Raspberry fedge help please

[fairyclairy]

Hi everyone,

I've been looking for an answer with no luck so far. I'm thinking of doing a raspberry fedge down one side of my plot but am confusing myself!! If I do this, how far away from the raspberries can I plant other things and have my beds? Will I end up having to leave a really large space between the raspberries and any beds all the way along the fedge? I'm really trying hard but am a complete novice and don't want to mess it up! Thanks Claire

[chris]

Does your plot allow it? Some don't allow fruit within 4' of boundaries due to the suckers that they'll throw up. I'd suggest a min of 2' from your boundary, and then 2' to a bed - to give some room to walk around and pick the fruit. If you can allow more room on your boundaries, go for it, and underplant with strawberries, or flowers that will attract beneficial insects to your plot (I know a popular one around rasberries is the poached egg plant - Limnanthes).

[fairyclairy]

Thanks chris, I will double check the site rules but I'm pretty sure we are allowed to. That's very useful info, I have some poached egg seeds I could use next year as well. I didnt realise you could underplant with strawberries either so thats very good to know! Thanks for your help Claire

[chefgage]

Well I have learnt something today, I thought the word fedge was a typo but after a quick google I now understand

[veggiechicken]

I started with a tidy row of raspberries - now my garden is full of the things - so make sure you can keep them in check - they run everywhere - mostly towards to the sun.

[chris]

Thanks chris, I will double check the site rules but I'm pretty sure we are allowed to. That's very useful info, I have some poached egg seeds I could use next year as well. I didnt realise you could underplant with strawberries either so thats very good to know! Thanks for your help Claire

You'd need to take into consideration the aspect, as strawbs like sun, but I have them in front of a row of raspberries on my plot, and they fruit fine. Row runs E-W, so the strawbs aren't shaded. I did have them at home too, but the plants were munched by said chooks. Infact, I had grass in that garden once too

An alternative would be something like comfrey too - (bocking 14 is the type you want so it doesn't seed everywhere). You can use it as a fertilizer - completely natural and better than the likes of branded high potash feeds

[mothhawk]

But raspberry canes are generally cut down at the end of each year, so you will have to remake the fedge every year. Is that what you plan to do?