Raspberries RIP

[Sue]

Hi
When I started out, one of the first things I did was dig a raspberry bed, oh how I love raspberries, now this was during a hot September and I didn't know what horrors my plot would unleash during the winter...
My proudly planted raspberry canes soon became marooned in their own special moat during most of the winter rains. Half of them didn't make it to throwing out a leaf. One half did manage a sort of half hearted leafing and fruiting but it was very embarassing to have an elaborate wire system for them and underneath were these stunted plants no where near the wires.
Then during the summer the ground dried to concrete and it was a struggle to keep them watered sufficiently. Now of course they have been moated again with the summer rains, the ones I replanted (we can live in hope) have also given up the ghost. So I'm left with three not very healthy bushes.

It's obvious this piece of ground is no good for raspberries, are there any other suggestions for what I can grow here. I was thinking perhaps a gooseberry or two? There is one (which I think is a jostaberry anyway) thriving in a very boggy patch, worse than the ex-raspberry bed and it's been there for many years. As to the wire structure, would a blackberry put up with these conditions or if you think not, would it thrive in a 50 litre pot so I could grow it along the wire supports.

And if these ideas won't work, what can I do with this 20ft x 4ft piece of ground - and don't say rice...

As for raspberries, I shall just have to be patient and in two years time when my strawberry bed needs moving, in will go some new raspberry canes.

Sue

[valmarg]

Sue, are you raspberries summer or autumn fruiting varieties?

I bought some JoanJ autumn fruiting plants last year. We had a small crop last year of very large wonderfully flavoured fruit.

They survived the very dry weather last year, and the August monsoon.

This year they are becoming a bit invasive, throwing up suckers. I shall have to 'sort them out', but not until after they have fruited.

They do seem a variety amenable to any situation, and it is a variety I would recommend.

valmarg

[rustylady]

If that piece of ground is really boggy, then you do need to improve the drainage, or maybe turn it into raised beds.

[Flummery]

Round here the blackberries thrive in ditches so I would say they would cope with the wet conditions. It may not be their preference but you should get fruit. They're darned hard to kill - the birds 'sow' the seeds from a perching position on my ornamental shrubs and I'm forever digging them out!

[Madasafish]

You can make rasps grow IF you improve the drainage and add lots of compost...

Otherwise blueberries like damp condition s.. but require acidic soil so lots of compost...

[Sue]

Valmarg
These were summer fruiting varieties, perhaps I'll have a go with the autumn ones, they sound less temperamental

Rustylady, I did raise the ground up when we planted them, the trouble is my plot is at the end of the line for all the water draining off everywhere else, I get merry little rills coming from the paths and as I said, I then get them sitting in a moat when the rain really tips down.

Flummery, sound like it should be a blackberry to train along the wires, I have got one growing over an arch and loads in "my bit" of the allotment hedge but one more will mean lots more crumbles, pies and spiced blackberry jelly.

Madasafish, Blueberries, hmm now that might be an idea, have got two in pots in their special compost preference, but suppose could dig a big hole and fill it with more acidic compost before planting them.

Now I need to decide what to do, thanks for your help
Sue