[fletch]

I have lots and lots of raspberry canes on my plot. Last year they gave a reasonable-ish yield, but they are really congested and spreading everywhere and are also clogged with weeds and couch.
My thoughts were either:
1. Dig them all out, weed and clear the area and replant a select, healthy few.
2. Same as above, but discard and get some new ones (only if it is not possibe to replant-I'm not sure if you can re-plant them).

Trying to weed around them is just not an option, it's a total mess.

Any help appreciated.

[poultrygeist]

I think may answer your question fletch..

Moving raspberries

I had just moved some before this and wish I'd read it first !  

Rob

[fletch]

Thanks for that, I'll try and keep as much soil as I can then. What's the cut-off date for replanting, just in case I don't get round to doing it for a couple of weeks?

Thanks

[poultrygeist]

Got absolutely no idea !!

But I would think they'll want to be in within a couple of weeks.

Keep the soil moist if you don't plant for a while and I would guess a bit of bonemeal wouldn't hurt once replanted.

Good luck.

Rob

[MarkG]

Can you thin out the canes and kill the weeds by mulching with well rotted manure? Don't know if that will work, they may just grow through the manure, or they may die because they can't get any light. But an alternative to moving them.

My plot has a thick row of raspberry canes, row is about 1.5m thick and 6m long. I've cut out last years canes and am planning to put some 6' posts at each end and tie the longest of this years to wires between the posts, so there is one cane every 3-4 inches, and then cut back everything else. Then mulch with compost to keep the weeds down. The raspberries should like it too. Just taken on the plot so will start work on the raspberries in March.

Cheers,

Mark.

[Trillium]

You can move raspberries until you see signs of active growth. You can still move them for a bit longer after growth starts but not much as your plant really needs to get those roots going.

Mulching won't kill the weeds that love raspberries. I get down on hands and knees and with a long bladed hand trowel, I loosen and pull the weeds as much as possible. If you're moving the weeds by clods of dirt as explained in the link, before you set the clod in place tease out all the weed roots you can see.

Once you've done your best weeding, mulch with manure to feed the plant, then mulch heavily with old straw (never hay or you increase your problems) to keep down weeds and conserve moisture. Raspberries do need loads of water to crop well.

Setting up the post idea at the ends then tying canes into the wires is a very good idea to help control them from flopping about. Angled canes tend to fruit better than vertical ones - notice where most of the fruit buds are - at the ends and curves.

[fletch]

Well I thought "No time like the present" so had a go this afternoon. I managed about 1/3 of it.
I couldn't care less if I never saw a raspberry cane ever again  :evil:

It was almost impossible to remove all the grass and weeds without them ending up bare root, so I've kept 8 of the best and heeled them into a massive pot until I have time to re-prepare the bed and re-plant them. The rest can go on the fire.
They seemed very old and gnarly, do they have a shelf life? I'm wondering if I may be as well to burn the lot and start again.

[poultrygeist]

They seemed very old and gnarly, do they have a shelf life? I'm wondering if I may be as well to burn the lot and start again.

Well done for that. Always a satisfying feeling after.
I think there was a thread not long ago about replacing tired old canes after a few years. We inherited a load in our garden which did brilliantly last Summer but I'm not sure I pruned them in time so they might be a bit thin this year. They must be several years old and still going strong.
Try the few you have a gradually replace them with new stuff.

Rob

[gobs]

Raspberry canes don't exactly do'grow old' as they die after fruiting, at the tender age of two, they are gnarly for having been overcrowded, not fed and also wind damage probably.

Generally, they don't look good in winter, also older varieties are more like that and some might be self seeeded , too, it has nothing to say about their fruit   , keep the best looking ones.

[fletch]

Thanks for that.
I'll definitely keep the best ones then. They are probably just suffering from the same thing everything else is on the plot i.e.

YEARS OF NEGLECT  :evil:

phew, feel better for that.....