Raspberry varieties - recommendations

[Lovage]

Joan J is a newer variety than AB, heavy cropping and good flavour

Polka is one of the earliest Autumn fruiting rasps and has good flavour

I still grow some summer fruiting rasps as they give a heavier crop over a shorter period of time which suits jam making. Autumn varieties crop over a longer period but have less at once, not so good for jamming but great for deserts etc

I'm looking out for the new blackberries which crop on first year growth like autumn fruitng rasps - should be much easier to keep under control.

[sarraceniac]

Sorry if I am being led a bit off target but you can blame Lovage.

I am sick of my vicious spiky blackberries, every time I try to pick some, to make blackberry whisky, I get so injured I have to come inside and have a slug of last year's blackberry whisky. Does anyone know a good thornless variety?

[WrexTheDragon]

My Polka have done well this year.

I have Blackberry (Waldo) that is thornless for the first time this year. It's been OK less fruit, but the ones I got from it was massive.

[SarzWix]

I've got All Gold, and I won't bother getting any more of them. I have yet to get any fruit home intact, and that's assuming I managed to harvest them in one piece - they're so fragile it's ridiculous! Often by the time I get them home, there's a pool of juice in the bottom, and the fruits are mush I've tried tupperware boxes, freezer bags, cardboard punnet, plastic punnet... Basically, if they have to be transported, and can move at all in the container, they fall to bits. If you try and hold them still in the container, they get crushed.
This might just be a problem with my canes or growing technique?! Does anyone else have the same problem?

[northepaul]

I know its a little out of date with all the new varieties, but I just treated myself (well at the car boot for £1 ) to the Fruit Expert book, its jolly useful esp on how to build frames, and gives (reasonably) simple explinations for everything.

[WrexTheDragon]

The problem with the Fruit Expert Book is that over 60% of the fruit varieties I grow are not in it.

For example I have the 2008 version of the book and it does not have Polka or Tulameen, the two raspberries I grow in it.

Also out of date on the new pruning methods.

[StephenH]

I am sick of my vicious spiky blackberries, every time I try to pick some, to make blackberry whisky, I get so injured I have to come inside and have a slug of last year's blackberry whisky. Does anyone know a good thornless variety?

Oregon Thornless. However, I don't think it's worth growing blackberries, since they are so readily available (albeit thorny) in the wild.

[northepaul]

I had a look on the ebay web site, the black raspberries are about £9.50 each plus p+p.....I dont know about others but that seems a bit steep for one?

Especially as the Polka veriety mentioned earlier are £6.50 for 5!

[PomonaFruits]

Autumn Bliss has been around a long time and is generally acknowledged (amongst gardeners and commercial growers) to be the most reliable raspberry variety. Unlike many of the summer fruiting varieties, it is not susceptible to raspberry root rot disease. Polka is a new autumn fruiting variety that has Autumn Bliss in its parentage. It seems to have the reliability of Bliss but produces up to twice as much crop. The fruit quality is excellent (really big succulent fruits with plenty of flavour). I would thoroughly recommend both varieties but I think on balance Polka has the edge. ]

[PomonaFruits]

Talking about Blackberries, Oregon Thornless is not a bad variety (has lovely ornamental cut-leaf foliage), but there are other more modern thornless varieties around that have superior fruit quality. NamelyLoch TayLoch Ness. But if you can face the thorns, go for Black Butte which produces the biggest berries you could possibly imagine.

[valmarg]

Joan J loads of fruit and no prickles

It does, however, have a smidge of a problem. It suckers all over the plot.

Wonderful fruit, wonderful flavour, but you do need to keep on top of the suckers.

valmarg

[flowerofshona]

Dont bother witht the 'black' raspberry !! i bought 2 and they have been a waste of space, will give them one more year and if no better they out !

Edit .. still picking Joan J

[tomsloc]

I`ve got autumn bliss and polka and polka are much better flavour

[OllieMartin]

Well thanks to this thread I just invested in 3 Polka canes using my £10 T&M voucher.