[Kim Taaffe]

Hi everyone
This is my first posting so hello.  I desperately need some help re raspberries.  We want to grow them on our allotment but don't know where to start.    When is the best time to plant?  What are the best varieties?  How do we plant them?   Look forward to hearing from you.

Kim
 

[rowlandwells]

i can only speak from my experience of growing raspberries we grow autumn bliss they seem a very good cropper although there a late variety and i have moved the crop to another plot they still produced good fruit the second season from moving them

i set my raspberry canes  in rows about 4ft or more between the rows and around a foot and half between each plant as i say thats my way some may have other opinions on then i put round knock in wooden post's up the rows with wire so i can tie the canes to the wire when they grow up

i also put horse dung down the rows and let the rain wash it in it also suppresses the weeds although i hoe periodically between each row to keep them clean thats my way and we pick good quality raspberries there are other summer varieties like Glen Ample and Octavia there my choice but there's plenty to choose from hope this helps

[Kristen]

If you have space I would suggest Early, Summer and Autumn varieties to extend the season.  If not then concentrate on the season when you most want to enjoy them (I have some Autumn fruiting ones that are very late, and most people are "done with" Raspberries by then - they often don't get picked, but Autumn is will underway when they are ready

10 canes of each variety perhaps?

[Kim Taaffe]

HI

Many thanks for the replies so far.  We have got a fairly decent plot so I like the suggestion of 3 different varieties.

Any in particular?

Kim

[DD.]

Have a look here:

http://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/Raspberry-Canes

Even if  you don't buy from there, it'll give you a good idea in terms of times of cropping.

[Kristen]

Many thanks for the replies so far.  We have got a fairly decent plot so I like the suggestion of 3 different varieties.

Any in particular?

Well ... I have 10 each of 10 varieties - I bought them as a job-lot on eBay as they are staggered through the season (my only regret being that the late ones are really late)

Not intended to be a recommendation, but they are:

Glen Clova
Glen Ample
Malling Jewel
Admiral
Glen Magna
Leo
Octavia
Tulameen
All Gold (Yellow)
Autumn Bliss
Heritage

I also wouldn't do the yellow ones again.  They taste fine, but none of us, nor our visitors, can bring ourselves to treat them with the same respect as the red ones!

[fatbelly]

There are two types of Raspberry canes one is Summer fruiting and the other late Summer early Autumn fruiting. In my opinion the autumn fruiting taste far better I say this after sampling both varieties on various plots on our site (with owners permission off course).

I grow Joan J and they are fantastic, really big sweet berries. You can get them in the ground now and they will fruit this year but the 2nd years crop is far better.

[DD.]

Autumn fruiting (primocanes) are a good one for the beginner to go for. They fruit on the canes thrown up in the spring. Pruning consists of cutting every cane down, so no resal thinking about it.

Summer fruiting (floricanes) fruit on the canes thrown up the previous year. To prune them you hsve to cut out the old canes and leave the new. They require a bit more csre on this front.

[Kristen]

In my opinion the autumn fruiting taste far better

That's as maybe, but if you only grow them you don't have any Raspberries during the Summer

[grenhouse]

I have 30 canes, 10 of early, summer and autumn croppers, can't remember the names though (although i think zeva is one). They are all great croppers got them from J Parkers a couple of years ago.

I have them in rows about 5 ft apart as I plant winter squash inbetween the rows and clamber over them to pick!

Steve

[Christine]

Link to RHS Raspberry canes need feeding and watering in the growing season and they also need proper pruning.



Edit to clarify link

[noshed]

Ask around your site - this time of year people often clear out their rasberry beds and you could get some free canes.

[beaker141]

People on here (and books) mention 4ft, 5ft between rows etc.

Why is the recommended spacing so wide, do the roots spread a lot, are they greedy plants and need plenty of soil to themselves or is it mainly for access purposes.

I'm wanting to have a bed of raspberries in a raised bed that measures 8ft * 5ft and I'm keen to have 9 rows with a foot between each - what  difficulties, problems would I have?

Would  it be reasonable to alternate the rows, autumn, summer, autumn, summer etc ?

[gillie]

Raspberries send up suckers which replace the canes that have cropped. With summer raspberries these are tied in to the support or removed if they are too far out of the row.  Autumn raspberries are usually left untrained apart from removing any that are too far out of line.

If you plant them close together you will soon have an impenetratable thicket.  You will not be able to tell one variety from another and picking (if indeed they fruit in such a confined space) will be impossible.

[DD.]

I agree. You must be very slim in the first place to get down a 1' wide row. The suckers only have to come out 6" from each row to make the thicket Gillie mentioned. They will easily do that, and need to do so in order to get a decent crop.