[Rowan]

Hi

All questions from me tonight!!

We had a bumper haul of rasberries a few months ago, now they are dying back and i plan to cut them out soon, we've had new green growth come through which i presumed was for next years berries.

BUT

We are getting new fruit already from the new growth, the berries do seem larger, am i getting an unexpected early crop off next years canes, or do i maybe have some autumn fruiting canes in the plot too?

btw i didn't plant any so have no idea whats there...

thanks

[8doubles]

Its quite normal to get a few big berries of the new growth and they are normally very tasty , just cut the old canes out at 100mm high.

[Rowan]

Brill thanks

I'm hoping to train them whle they are green and supple. They have grown much larger than last year, i think the bark chippings i put down are acting as brilliant mulch.

[sclarke624]

I think they like the acidity of the bark mulch as well.

[Paul Plots]

I think they like the steady dribble of rain on their shallow rooted roots.... that's helped mine a fair bit I think. 

[tode]

My raspberries were pretty miserable looking for about 4 or 5 years, until last year when I bought a big bale of straw and spread it a foot deep all over the rasp patch. The difference was unbelievable 
Grew twice as high and covered in berries. Keeps the ground nice and moist, and no more weeds.  Magic.
Done the same with tomatoes this year, and so far (fingers crossed ) its worked a treat.

[mickwood]

Sorry if this is hijacking but it's a response to your 'bark chippings' usage! Did you put them straight onto the ground or did you use weed membrane? If you put them straight on - has it suppressed the weeds??

I have my raspberries around the border of the plot (along with apple, cherry and fig trees and some blackcurrant and tayberry plants) weeds have been a huge pain so I love the idea of popping down some bark!

[8doubles]

I always use the first few cuts of grass from the lawn for mulching up the raspberries, it`s cheaper than bark.


ps, I do not put weedkiller on my lawn if you do it`s best not to use the cuttings.

[Trillium]

After a good rain, I go into my raspberry patch and pull as many couch roots and other weeds as possible, and then I fling on manure, then mulch as thick as I can get. Only reason I have weeds now is that I've not had either manure or mulch for 2 years. This year I'm determined to replenish the feeding and mulching as my berries suffered a bit this year, but not the weeds  .

[tode]

IMHO I think 10 inches of straw will work better than bark: there arent many weeds that can get through that, and if they do, they'll be very easy to pull.
I had some ground elder in among my rasps, and that was a nightmare  just one or two spindly bits left now. My two bales of straw cost £8 (delivered ! ).

[Paul Plots]

A mulch of bark chippings sounds good - like the idea of straw (although it's not always easy to get hold of) - and I have tons of grass mowings.

My only concern might be possible increased risk of mildew should the area around the plants become too wet.

What do you think?

[tode]

Had no problems with that: raspberry canes are really quite woody.
On the other hand, round the tomatoes; I try to keep the straw from actually touching the stems. Its been so hot and dry here that I'd never have kept up with the watering otherwise 
May not be easy for everyone to lay their hands on a bale of straw, though ...

[Paul Plots]

Had no problems with that: raspberry canes are really quite woody.
On the other hand, round the tomatoes; I try to keep the straw from actually touching the stems. Its been so hot and dry here that I'd never have kept up with the watering otherwise 
May not be easy for everyone to lay their hands on a bale of straw, though ...

A lovely looking crop and I see why you need straw being in hot / sunny France.
   
Despite losing my outdoor tomatoes to blight again this year as a result of our UK wet/warmth I wouldn't swap places with you but wish you the best of luck with your crops.

Thanks for sharing the photo! 

[tode]

Thanks Learner, its great when things grow well, isnt it 
"Hot and sunny France" gave me a wry smile: this year its been like the Sahara, but the last 3 years we've had atrocious weather in June/July, and only picked about 4 tomatoes - theyve been wiped out by the dreaded B word 
I wouldnt have put any outside this year, but Madame sowed a packet of tom seed, so no choice....
This years been great, but if you only get a crop one year in five, I wonder if its worth growing em outside.

[sclarke624]

My second batch of Raspberries this year on my new Autumn Bliss seem like they are gonna be bigguns.  Ihave been feeding them a bit with azelea/rhodendrum food.