Planting raspberries

This post is really just for me as a reminder of what and how we planted raspberries but it may be of interest to anyone who wants to do the same and not quite sure how to start.

We chose 3 varieties of raspberries to extend the length of time that we would have them available to eat, Malling Jewel, Glen Ample and Autumn Bliss,

supplied by www.tamarorganics.co.uk

Maling Jewel

* a standard variety for over 50 years

* tolerant to virus infection

* consistent, although moderate cropper in early summer

* compact

Glen Ample

* a new, exceptionally heavy yielding mid-summer variety

* good levels of disease resistance

Autum Bliss

* heavy cropping, autumn variety

* resistant to raspberry dieback disease

 

General information on raspberries

* like heavy,moist soil and thrive in cold northern regions

* muck heavily, they are greedy feeders of muck

* may be expected to crop for 10-12 years

* keep free from weeds

* will grow almost anywhere on well-drained soil

* rows of raspberries should be about 6' apart

( as John Seymour would say "plants can't measure" )

* plant raspberry canes about 2' apart

* the uppermost roots of the canes should be 2" or less below the level of the soil,

firm the soil over the roots

* cut canes to 6" - 9" tall immediately after planting, 

this will encourage new growth beneath the soil

* the existing cane will usually produce fresh growth in the spring

and new growth below the soil will appear in early summer

* when the new growth appears the existing cane should be cut down to ground level

to encourage strong new canes

* maintain 9 canes per yard in each row,

excess canes should be cut out or pulled out in early May and again in mid-June

when they are 18" tall

* a wire support will enable the canes to climb and will contain them

The three bundles of raspberry canes as they arrived

 

 

 

 

 

12 Malling Jewel,  12 Glen Ample and 12 Autumn Bliss

The raspberry canes planted into pots, in heavily mucked soil, labelled and cut to 6"- 9"

 

 

The canes will eventually be planted in the polytunnel later in the year when we've decided on one, at the moment we are trying to source a secondhand commercial tunnel.

In the meantime the garlic, planted in late November, is growing well in the small polytunnel