[ryetek]

Our Autumn raspberries are just starting to provide fruit however our Summer raspberries have yet to ripen. It's our first year with Autumn raspberries and the roots were obtained from one of the fantastically helpful OBs on the allotment. In past years we have usually had Summer raspberries before any of the Autumn varieties were ready.

Looking back at my diary we started to harvest our Summer raspberries at this time last year so they are a little late as compared to previous years. However I'm fairly certain the Autumn varieties are a little early too, as although we did not have any of our own, I don't remember anyone else's being ready at this time.

Although I'm not worried about this in the slightest has anyone else noticed this with their raspberries this year?

Edited to change "winter" to "autumn".

[JayG]

Yes, my Autumn Bliss are already starting to flower and set fruit, with the main flush looking like only a week or so away - I've had these about 10 years and have never had any fruit before about the end of August before, and that's after a late start this year due to the cold spring!

Not really that chuffed - autumn raspberries are a welcome soft fruit in the autumn when there isn't too much else about, and also in the past I've found that sparrows eat the fruit in summer but leave them alone in autumn (and my rasps aren't netted!) 

[mumofstig]

The only fruit I have on my Autumn rasps (Joan J) is on stems that weren't pruned to the ground over winter, as they should have been 

This year's new stems are only just thinking about flowering - certainly not fruiting yet

[pdblake]

My autumn rasps (no idea what variety - inherited with plot - or rather found dotted all over the plot ) are flowering too. Just noticed it last night and thought it was a bit early, though I didn't keep notes last year.

[ryetek]

Thank you for the replies so far.

JayG, fortunately we don't appear to have problems with sparrows here (or at least this is true so far) and don't net our raspberries. I also understand your point about wanting the fruit in Autumn as opposed to now. Not having had Autumn rasps until now I've never thought of it like that.

MoS, the existings stems were cut back to about 2" at the time of planting  . The new stems (not many seeing as it is the first year of growth) are beginning to fruit. You do make a good valid point about pruning however so as always it appreciated.

DD, thanks for the correction to the subject title. I never spotted that I typed Winter.

[Auntiemogs]

Lightbulb moment! Just realised why I've already had a small crop off my Autumn Bliss.  I read an article last year saying that if you only pruned to just before where they cropped, you could get a small, early crop in summer...doh! 

[andyf75]

My polka planted this year have started to produce fruit - thought they were Autumn but might be wrong...