Raspberry Care

[Earthbabe]

Probably a bit of a silly question. I know I can underplant my blueberries with cranberries to 1) save space and 2) act as a weed suppressant. I know I can do something similar with beans, corn and squash. Can I underplant my raspberry canes with strawberry plants?

[nick the grief]

Not really as the new canes growing up through them will be a nightmare

[Earthbabe]

Would that be the only reason?

[Snadger]

Probably a bit of a silly question. I know I can underplant my blueberries with cranberries to 1) save space and 2) act as a weed suppressant. I know I can do something similar with beans, corn and squash. Can I underplant my raspberry canes with strawberry plants?

I aint no expert, but I would think that because they are both surface rooters there would be a fight for nutrients with the result that neither would flourish!
I'm quite prepared to be shot down on this one tho because theoretically it's an excellent idea!

[Earthbabe]

I wasn't aware of that Snadger but in the indian trilogy thingy aren't corn and squash both very shallow rooting. Although I suppose that isn't a "long-term" situation.

[Snadger]

I wasn't aware of that Snadger but in the indian trilogy thingy aren't corn and squash both very shallow rooting. Although I suppose that isn't a "long-term" situation.

The corn I pulled out was heading for Australia!

As Nic mentioned, rasps don't stay where they are put, they radiate out sending out suckers.

I would imagine if you had a 4'0" wide bed with the rasps taking up the central 18" you could get away with one row either side of the rasps?

If you are serious about growing them together I would suggest a trial area rather than put all you eggs in one basket!
Should have added that to the gardeners saying thread!

[Earthbabe]

I've got a separate strawberry bed but have that many plants I'm now looking for ways to spread and increase my crop! My strawberry jam was so yum this year I need more!!

[nick the grief]

you only keep strawbs for 3 - 4 years where as your rasp's will last a good 15 before they need replacing.

[Snadger]

You've probably already got this information earthbabe but just in case you aint!:-

Strawberries compatible with :- Beans, Borage, Comfrey, Lettuce, Onion, Spinach
Incompatible with :- Broccoli, Brussle Sprouts, Cabbage, Califlower, Kohlrabi


Raspberry compatible with:- Tansy /// Incompatible with Potato

If you need to grow more strawberries try interplanting with above!

Just a thought!

[Earthbabe]

Thanks Snadger, I have very little info on fruit compatabilities. Have added to my info pile.

I don't need to grow more strawbs but as we like them and we have plants which I don't seem to be able to get rid of I may as well.

[Mrs Dobby]

Funny story about the camera piccies of your but Snadger, I'm just clearing earl grey off my screen now! Lol! Any of the piccies any good?

Great piccies of your rasps Snadger, thanks for sharing! Your plot looks good too, are those onion sets in the next bed? If so seem to be at about the same stage as ours are!

EB, we asked the question about strawbs and rasps a while ago, with a fair bit of advice, but no real consensus, so we've gone with a big bed of strawbs off to the southern side of the rasps, which are in two rows planted 18" apart, and I've put another row of strawbs about 12 inches away from the rasps to the northern side and a few little ones in the 18" gap between the rasps (only the occassional; one, and spaced so that its mid way between the rows and mid way between the plant spacings), so I guess you could say we are trialling it up here! I will let you know how we get on, and hope that its of some help!

I have a feeling ti may reduced the harvest somewhat, but with the number of strawb plants and rasp canes we have I dont think thats going to be too much of a problem up here! lol!

[Snadger]

Anyone wanting to read about rasps, switch off now.....

I did take some pictures of my onion beds when I was at the lottie.......but the ones next to the rasps are my garlic trial!

One nil to the garden centre bought cloves up til now !
The nearside half of the bed is set with 'proper' garlic bred for the British climate bought from Garden Centre and the far half is set with shop bought garlic from Tesco's!

As you can see, the nearside is 3" high whereas the tesco's stuf is just level with the surface. As they say though, and here's another one for the gardeners lore thread 'The proof of the pudding is in the eating!'
Should be an interesting trial as there was exactly the same quantity of each, planted the same day with no differnce in spacing, depth or ground treatment!

I have actually got three lots of autumn onion:- seed sown,(not shown) and two varieties of sets planted at different times (October/November)

Here's a few piccies if you're interested

1) Garlic trials, if you look closely you will see that nearside plants are bigger than far side
2)October sown onion sets
3)November sown onion sets

[denise]

Please help

HI all rasberry lovers
Yesterday I became the proud mum of 5 canes of glen ample, from Suttons - but I have failed them already

I havent been fit enough to go to the lottie and prepare thier new bed and it seems I wont be for a while.

What is best for them - pot them up in big containers and place in an unheated green house - keeping them just damp over winter and protected a bit from frosts
or
put them in a flower border here at home and move to lottie in spring

I am a newbe to growing raspberries.

Please help

Thanks

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Denise!

Sorry to hear of your problems, I hope its nothing too serious thats stopping you from getting down the plot?

This time of year raspberry canes are becoming dormant, so I shouldnt think there would be any problem with potting them into containers for the winter, then transplanting into your plot as soon as it is prepared! As long as you manage to get them planted into your plot before they start growing in the spring then you shouldnt have any problem with them, but if its going to be any later than Feb or March that you are planning to transplant them, then I'd suggest planting in your border for 12 months, leaving them there throughout the summer and only transplanting them come November next year.

If you want a good book on Rasps I believe the Dr Hessayon Fruit one is a good one, I cant recommend it personally as we dont yet have it, but it is one I've heard others mention and its currently on our xmas list! You can get it at any good book shop or garden center, but get it from B&Q atm, they have it £2 cheaper than anyone else!

I hope this is of some help!

[denise]

Thank YOu Mrs D

Will get resutlts tomorrow so will know how to plan. Paid my next years rent today for plot so I hope Dr says as much freash air and exercise as I can get.

I will pot canes up and papmper them a tad. Will put them out end of Jan / Feb as soon as weather allows.