bed and if I only get autumn fruit from them this year, then that will be better than nothing.  My long term goal is get a good established site, so happy to break a few eggs before seeing results!

Thanks again.

[GardenShed]

Am I being stupid in thinking that the best solution when unsure of what type of raspberry you have, would be to not prune at all?

So whether it is new canes or one year old canes that will fruit, surely by leaving them all for the first year you will have fruit?

What happens if you do not prune summer raspberries?

[JayG]

Not stupid at all - it's a perfectly sensible way of making you sure you do at least get something from them.

The purpose of pruning both types is partly to prevent the plants becoming a congested mess of dead canes, and also to concentrate the plant's energies into the productive canes. Autumn raspberries will usually manage a few early fruits on some of the previous year's canes, although it's fair to assume that the "proper" later crop on the new canes will suffer to some extent as a consequence.