[purplebean]

I am considering redesigning my garden again to fit in some raspberry canes, currently have the full design worked out and the wood for the raised beds bought so I need to be quick before hubby starts to build or has a fit when I give him another design.

Just wondering what sort of yield you can expect from raspberry canes, I know it varies with type but anyone any idea what the average is? Once I know roughly what to expect I can decide how much space they need and then draw out design 6 I think I might be up to

[Kristen]

I don't know the answer to your question, and this may be completely useless in helping you plan, but here goes nothing!

We have 100 Raspberry canes in 10 different varieties (10 of each) which fruit at slightly different times and this gives us all the Raspberries we [family of 4] want (including for parties etc, with a bit of forward planning / non-picking) from the start of the Summer school holls through to half term in the Winter term.

[Jamie Butterworth]

I have 4 rasberrie canes in there first year last year, they produced quite a bit to say they are in there first year so I have ordered 12 more, i would recomend as they do produce quite a lot espicially when they get established and they taste great

Good luck witht he new garden

[fatbelly]

On my last plot, I had 5 Joan J Autumn fruiting canes and the yield and taste were fantastic.
There is only two of us that eat Raspberries at home and we had loads and loads to eat.

[purplebean]

Thank you that gives me a good idea of quantity. I think I might start with just 5 and see how we go, people round here (except me) can be fussy about raspberries.

Another question do I need to be able to access both sides for picking or will I be able to get all the berries if I am just picking from one side?

[grenhouse]

I have about 25 canes in the lottie and probably had around (guess) 14lb of fruit, only roughly know this as I made quite a lot of fantastic (even if I do say so myself!) jam! They are 2 yr old canes.

Steve

[New shoot]

I've got 2 rows - originally 5 canes each row - of Autumn Bliss on the plot and I find access both sides is needed for picking these.  Not sure of total yield but mine are about 4 years old now and we get more than enough fruit for 2 of us to eat raspberries fresh through the season, plus plenty to freeze and preserve. 

I think if you have summer fruiting ones which you tie to wires you might get away with single side access, but autumn fruiters are usually grown between 2 wires as they are more bushy.

Plant as many as you have room for - there's no such thing as having too many fresh sun ripened raspberries 

[DD.]

When I got my current plot - about 8 years ago, I was given 8 twigs of Autumn Bliss at totally the wrong time of year - July.

Those twigs are now a hedge 32' long 5' wide, so yes, as New Shoot says, access is needed from both sides.

[purplebean]

Thanks everyone I'm going to go back to my plan and see where I can fit them in  haven't told hubby yet

[Trillium]

Convince him it will be well worth the extra change. Must confess that after sitting in the garden eating fresh peas, sitting in the garden eating fresh raspberries is my close second favourite thing to do. Summer just isn't summer without the smell of warm raspberries fresh off the bush. Drool, slurp 

[Kristen]

haven't told hubby yet

Tell him once they need picking?

[Jonajo]

we had 20 canes (autumn bliss and a  summer fruiting one - all of which were planted in the ground around Nov 2009) and last summer/autumn had more than enough for 2 of us to eat madly, to make loads of jam and to freeze loads of containers worth. And no end of punnets worth given away to appreciative friends.

[purplebean]

haven't told hubby yet

Tell him once they need picking?

That won't work as he is building the raised beds for me

[JohnB47]

On my last plot, I had 5 Joan J Autumn fruiting canes and the yield and taste were fantastic.
There is only two of us that eat Raspberries at home and we had loads and loads to eat.

This is my experience too. I planted 5 Joan J last spring and only two survived through the dry spell we had. But no problem, just two bushes gave us loads of fruit - some of it was going off 'cos I couldn't pick it quick enough. Perhaps foolishly I've just planted another six Joan J's.

[stompy]

I was given 1 plant of an unknown variety of Autum raspberry, after 2 years i had 5 bushes from runners.
These used to give us far more raspberrys than as a familly of 4 could handle (only got young children so 5 bushes was enough, that will change as the children get older im sure), so we used to give away or freeze the extra.
They used to start cropping at the end of July and finish in November.
When i get my next plot i will be getting 1 Autum Varietie and 1 summer varieties and take cuttings or runners from each plant to keep cost down to end up with 5 of each after a year or two.
That will be far more than we will ever need but i'll make jams (etc) with the surplus.