Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Sweetpea C on March 02, 2013, 08:18

Title: Donated Raspberry Canes
Post by: Sweetpea C on March 02, 2013, 08:18

Hi,

I have been donated some raspberry canes, about 20 of them. I don't know what they are, I suppose I will find out as they grow, however, I have a couple of questions...:
1. they are about 7 ft tall - do I need to cut them back or should I leave them as they are?
2. I have quite a deep bed, is there anything I can plant with them?
3. what fertiliser should I add?
Thank you,

Caroline

Title: Re: Donated Raspberry Canes
Post by: fatcat1955 on March 02, 2013, 08:58

The tall one's sound like Autumn canes so you will need to prune them down to 6 inches high and they will fruit this year. Any shorter ones might be early fruiting so i would leave these un-pruned as they fruit on last year's wood. I would not underplant with anything as the the suckers from raspberries can spread quite far from the mother plant. As to fertiliser, a hand ful of bonemeal to each planting hole then a liquid tomato feed when the fruits first appear.

Title: Re: Donated Raspberry Canes
Post by: mumofstig on March 02, 2013, 09:23

I find it's the summer ones that grow that tall, my autumn ones never get over waist high!

Asking the person who donated them when they fruit would be your best bet ;)

Title: Re: Donated Raspberry Canes
Post by: DD. on March 02, 2013, 09:27

My autumn ones get a bit taller than that, (either that or I'm very short and MoS is very tall), but yes, my summer ones are far taller, that's why they need staking and the autumn ones don't.

Title: Re: Donated Raspberry Canes
Post by: JayG on March 02, 2013, 10:48

My Autumn Bliss get to around 6 feet tall every year - it could be they have to stretch for light because they are quite near a hedge on one side - I'd be interested to hear other people's estimates because this height topic has been touched on before and on the whole seems to be at odds with my experience with them.  :unsure:

Title: Re: Donated Raspberry Canes
Post by: mumofstig on March 02, 2013, 12:15

This from the BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingraspberries1.shtml
gives advice for building a support system wired up to 66in high - but says there is no need for the top wire for Autumn varieties, which implies they are shorter than that  ;)

It would all boil down to plant vigour, I presume - but my neighbours summer fruiting are about 8ft tall  :blink:

Title: Re: Donated Raspberry Canes
Post by: DD. on March 02, 2013, 12:20

I grow both kinds under the same conditions and the summer ones are way taller.

Title: Re: Donated Raspberry Canes
Post by: Sparkyrog on March 02, 2013, 19:05

My autumn bliss are normally between 4ft and 5ft tall  :)

Title: Re: Donated Raspberry Canes
Post by: Sweetpea C on March 03, 2013, 09:48

Thanks all, I'll see if I can find out. They are the first things I am planting so I don't want them to fail!!! I'll update when I find out.
Thanks,
Caroline