raspberry canes

[bikermike]

I went out and got some (as per advice - went on the way home from work before Christmas).

2 questions
1) although they are supposed to be dormant, one has clearly not read the manual and is putting out a shoot. Will this be a problem for planting them?
2) the label says they should only be planted in soil that has "NEVER" (their caps) been used to grow raspberries. Aside from the obvious impossibility of vouching for never, how close can they be, I'm hoping to put them in a bed with other raspberries (which seem pretty healthy at the moment).

[Thelma Sanders]

What variety are you planting cos some will need pruning so that growing shoot may get cut off anyway
NEVER is being ridiculous! just don't plant them where you've just dug old raspberries up from, because they simply wouldn't thrive there; unless you more or less change the soil, by adding barrow loads of manure or compost.
I wouldn't actually mix old and new varieties together in a bed, but if you mean adding them further along in the bed ie just making the row of raspberries longer that should be ok.

[bikermike]

hello!
that's a relief *cancels application to read Domesday book*
Yes, I'm making the bed longer, so it's all good.

[nickdub]

The main thing to avoid at this time of year is planting them in snowy or frosty soil. Also don't plant too deep, just a few inches below the surface then if you have any compost or whatever use that to mulch on top.

[veggiechicken]

Replanting in the same place is inadvisable as a raspberry virus from earlier plants may be present in the soil https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=752

[bikermike]

I'd be more worried about them sinking at this time of year round our way... (clay soil, allotments at lowest point for a good distance around), but thanks - will remember. And I have lots of good compost to mulch them with. (and if they don't grow, I shall Be Cross With Them...)

[bikermike]

yes, agreed - my mum's rasps have been wiped out by beetle, so I'm alive to raspberitcal parasites - seem to be OK there so far...

It was the never (in big shouty capitals) that got me. There's been habitation round here since pre-Roman times, so I'd have had a fair bit of checking to work out what's been planted round here...

[Cadalot]

I have been offered some raspberries as a fellow plot holder needs to thin his out, can I transplant them into pots or flower buckets and I don't have the location where I want them to end up ready for them yet.

If I was to plant the whole flower bucket in the ground (with some drainage holes) would it be enough to restrict their spreading ?

[Thelma Sanders]

You can plant them in flower buckets, til your ready to plant them in the soil.

The soil in the pot will grow full of roots quickly and then the roots escape through the drainage holes. Once the roots are out they start to sucker outside the pot, whether the pot is sunk or not.

I potted up some rooted cuttings last year and left them standing in a corner of the garden, and promptly forgot about them - guess what happened?

[It never rains..it pours]

Thats exactly what Ive done with a few Ive brought this year. Rather than pug them in this moonsoon winter, have potted in B&Q buckets cw with drainage holes so hopefully have good rot ball for planting when things dry out, be May at this rate. Also gives a chance to check for disease prior to planting near exsisting ones

[nickdub]

Best to forget the bucket and just heel the canes in to an odd corner of ground somewhere, until you have the space ready for them. Obviously the sooner you get them in their final positions the better as you want to encourage new root growth asap.

[Paulie]

I have been offered some raspberries as a fellow plot holder needs to thin his out, can I transplant them into pots or flower buckets and I don't have the location where I want them to end up ready for them yet.

If I was to plant the whole flower bucket in the ground (with some drainage holes) would it be enough to restrict their spreading ?

I don't think they'd thrive in a bucket in the ground, as I think the roots would be too restricted. And in my experience, they don't spread wildly anyway.

[It never rains..it pours]

Best to forget the bucket and just heel the canes in to an odd corner of ground somewhere, until you have the space ready for them. Obviously the sooner you get them in their final positions the better as you want to encourage new root growth asap.

Think it all depends on the site that will be planted. Here its cold/wet clay and will only get wetter. Doing anything on it when wet destroys any soil structure except when have a frost then it digs over lovely. Canes I potted last year vs ones planted wet time were evidently better at end of this summer. Mistake made was potting bags were too small why used buckets this time as no large potting bags to hand which maybe a mistake as root disturbance at planting maybe higher with bucket vs potting bag

[nickdub]

I can understand that it may be best to keep off the soil for a bit especially if frosty, but given the clay you describe I'd put some boards down, dig a trench fill it with a mix of gravel, compost and top soil, then mound up a bit with soil and compost and plant on top of that.

I'm not a big fan of containers for fruit and veg never having got good results with them myself - but for anyone who can, good luck to them - probably I'm too lazy to devote the time necessary, so almost everything I plant goes in the ground.

[It never rains..it pours]

nickdub, thanks thats roughly what I do ie mix the clay soil , peat , manure and sharp sand (plus gypsum on raspberry areas as trials say it reduces root rot, lime on areas where planting non acid stuff)) makes a lovely free draining soil along with a raised mound, but can only be done when dryish here, hence the buckets for root growth till then. Agree planting in ground easiest and best way, but up north one needs a weather hedge, so have a couple 40l tubs of strawberry & ruby beauty