Overgrown raspberry canes

[jenjen]

Hi there

I took over an allotment last May/June and had a moderately successful time growing sweetcorn, beans etc (well, until the mice devourced the sweetcorn). This year I've got potatos, garlic and onions doing their stuff and the remains of my overwintered broad beans (most went, I think, to the pigeons) pushing up.

Anyway, two thirds of the plot is fairly tendable, but the last third is an overgrown area which was clearly the fruit/flowers section of the previous plot holder. Sadly however its rather overgrown, both with grass but also bindweed () and other stuff. However, there's a distinct 'row' of raspberry canes (as well as wild ones sprouting up everywhere else) amongst this undergrowth.

Is it worth trying to 'find' the raspberry canes, cutting down the grass, bindweed etc. by hand (cos I don't want to risk chopping the canes - although I gave the old wood a good prune last year) - or should I just try and start from scratch? What about the gooseberry/currant bushes - again, mature specimens, probably 80cm high (?) but overgrown in grass.

All advice greatly appreciated

I'm in Romsey if anyone else is around?

[DaveInBraknell]

Hi,

The raspberry canes much of a muchness really you can plant in some new ones again. maybe refresh them takes two years to get full maturity...

Gooseberries on the other hand I would be very pleased to have a mature bush, save that one and the currant bushes the spread sounds very mature +3/5yrs at least I would reckon, should get a good crop from it if it is looking good, to replace those and get those upto full production 2yrs+.

So if it where me I would keep em

Just got my plot growing this year and planted a load of currant bushes/gooseberries (Neighbour plot has mature bushes and they look good). I am expecting to wait 2+yrs for a decent harvest

[Geordie]

One option might be to strim / cut the grass etc back to ground level. Shape and layer some landscape fabric around raspberries, fruit bushes etc. and cover with a mulch or bark chippings etc. With a little luck after a while most of the weeds have gone whilst still allowing the fruit to propser.

[Two_Sheds]

I had the same problem with mine ... lots of raspberries, but overrun with couch grass. I did Geordie's method: mulching with wet newspaper though and grass clippings.

It killed a lot of the weeds, and what was left I could then get out by hand.

[SarzWix]

Yup, I'd third the advice above. I've some gooseberry and blackcurrants that need this treatment (I'd have done it over the winter if I hadn't broken my ankle )
I'm going to pile some homemade compost round the bottoms of the plants to feed them, then cover with thick cardboard, topped with weed control fabric (which I've got some spare of).
I haven't worked out yet how to free the overgrown rhubarb patch from the clutches of brambles and couch grass... can't mulch that!

[toastie]

As I love raspberries and the fruit is such a price in the shops, would try to 'find' them on your plot. As mine are late cropping (Sept/Oct) these are cut down at the end of the fruiting season. Whilst they are growing/fruiting - they don't need a lot of attention, just need to keep the weeds away and water when it gets very dry. Even get new shoots coming up so you end up with even more raspberry canes for free.

[Alison]

My plot also had a large row of overgrown raspberries at one end. No fruit bushes though. I've cut back the undergrowth to the canes and am gradually hand weeding between them. They're the only thing that was wanted that came with the site so I'm determined to give them a try - enough other stuff to buy / find so one less is very good.

[jenjen]

cheers everyone, I've tossed some mulch stuff over them and doing best to cover up with old compost bags/weed free matting - easier said than done as the canes are coming up everywhere and I've bene offered more to plant (and it seems rude to say no!). there's a bit more order to the place but ouch! that gooseberry bush hurts when you get closer to it.