Raspberries
Dartmouth Gardener November 2011
Fruits of One's Labour
The strawberry may be claimed by some as the fruit of summer but I believe that the raspberry stays the course being in season from the end of June untill November and packs much more of a punch.
Raspberries are easy to grow, low-maintenance and rewarding. Considering their price at the supermarket, they are also inexpensive to grow for minimal effort.
The red raspberry or Rubus idaeus is native of Asia Minor and North America. The first recorded notes of an appreciation for this fruit were the people of Troy, who used to gather them in the foothills of Mt. Ida, at the time of Christ.
It’s believed that raspberries used to be only white in colour. The Greek myth goes that one day, a nymph named Ida was taking care of an infant Zeus. Zeus was crying and to help soothe him, Ida picked some white raspberries. But when she went to pick the raspberries, she scratched herself on a thorn and started to bleed. Her blood dripped on the white raspberries, instantly turning them red and they have been red ever since.
Raspberries contain significant amounts of polyphenol antioxidants such as anthocyanin pigments which are linked to potential health protection against several diseases.
Raspberries thrive in moisture-retentive, fertile, slightly acidic soils, which are well drained. Plant in a sheltered, sunny position although they will tolerate part shade.
Planting
Raspberries can be planted any time during the dormant season, between November and March, provided the soil is not frozen or waterlogged. They are usually planted in rows and trained along a post and wire system
Before planting, dig in well-rotted organic matter per square yard into the soil and fork in.
• Plants should be 18–24in apart, and if planting in rows, space the rows 1.8m (6ft) apart, if possible running north to south, so that they do not shade each other.
• Prune the canes to within 25cm (10in) of the ground after planting.
In early March, apply slow-release general fertiliser, 1oz per sq yd, then mulch with well-rotted organic matter. To pep up leaf growth, add dried poultry manure pellets, 3oz per sq yd, in the early summer.
Keep raspberries well watered during dry periods.
Summer-fruiting raspberries
These take a bit more care than their autumn-fruiting cousins but, if you have room, why not grow a row of each. It’s important, however, to remember which is which when it comes time to prune.
Cut back fruited canes to ground level after harvesting; leave the new growth to fruit next year.
Select the strongest young canes, around six to eight per plant, and tie them in 3–4in apart along the wire supports.
Cut back any surplus young stems to ground level. If you have fully prepped the ground and cared for your raspberries, they will have produced lots of new growth so be selective and brave enough to cut out any surplus shoots.
Autumn-fruiting raspberries
Cut back all the canes to ground level in February. Reduce the number of canes slightly in summer if they are very overcrowded.
Single fence with parallel wires
This system is well suited to autumn-fruiting raspberries and increases yield in a small space for summer-fruiting raspberries. Tying in of canes is not necessary. Picking is more difficult and there is a greater chance of fungal problems in the more crowded conditions.
First Published November 2011 By The Dart
