We have quite a few varieties of raspberries planted on our plot. Three types of summer fruiting ones - Glen Moy, - early fruiting, Glen Ample - mid season fruiting, and Glen Magna - late fruiting. Out of these the early fruiting Glen Moy has been disappointing - of the dozen canes bought only about three took even after replacements were sent. The canes produced are weedy and they hardly have produced any fruit. Maybe the two years since they were planted haven't provided great growing conditions but the other two varieties have been great producing strong canes and lots of delicious fruit. As with most things they are behind in where they should be growth-wise but I'm hoping that they will catch up.
One of my jobs last week was to weed around the canes that would fruit this year - the old canes were cut out after fruiting last autumn and the new canes tied in to the support wires..
After feeding with fish, blood and bone meal I used straw, that was bought to protect our carrots over winter, as a mulch to try and keep the weeds down and to help retian moisture should we have a hot, dry summer. (Pause for laughter).
Another summer fruiting raspberry is Glencoe which has purple fruits and has a growing habit similar to a blackberry but is less vigorous and doesn't have vicious thorns. Last years fruiting canes were cut out after fruiting and the long canes tied into a framework.
The autumn fruiting raspberry areas are the next on the list for attention. The bed containing Allgold really needs renovating but I don't think we will manage this, this season so it will just have to make do with a tidying. Allgold isn't as prolific as Joan J and the fruit seem to spoil easily so it wouldn't be a variety that I would rush to buy in the future.
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This year I've bought my first raspberry bush but I'm not sure whether it'll grow or not, because it still looks like a piece of wood sticking out from the ground, still no signs of life.
ReplyDeleteSue, are yellow raspberries as tasty as the red ones? I've never eaten yellow raspberries yet.
Scratch the surface of the twig Dewberry and if it is green under the bark it should grow,
DeleteI'm not really as keen on the yellow ones - the have a raspberry taste but I don't think it is as tasty as the red ones and also the berries spoil quickly in the wind or rain.
I'll scratch it to find out. Thanks for the advice!
DeleteI used to grow Raspberries but haven't done for a while - the birds used to get to the fruit before me lol.
ReplyDeleteWe do have some kind of wild berry growing rampant around here though - Tayberry I think.
I too have never eaten Yellow Raspberries, didn't even know there was such a thing. Do they taste the same?
Linda
We have a tayberry too which is a thug Linda. You must grow raspberries in your area - isn't it their natural home?
DeleteI only have the autumn fruiting varieties. The bed has been weeded & I will be topping up the bark soon.
ReplyDeleteWhich variety have you got, Jo?
DeleteI don't grow raspberries, I'm not very keen on them, though Hubby doesn't mind them. I think the tayberry will be enough for us.
ReplyDeleteReally, Jo - we love them!
DeleteI agree with you about All Gold - I'm not crazy about the flavour either. I LOVE raspberries though - I just wish we could grow enough to freeze some!
ReplyDeleteWe are still eating last year's crop, Crystal - they freeze really well
DeleteMany Raspberry types like moist cool conditions (that's why Scotland is famous for them), so actually a hot dry Summer would not be ideal from their point of view. I have Autumn Bliss, which is a progenitor of Joan J, I believe. I am quite pleased with its performance, which has been surprisingly good considering the dry sandy nature of the soil in my garden.
ReplyDeleteI hope the mulch will help them so we can enjoy summer, Mark. I don't need hot just nice and warm is just fine. I don't do hot well!
DeleteI hope its a good year for berries... and everything else in the garden. I keep hoping for better weather.
ReplyDeleteIf the raspberries do as well as they did last year I'll be happy, Kelli
DeleteLooking good. I was rather dissapointed by Glen Coe, the fruits were very small, however Glen Prosen gave me excelent results, lovely large juicy fruits. We ate most of them & made jam from the last & spoilt fruits, we mixed in the fruit from the Glen Coe, it made for a nice deep coloured jam.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about Glencoe Liz. The berries aren't as described but I like it as an addition. Wouldn't grow it as my one and only raspberry.
DeleteI love raspberries and raspberry jam is a real favourite in this house.I have 2 different varieties but as both were passed on to me I don't know what they are called.Looks like you had a good days work,all looking nice and tidy
ReplyDeleteThe autumn raspberries still need attention though, flowerlady
DeleteI love rasberries. Far tastier than strawberries I think! Ours seem to love the ash from our fire piled around the roots.
ReplyDeleteIs that a house fire or an allotment bonfire, Debbie?
DeleteI don't really have the space for raspberries but I managed to persuade my parents that they really needed to grow someone - hopefully next Summer we will get a crop.
ReplyDeleteI hope that you do too Liz.
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