Rain and soft fruit - a plan!

[veggiechicken]

This year the rain has been disastrous for my soft skinned fruit (raspberries, loganberries and strawberries), leaving it swollen, tasteless and rotting whilst the shiny skinned fruit (gooseberries, currants, blueberries) have been good but late.
Since we may have similar wet weather in years to come, I'm going to take cuttings of all my shinies and use them to replace many of the softies. The strawberries will move under cover when fruiting and autumn raspberries will take precedence over the summer ones.
Anything else I could do?

[chris]

I only tend to grow autumn rasps anyway, I prefer their flavour (plus the lack of pests around that time helps too ).

How would you move the strawbs? Pots, or lift them before their season, then plant them back out when dormant?

[veggiechicken]

Strawbs in pots, I think. I'll leave the ones that are in the ground now but grow on the runners into pots ready for next year.
You've seen my raspberry forest - its time for some serious thinning out - but I'll never be able to do rows of them. I have tried, believe me, but it just doesn't work

[chris]

concrete them in!

I would offer to dig them out for you, but you know you'd probably not notice

[veggiechicken]

Concrete the raspberries in? Nah!!! Not one of your best ideas, Chris!!
Its very thoughtful of you to not offer to dig them out, its a good thing they're shallow rooted - unlike the docks!!

[alldigging]

Strawbs in pots, I think. I'll leave the ones that are in the ground now but grow on the runners into pots ready for next year.

I think I'm going to put lots of strawberries in the raised beds on my allotment for next year.
I was toying with the idea of using an elastic band round the leaves to hold them back to let the sun get at the fruit.
Someone on our site cut loads of leaves off to help the sun get to them.

[Farmer_Gyles]

you'll miss the raspberries and loganberries once you've dug them all up ....

[veggiechicken]

No chance of that, FG - they occupy about a quarter of my garden!!
I need to redress the balance a bit with some shiny fruit. The loganberries can stay too as they're against a wall.

[alldigging]

Can you not guerilla garden them close by? Or ask a neighbour if they have a corner you can put them in?

[veggiechicken]

They've already spread into next door! There are hundreds of canes, literally, and they're running amok in the orchard bit of the garden. Even the ones I piled up for burning rooted and I didn't have the heart to pull them up so another patch developed!
Its great when the weather is dry and sunny and I can wander around foraging but this year its a nightmare and a complete waste of space.
Its time to regain control

[Jeanied]

...
Its time to regain control

Story of my life, VC.

[veggiechicken]

If only it were just the raspberries.........

[BUFFS]

what about watercress? the way its going thats all we will be able to rely on,but i went over to alpine strawbs, and as we get a large yoghurt tubfull each week,from july to the frosts,for about the last five years, from 25/30 plants, i wouldnt bother with the early ones now,too short a cropping time,good luck with whatever you decide to do

[lottie dolly]

the same here VC,the rasp's look right queer,the goosegogs seem bigger,if say,you were to regain control with either a small patch,or a row,you could perhaps make a temporary net frame around them,as in separate sides,held together with string or wire ties,with a net draped over the top,easy to stor,erect if needed,

[Kestrel]

Why the instant response/panic to one bad year VC- we may have similar weather in years to come - or we may not!. I think you'll regret the loss of the soft fruit in future years given how much you like rasps. I know you're in soggy Wales but raspberries and loganberries are not known as Scottish specialities for nothing - hardly a desert.