Raspberries, which are best?

[hamsterqueen]

I am sitting here with T &M s catalogue.

Autumn or summer fruiting?

(I'm very lax with pruning!)

[smallblueplanet]

I've not grown summer fruiting, but we chose autumn fruiting Joan J's as they (theoretically) don't need netting, they're easy to prune too - last years smallish harvest were quite tasty. This year we just left them to get on with it after a late spring prune - they've nearly taken over!!! Will dig some of the off-shoots out next year.

[Kristen]

"Autumn or summer fruiting?"

Both!

"(I'm very lax with pruning!)"

Both will need pruning. Cut off the canes that have fruited, as soon after fruiting as possible, and at the latest before next spring.

The new canes that sprout (like suckers) will need to then be tied to the training wires - they should be 5' tall, or so, by then.

The autumn fruiting ones will fruit on the current year's wood, the summer ones on the previous-years-wood.

I think the best arrangement, for training wires, is a T shaped post at each end (and every-so-often along the row) with a wire on the outside of the T arms. After you cut off the old cane pull the new ones outwards and secure to the wire. next year the fruit will "hang down" on the outside of the plant, and the new canes will grow out the middle out of the way. That's the theory at least!

[whitesidehasdoneitagain]

I am sitting here with T &M s catalogue.

Autumn or summer fruiting?

(I'm very lax with pruning!)

If your after a specific type then POLKA, fantastic!

[tootles]

I have Zeva - autumn and delicious and
Williamette - early and rather disapointing!
Although both are French so may not be of any use to you!!!!

[realfood]

I would suggest that you have some of both Summer and Autumn fruiting types. That way you can extend the season from June to November in a good year.

[PAULW]

Autumn or summer fruiting?

(I'm very lax with pruning!)

Simple Autumn finish fruiting cut the whole lot to the ground end of story.

[southlondongardener]

If summer fruiting put some bird scariers eg double sided CDs or net them.

Also they will probably need support and more space than you think.
Summer give more fruit but need protection from the birds and pruning is more complicated. Also they take a year longer to get going.

[hamsterqueen]

Paulw, that;s my sort of crop!!

Think I will go for Autumn and maybe try summer if it's succesful.

[gojiberry]

Am growing autumn for the first time this year, but still a bit early to compare as they are only just starting to produce a few fruits. Mine are a yellow variety and I am still getting used to the idea of the flavour being the same as the red ones.

Ian

[valmarg]

hamsterqueen, I would go for Autumn fruiting Joan J. The fruits are large and very tasty.

With regard to pruning, if you leave a couple of the canes about 3' tall, they will start to sprout the next year, and will give you an earlier crop. By the time they have finished your main plants should be fruiting.

Joan J are prone to suckering, so if you plant them alongside your greenhouse (like what we did) you will get an early indoor crop, where they have suckered inside the greenhouse. Its making the tomatoes a bit difficult to pick, but not complaining about the early raspberries!!

Oh and I would look at other catalogues than T&M. They don't tend to be the cheapest for the same product.

valmarg

[Kristen]

By way of comparison I bought 100 Raspberry canes on eBay (in the Spring) and they were 69p each

[shushkin!]

Tulameen

Hi

I keep seeing here and there the name Tulameen. Does anyone grow this supposedly exceptional raspberry. Is it all its cracked up to be and easy to grow in all situations and conditions. Its apparently the preferred raspberry of chefs and Waitrose!
Wonder raspberry!

Cheers

Shush

[hariseldon]

I have recently started growning Tulameen Raspberries here in Redmond, WA (which is approx. 12 miles east of Seattle). It does very well here. Grows large berries that fruit on heavy bearing canes. I planted a 1 gallon plant (purchased at the farmers market here) 3 years ago, in July. It didn't bear fruit the 1st year (primo canes only), but last year did quite well. This year there was approx. 25 heavy fruiting canes, with 5 or 6 of them 12+ feet long. All with many laterals. It spreads fairly rapidly, although I did fertilize it fairly heavily with organic pelletized fish fertlizer the first & 2nd years. They fruited all through July this year and just finished up. Last year they fruited the 2nd week in July through the 2nd week in August. I highly reccomend this variety.

[Lovage]

Summer fruiting raspberries crop more heavily over a fairly short period - very handy for making jam or freezing.
Autumn fruiting crop less heavily over a very long period, great if you want to pick a few every day to go on your muesli