[melholly]

Hello there,

Aside from a (ruined) strawberry patch and young stock apples we invested in a fair few raspberry canes a few years ago. First year were great but for the last 2 years - getting worse each year, they have become uncontrollable. They have sprung up everywhere in and around the fruit cage - the more I clipped them down/ dug them up the more they reappeared! Now last year these 'invaders' bore little or no fruit but it's so bad I have no idea which is my 'good' original stock! I'm reticent to use anything strong to kill them off as don't want it travelling to the roots of the good plants but it makes picking time a death trap!

Anyone else heard of this and apart from daily management, what are these things (if thats not a ridiculous question) how best to ensure this doesn't happen again?

Thanks
Mx
http://selfridgestoscats.blogspot.com

[Fleecewife]

This is just par for the course for rasps.  The new shoots are not fruiting because they fruit on last years growth, so when you chop them down they haven't had the chance to fruit.  The exception is autumn fruiting types which fruit on this years canes.  I know what you mean about making picking time a death trap.  It is hard to keep up with rooting out unwanted new plants and you do end up with a thicket.  I'm hoping someone has the answer - one which doesn't involve poison.  I suppose if you plough along between the rows, as they would do on a commercial scale, you would cut through the roots of those new plants - I wonder if they spray between the rows.

[suziequeue]

Yes - I understand you need to be quite fastidious when it comes to pruning the summer fruiting types - you cut the canes that have fruited this year to the ground so the first year ones then fruit next year. But it's a two stage process - you need to cut the first year year's canes down to six inches later on in the winter. And then you have to go at all the side shoots etc. Our summer fruiting lot are going exactly the same way

It's all too complicated for me and I prefer the autumn fruiting types. They fruit. I cut them down. They pop up again the following year. They fruit.......

Simples

We're going to grub up the summer fruiting canes after this summer and just stick to autumn fruiting ones.

Malling admiral and autumn bliss are fairly standard autumn fruiting types.

Here is a good simple page on raspberries
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingraspberries1.shtml

[supplies for smallholders]

Lots of Varieties available in autumn for 2012 planting, including:

Glen Moy
Glen Clova
Malling Jewel
Glen Fyne*
Glen Ample*
Glen Prosen*
Chemainus*
Malling Admiral
East Malling
Tulameen
Glen Magna*
Malling Leo
Octavia*
Tadmor*
Polka*
Autumn Bliss*
Allgold
Primocane
Erika*
Sugana*
Lubera
   
Thanks
 

[oldwolf]

I have had great sucess with the Tullameen variety and no probs, lots of lovely fruit - Jam - Wine

[Sudanpan]

Lots of Varieties available in autumn for 2012 planting, including:

Glen Moy
Glen Clova
Malling Jewel
Glen Fyne*
Glen Ample*
Glen Prosen*
Chemainus*
Malling Admiral
East Malling
Tulameen
Glen Magna*
Malling Leo
Octavia*
Tadmor*
Polka*
Autumn Bliss*
Allgold
Primocane
Erika*
Sugana*
Lubera
   
Thanks
 

I must be being a bit clueless about the website SfS but I can't find the raspberry variety page  If I put raspberry in the search box I get zero results. We want to get raspberries for next year so was interested in checking out the info.

Cheers
Tish

[suziequeue]

Ditto - nothing there except strawberries at the mo.

[Greenerlife]

When I bought my house, I inherited a fruit cage with raspberries in it.  No labels - not a clue!  I have pounds and pounds of the things.  i have never done anything to them and I have always had a "thicket"!  Apparently, there were both summer and autumn berries, but I treated them both the same cutting them right down every year and not leaving any growth and they come back every year, and supply me with fruit for months and months.  Now I know this is ot supposed to happen - but I assure you it does!  So my advice is "go with the flow"

Ps I have planted a new fruit cage with some (carefully labelled) raspberries and I plan to do it properly if I can in at least one place!

[Simon O]

Summer fruit on previous years canes, so presumably you are just getting fruit on the autumn ones or have selected these out by your management

[Greenerlife]

That's what I would think, except I am eating raspberries now!   

[OhLaLa]

Loads of raspberries? Lovely.

I'd follow the advice above re pruning at the correct time of year. My poor little specimins only went in this year and look very minimal - can't wait to have a 'thicket'. Lucky you, that's what I say!!

    

[supplies for smallholders]

Ditto - nothing there except strawberries at the mo.

Sorry, forgot to mention - the raspberry category is hidden at the moment as it's the wrong time of year, we will make it active towards the autumn - we wont be listing all the varieties that are available, but let us know what variety you would be interested in and we will ensure it is included.

This year we will probably be selling in bundles of 25 canes.

Thanks