raspberry disaster in NE Scotland - help!

[kay]

I have some Glen Ample bushes, two years old, in raised beds. I aim to move them to open ground in the dormant season. But I have problems now - lots of healthy lush new growth, but very few flowers, and of those only a few actual rasps forming - the rest just look like the stalks of rasps. What did I do wrong? I suspect I did not cut down the flowering stems at the end of last year, but why so few actual fruits from the flowers? Can I blame the weather? Everything else is slow too. Any ideas on what i can do to get off to a good start for next year?

[SimonCole]

I don't think that you have done anything wrong. Raspberries often take about 3 years before you get a good crop. On the second year you only tend to get one or two fruiting stems per plant and these bear less fruit. It doesn't matter too much whether you cut down the fruited stems each year because they tend to die back anyway, but it helps air movement. What you want this year is lots of new stems that fruit next year and it would seem that you're succeeding in that. The weather is actually quite good for raspberries because they're all getting a good drink. I think you have all the bases covered.

[mellonmellow]

I don't know if it is just a coincidence, but cutting the stems is directly related to how much fruit I get with the berries.

[kay]

Many thanks for the replies - I saw my first ripening raspberry today, so all is not lost!

Ksy

[beaneater]

have glen ample and autumn bliss and it would appear that I have raspberry beetle but cant find an insectiside with pyrethrum in it and help please