Posted: Friday 5 February 2010
by Lila Das Gupta
In our family we say strawberries are the Beatles of the fruit world, but raspberries, which are more rock 'n roll, are the Rolling Stones.
I've been putting off serious work down on the plot due to the cold (I don't believe in suffering for my vegetables), but since these last few days have been warmer, I've been unstoppable. Apart from the corollary of a messy house, it's been a very satisfying week.
Today I sorted out the autumn raspberries: pruning, clearing and feeding the bed. Autumn-fruiting raspberries produce fruit on new canes, so they should be cut to the ground in February to encourage them to produce this season's canes. Luckily, they don't need staking.
Summer-fruiting raspberries, on the other hand, produce fruit on the previous year's canes. Cut these canes down in autumn after they have produced fruit, leaving the new, green canes to fruit the following year. Summer-fruiting raspberries do need staking: tie them to a fence or wires or they will flail about.
We used to grow both kinds on our last plot, but since we now have a large strawberry bed, the first half of summer is well provided for. Half of our raspberry bed contains 'Autumn Bliss', one of the most popular raspberry cultivars, the other half has 'Tulameen'. Both bear fruit with excellent flavour and are heavy croppers. If you don't already grow any on your plot, it's well worth doing so. Raspberries are easy to grow, low-maintenance and rewarding. Considering their price at the supermarket, they are also inexpensive.
Don't be tempted to impulse-buy those specimens stuffed into pots that you see in large garden centres. In my experience, mail order plants from specialist nurseries tend to be much better looked after and have a higher chance of survival. Raspberries don't like to dry out, (though good drainage is vital), so even established beds should get a good weekly soaking in a hot summer. They grow well in Scotland, which gives you some idea of the conditions they thrive in, which include a slightly acidic soil.
When I cut down the canes, I also clear away any leaves that may be left on the ground, in case they're carrying any disease. Now is also a good time to feed raspberries. You can apply sulphate of potash in powdered form (35g or 7 teaspoons per square metre) to the soil at the start of the month, then a couple of weeks later add a covering of well-rotted manure or home-made compost. This helps to keep in moisture and suppress weeds later in the season as well as provide extra nutrients and maintain a low pH. If you garden organically, the manure is especially important for feeding the plants.
If it weren't for the children, I would be tempted to dig up the strawberry bed and replace it with summer raspberries. In our family we say strawberries are the Beatles of the fruit world, but raspberries, which are more rock 'n roll, are the Rolling Stones.
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