[totalnovice]

Hi Guys!
I have ordered some raspberry canes and am very much looking forward to receiving them any time now. I do have a few questions though so if anyone is an expert out there, or even if your not i could do with some help:

1. How high do they growthey are a mix of summer and autum fruiting? I was reading in the fruit expert that they grow to 6ft, although i have NEVER seen a 6ft raspberry cane and everyone on the site seems to have them at around 4ft.
2. If i don't have chance to prepare the bed due to this torrential rain we keep getting can i plant bare root plants in pots until i have managed to get it prepared and transplant in spring, or should i leave them bare and store them some how - and if so how?

Thanks in advance!

[tode]

Hi Kate,

First, don't plant the 2 sorts together (summer & autumn): they'll get all mixed up, and you'll have a BIG problem pruning them.   Plant em in chunky rows, and keep a bit of space between the two sorts.

Don't plant em if the grounds really wet: they like nice crumbly soil, with lots of humus/compost.

If it's too wet, dig a trench, pop em in (without spreading the roots), keeping the 2 sorts apart, and fill firmly. As soon as it's dry enough, plant in their permanent site.  (Lots of compost, and mulch well with straw or similar).

Good luck.     

[totalnovice]

Thanks tode - was planning on putting them in chunks so i can walk between them easily to pick and prune - and to keep them apart so I know what to cut and when!

[tode]

Just a little P.S.   if you've got the room, plan to let them spread a bit: that way you get more rasps and cream      (They can spread about a foot a year, if you let em).

 

[DavidT]

Good advice Tode.

[sunshineband]

The canes on our local pick your own are over six feet tall -- maybe some varieties are taller than others 

[tode]

Sorry, forgot about the height.

Our Autumn rasps normally get to about 6 foot, but this year they've gone over 8 feet.

In general our Summer ones aren't so tall, about 5 feet, but this year have grown taller as well.

[suziet88]

Just bought some autumn raspberries and I did not think they would grow that tall.  Do they need staking?

[beansticks]

I have two rows of Glen Ample(summer variety) five years old,and they have reached 7 foot.Both rows are tied into horizontal wires.The rows are 6 foot apart.I know the ground is wet,but i would consider getting them in their permanent positions,this can be achieved by digging a big enough hole and placing a few handfuls of compost in the bottom,the roots will then not be sat in soaking wet soil.

[tode]

I bang in a solid stake at each end of the row, run a wire along at about 3 foot, and another at 5 foot, then you can just run some string along both sides to stop em flopping when it's windy.

[sunshineband]

Lots of  people make a sort of horizontal wire strand fence on end stakes to tie them in, rather than individual stakes for each cane.

[Nobbie]

My Autumn Bliss only seem to grow to about 4 foot tall, whereas I can't reach the top of my Malling Admiral canes in the same row which must be upto about 9 foot

[tode]

Our rasps are about 15 tears old, and the first 5 or 6 years, I didn't really have time to look after them properly: they were about 4 -5 foot high, but since I've been giving em a bit of tlc and LOTS of straw mulch, the difference is astonishing.

[totalnovice]

Some fab advice (as always) Thank you all very much - i have set my husband the task of creating the wire supports for them, he was thrilled, just hid it very well  will let you all know how they get on! And mmmmm Raspberry and apple crumble here i come....

[harry]

Hi Kate,

First, don't plant the 2 sorts together (summer & autumn): they'll get all mixed up, and you'll have a BIG problem pruning them.   Plant em in chunky rows, and keep a bit of space between the two sorts.

Don't plant em if the grounds really wet: they like nice crumbly soil, with lots of humus/compost.

If it's too wet, dig a trench, pop em in (without spreading the roots), keeping the 2 sorts apart, and fill firmly. As soon as it's dry enough, plant in their permanent site.  (Lots of compost, and mulch well with straw or similar).

Good luck.     
 There are already rasberry canes on my plot how can i tell if they are summer or autumn because someone is giving me some autumn ones