Autumn Raspberry Recommendations Needed

[kokopelli]

I am replanting my raspberry bed this winter and I am looking for recommendations for an autumn fruiting variety. My old bed had Fall Gold as it had come with some strong recommendations and was supposed to have better flavour that Autumn Bliss, well if it did I'd hate to try Autumn Bliss as Fall Gold had very little "Raspberry Flavour" at all.

Help!!!!

Kokopelli

[Two_Sheds]

Autumn Bliss is the most recommended. My raspberries are fairly tasteless this year (as were my strawbs), but I've put it down to waterlogging!

[pigletwillie]

I grow 3 rows of Autumn Bliss, just grand taste wise and very productive.

[Shortie]

I'd have agree abou Autumn Bliss... I've never grown any others to compare them to, but they crop really well and for bloooooomin' ages and seem very hardy too with a lovely flavour

[veg4681]

I am replanting my raspberry bed this winter and I am looking for recommendations for an autumn fruiting variety. My old bed had Fall Gold as it had come with some strong recommendations and was supposed to have better flavour that Autumn Bliss, well if it did I'd hate to try Autumn Bliss as Fall Gold had very little "Raspberry Flavour" at all.

Welcome to the vine. I'm having the same wretched problem deciding on the raspberry variety that is for me. It's a shame that it's just not possible to taste every single variety before 'you know for sure' which one you like best for taste. I don't blame you for wanting to replace the bushes.

I've only been looking for Autumn variety because I heard they're supposed to be easier to grow...then from your comment, I gather that summer raspberry are better tasting The best tasting raspberry I ever tasted in my god damn whole life (like gourmet quality) was sometime in June this year so this must be summer raspberry.

So far I've been hearing great songs of praise for Joan J as great tasting autumn raspberry. I'm sure there'll be more replies from people growing this variety to give you their assurance. Then there is a fairly new breed called Octavia but it's not really Autumn but one that fills the gap between the Summer and Autumn fruiting variety. Sorry not much help.

[Two_Sheds]

Apparently if you prune Autumn Rasps cleverly, you can get a crop pretty much June - October.
Instead of cutting down the whole (fruited) cane in late winter, prune a third off it. This will then crop early the same year. You will then get fruit off the prev.year's (unfruited) canes in the autumn, as per normal.
This will prob.only make sense if you already grow and prune raspberries, sorry.

[Alison]

It's not just if you prune them cleverly, it's if you don't bother pruning at all........... I've mentioned before on other posts that I didn't cut mine back one year and got a great additional crop the following summer on my Autumn Bliss. The autumn crop was reduced by still happened. I now cut back about half ish of the canes after they have fruited in the autumn and get two sets of fruit. Don't know about this tasteless thing as I find they're lovely - had a bowl full with some yogurt earlier today and they were beautifully sweet and flavoursome. It may depend on soil type and as somebody above mentioned, flooding wouldn't help.

[PAULW]

Sorry all you AB fans but Joan J beats them hands down for flavour, size of berry and crop plus they are a little bit better behaved when it comes to putting up suckers.

[veg4681]

Some useful details on the Joan J.

http://www.meiosis.co.uk/fruit/joan_j.htm

e.g.
Fruit Quality
The most striking quality of its fruits is the fleshy texture, which provides a remarkable, mouth-feel experience. Flavour is also excellent. Fruit colour is only slightly dark on the cane, but tends to darken rapidly after picking. The skin of the fruit is not as strong as its overall texture.

[valmarg]

I bought six Joan J canes Spring last year. Only five grew, but we had a small crop last Autumn.

This year, with the suckers that grew last year, we have about 20 canes. Some of the suckers came up in the greenhouse border, so we got an early crop from them. I've been picking about a pound a day for weeks now, which is plenty for the two of us.

Joan J is quite a lot more expensive than Autumn Bliss, but with its suckering habit you soon increase your stock!!

I've only got Joan J, and never tasted Autumn Bliss, so can't compare.

I'm highly delighted with Joan J for taste and cropping, and would recommend the variety.

In the freezer I've got loads of raspberries that I open-froze for the Christmas bavaroise or charlotte, and also raspberry sorbet. I've plenty of raspberry jam for the Christmas trifle.

All in all, I would say I am more than happy with Joan J.

valmarg

[lainey lou]

I,ve just bought 10 canes autumn bliss and 10 cane glen ample from www.blackmore.co.uk for £16 plus P+P, they arrived on friday looking pretty good, just wodering though will my summer fruiting cane fruit next year? Just trying to get my head round this pruning business!

[swampie sue]

Hi

I put in three autumn raspberry canes this spring that I purchased from a car boot sale they produced a few raspberries, and still are. Unfortunately they have never produced enough at one time for me do do much with. Do I need more canes in order to make jam etc. Also will the pruning method of down to a third work with any Autumn variety as I do not know what they are.

Thanks Swampiesue