Yield per metre - rasps and strawberries ?

[Rob G]

OK, it's a bit of a 'how-long-is-a-piece-of-string" question, but I'm about to build a fruit cage and there are various ways in laying out the strawberries and raspberries in it. Correspondingly the question .... so that I can say to the boss "you'll get so many pounds of such-an-such with this layout". Can anyone answer with a guideline answer or know where to find out ?

It would seem that I can get two rows of rasps each 3-4 m long and this would suggest a summer variety in one row and autumn in the other.

There is an alternative layout which would allow up to 9m of strawberries and reduce the rasps !

Decisions... decisions

Thanks

Rob

[PAULW]

ROB
Which do you prefer the taste of raspberries or strawberries

[smallblueplanet]

Hi Rob, we've planted autumn rasps JoanJ without netting. There's plenty of fruit on them with very little loss to the wildlife and we're out in the countryside surrounded by nature! Don't waste your cage.

[Rob G]

Hi Rob, we've planted autumn rasps JoanJ without netting. There's plenty of fruit on them with very little loss to the wildlife and we're out in the countryside surrounded by nature! Don't waste your cage.

You obvously don't have redcurrants - or at least the species of birds that will strip our currants if they are not netted. It's just an extension of that experience.

Rob

[smallblueplanet]

Nope no redcurrants - just loads of raspberries! I think autumn rasps are safer than early ones but I'm sure others will confirm.

[PAULW]

ROB
Like SBP I have joan j and autumn bliss and have very little fruit taken by birds so I never net

[Snadger]

A lot depends on orientation............the last thing you want are the rasps casting shade over the strawberries!

I don't think there is a definitive answer to your question as there are so many varieties of rasps and strawberries all giving different yields. There are other variables like, locality, micro climates, soil type,fertilising regime to name but a few.

Seems as if it's back to the 'How longs a piece of string scenario' dunnit?

I'm sure someone will be along soon who can give an informed estimate!

[pigletwillie]

My redcurrants are in a cage and this winter blackcurrants are coming out and gooseberries going in as I find birds like redcurrants and gooseberries, LOTS.

However I never net Blueberries or raspberries as I find that very little is taken and for the last two years the three blackcurrants outside have not been touched hence the swap about with gooseberries.

My strawberries are netted but outside of the cage as Monsieur Blackbird does enjoy one or two for breakfast, dinner and tea.

[veg4681]

Fruit cage is a huge investment (is this for a restaurant or a fruit farm?). To get your money's worth (though I think you won't get your money back ), you need to get the maximum yield per given space and this is achievable with strawbery if grown as strawberry tower type of planting system. You could also look into A-frame planting system with each side of the frame holding 3-4 shelves/brackets for window box containers etc what have you.

For raspberry bushes, you could grow them (one row only) along the edges of the cage, giving you fruit picking access on one side (don't think you really need both sides for access), saving you precious space. This would then mean that you're probably better off placing the series of 'towers of strawberry' around the centre of the cage surrounded by the raspberry bushes. The idea is to maximise the usage of given space.

However consider if the raspberry might shade the strawberry areas which need to be taken into account on the final design layout. Hope this make sense. I too am constantly thinking of ways of getting max strawberries per given space...we all want that.

[Rob G]

I don't consider £150 a 'huge investment' but an investment that eliminates the frustration of loosing a significant proportion of the crops you work to collect.

In fact I think £150 can be reduced considerably by buying the components seperately.

Rob

[Rob G]

A lot depends on orientation............the last thing you want are the rasps casting shade over the strawberries!

I don't think there is a definitive answer to your question as there are so many varieties of rasps and strawberries all giving different yields. There are other variables like, locality, micro climates, soil type,fertilising regime to name but a few.

Seems as if it's back to the 'How longs a piece of string scenario' dunnit?

I'm sure someone will be along soon who can give an informed estimate!

I can't believe that can be correct - how on the earth does anyone running a fruit farm produce a business plan for any development if he doesn't know how much his yield is going to be. He would be laughed out of the bank manager's office if he couldn't tell him how much he is going to get back on his investment - and equally the bank manager would be in trouble if he couldn't confirm the figures.

There must be ball park figure and that is all that would satisfy me - after all I, unlike the fictitious farmer who needs absolute figures, am only wanting to see whether it is worth my while having 7.5m against 5m when the latter may be enough for the household.

Rob

[Rob G]

I thought it was worth resurrecting this thread from 6 weeks ago as I've now found an answer, courtesy of Gardening Which, to my query on a guidance figure for the yield from raspberry canes.

My apologies to GYO for seemingly plugging one of the opposition!

They've done some comparative tests on ten varieties (only 6 were productive) and the yield was around 1 kg per plant - a variety I hadn't heard before called Tulameen not only yielded 1.3kg per plant but came out top in their tasting test.

Think I will be looking for some of those along with Joan J.

Rather surprisingly their test didn't include any of the autumn varieties - Autumn Bliss, Joan J, etc

Rob

[Madasafish]

I have a row of Tulameen. Super yield and great taste. All my raspberries are open and uncaged. We have squirrels and blackbirds and magpies.. etc. Still collect 25-30kg fruit each year from about 30 metres of rasps (in 4 rows).

Have to net strawberries and red and white currants are uncovered and stripped by birds.
Black currants are Ok tho.

Fruit cages ? Too much work and £s for me.

[southlondongardener]

I think generally summer raspberries give more yield. However autumn have a lot less from birds - zero.
Also in the summer buying raspberries is cheaper.

[Madasafish]

I spend zero on my rasps so summer buying cannot be cheaper:-)