[Baldy]

I've given over quite a lot of my plot to raspberries (and they seem determined to take more but that's by the by) - last year both the summer and autumn ones produced a lot of fruit and (as I recall) had good taste. This year the summer canes were useless, hardly any fruit - and though the Autumn ones have a fair amount of fruit so far I've not tasted one that was really worth the effort. Last year both cropped and tasted fine.
They've been treated the same both last year and this - not very well, but a little chicken poop and water when dry - nettle tea once in a while. I guess the weather this year might explain it but I'm really not sure why both would be so disappointing this year.
(I don't know what variety the Autumn ones are as I inherited them, but they were great last year - the summer ones I'd need to check in my diary but they are commonly available from supermarkets and were also great last year.
Perhaps I'll have to turn the space over to cape gooseberries which have driven me out of my greenhouse... 
Or can esteemed  forum colleagues provide and explanation or advise on specific varieties to try?
Cheers,
Balders

[mumofstig]

I always recommend Joan J and the first pickings of them were gorgeous as per usual 
However............. the batches that have been picked since the weather turned, and it started raining, have been nothing to write home about. 

They've gone in the freezer to make jam when I have time.

[pigguns]

I agree Balders. 
Although my few summer ones were ok (on left in photo taken end June) we agreed the bigger loganberries on the right tasted so much better (or might be tayberry, I can't remember- it was a cheap dead looking stick I got from Lidl last year).  They were brilliant- a huge bush and we picked handfuls and handfuls all summer.  It's thornless too.

I'd decided last autumn to lose the Autumn plot rasps as the mildew get em before I can get there, and whilst I've had some recently from a plant that grew anyway just to defy me they are really sharp.

[Baldy]

Might be time to invest in something thornless... I've been tying/shaping my gooseberries to cordons to cut down on the number of impalements I receive - needless to say that effort led to a number of painful incidents itself... so perhaps also grub up my raspberries and put some thornless hybrids in their place.

Cheers,
Balders

[sunshineband]

We took out our summer raspberries as they have never given a decent crop and swear by the old faithful Polka autumn fruiters, which give us an excellent return for our little effort and taste just luscious.

Not completely thornless Baldy, but not far off 

[beesrus]

Funnily enough my Summer raspberries were great this year, and while the Autumn ones are not yet ripe, they're looking like they'll be a bumper crop. I did give them a huge dressing of manure last Winter, and a couple of proper soakings in the dry Summer months.
Maybe some fruit beds just need total removal and re stocking on occasion.... that's what I have now done with my strawberries. No matter how hard I tried, they always disappointed.

[RJR_38]

My Joan J were excellent this year - very impressed as it was only their first year and the weeds have taken over their bed somewhat  I am going to give them a good weed and feed in the next few weeks ready for their pruning