[KathyM]

I was wondering if anyone could offer me some guidance with regards to our new plot.  It is a 60ft x 20ft plot roughly, and at the top of the incline on the left order is a "hedge" of dogrose, buddleia and brambles.  As I've been clearing the brambles back, I have uncovered what my friend identified as raspberry canes.  However, since then we have also found blackberry fruit on very similar canes, so we're not sure what are raspberries and what are blackberries.  So my first question is how can I tell the difference between the two if they do not have fruit?

My 2nd issue is that these are making clearing the hedge very difficult (there is a lot of rubbish, glass and wood in among them and the hedge too) and I wondered if they were potentially "forgiving" to being dug up and replanted in a more suitable (and prepared) area at this time of year? 

Thank you ever so much in advance for any advice on this!

[gillie]

If the growth is very thorny and beginning to throw out very long shoots then I would guess blackberry.  If there are very long completely thornless shoots then maybe you have found a thornless blackberry or a hybrid berry such as a tayberr.  If the shoots grow more or less vertical and are less than six feet (or so) tall, without being very prickly then maybe raspberries.  Raspberries leave a 'plug' (a shrivelled centre of the berry) behind when the fruit is picked or drops.  Blackberries do not.  You may be able to spot some of these.

Both are pretty tough and I think you would get away with moving them now provided you cut them down to a foot or so and keep them well watered.  However if they are wildlings they may not be very productive and you might waste valuable cultivated space.

I would cut them right down so that you can get at the rubbish.  You will not kill them.  They will grow back and next year you might be able to decide which are the roots worth keeping.

Cheers,

Gillie

[KathyM]

Thanks Gillie - I'll see if I can get photos later when we go back up, but what we have found so far:

1.  Between 2-6ft out from the hedge, lots of short v. pale green stems of new growth, upright, mostly between 2-3ft, with very tiny, sparse black thorns.  Tend to be growing in clumps of 3 or 4 stems.  Lots of these are completely new "bushes" with no visible older growth (the older growth being further back in the actual hedge and badly in need of ripping out). 

2. Tall dead canes further back into the hedge.

3. One tall clump of dead canes with one live cane with fruit on, turning "black" with no thorns at all ("proper" blackberry?). 

4. Brambles easily told apart from both of above. 

All of the plants blocking the hedge and into the hedge need shifting ASAP really, I'm just trying to ascertain whether I can attempt to save any as it would be a waste otherwise.  Can't really leave in situ for next year, much as I'd prefer to.  I really appreciate the advice, thanks!

[gillie]

Assuming someone planted these and then let them go wild, I would say that 1. may well be raspberries.  They are a plant that likes to travel and sends up shoot from roots quite a long way from the parent cane which then dies (I have a terrible tangle of various raspberry varieties which are definitely not where I planted them!).

3. May well be a thornless blackberry or one of the hybrid berries.

If you can dig them out with at least some root still attached  then  replant them  somewhere else and see what they do.  Cut their top growth down to a foot or so to compensate for the inevitable damage to their roots.

Only bother with the best bits you manage to lift.  Although it may seem a 'waste' to destroy them, they can also waste valuable growing space if you transplant them, especially if some of the replants fail leaving you with a gappy row.

Cheers,

Gillie