[LivvyW]

My raspberry bed gets covered in moss over the winter. Is hoeing  this away good enough or should i remove the mossy layer completely.  I find it gets in around the rhubarb aswell.

[Trillium]

2 things moss loves are acidic soil and lots of water. You obviously have both.
Start by removing as much moss as possible and either binning it or putting it elsewhere. Next, sort out some drainage in those areas with either drainage runs or adding lots more humus to your soil in those areas so you don't have so much of a sitting water situation. Next, wear gloves and protective glasses and sprinkle horticulturarl lime everywhere the moss has been growing, work it in, top with a bit more. You may have to repeat all the above a few more times through the season but eventually the moss will decide to move elsewhere.

[LivvyW]

Thanks Trillium,
You are right of course, acidic and fairly wet.  I must test the raspberry bed soil to see if its any more acidic than the others.  Although the soil doesn't get as much cultivation as the other beds because the rasps are sort of permanant. Perhaps it gives the moss a chance to get hold.

Rasps won't mind the lime then?

[Stripey_cat]

Raspberries like is on the acid side, and hate chalky, limey soils, so I'd only lime half the recommended amount (or less).  It's much easier to add more later in the year than to correct mineral deficiencies in your plants.  There's also the theory that if the plants are doing well, then leave well alone: keep pulling the moss off if it offends you, and maybe cut a ditch, but don't mess with the soil!

[Trillium]

Until you check the soil pH, you don't know just how acidic the soil is. Go by your findings as sometimes soil can be quite acidic and some lime will be just enough to get rid of the moss without really affecting the raspberries. I find raspberries will grow in almost any soil as long as they get a foothold.