Too late to buy raspberry canes?

[Charley]

Hello

Is it too late for me to purchase raspberry canes that will fruit this year? I realise it will probably have to be an autumn fruiting raspberries but I am desperate to grow some of my own.

The 'Pick Your Own' farm down the road from me is closed this year so it means I will have to resort to eating supermarket raspberries and there is just no comparason.

I want to get some summer ones too but understand I will have to wait until next year for the rewards for those ones.

Thanks

Charley

[bendipa]

You can't buy bare-rooted raspberries at this time of the year which is the most common means of purchase. However some nurseries are selling pot-rooted raspberries. Here's a good nursery that has pot raspberries on special offer. Give them a ring to find out whether you can expect new canes this year as you've left things a bit late.. Alternatively you could try a garden centre where the canes are already in development from pot grown plants. If so you might have some autumn fruiting raspberries by September. The summer ones won't start fruiting until next year anyway.

[Hillwalker]

Hi Charlie,

Another alternative is to visit your local garden centres. At this time of the year they tend to sell their raspberry canes at half price, as they won't shift them otherwise. If you don't see them marked as such ask for a reduction. I'll be surprised if they don't give you one as they're of little use to the nursery.

I wouldn't recommend separating the canes out, as the fragile new shoots will probably snap or go into shock. You're better to plant the whole bunch as is and trim out the weakest-looking of the new canes. Over the winter period you can separate out the canes and replant them.

If you buy one of the Autumn varieties, it's not too late; you should get a crop this year.