Is it too late to plant summer rasps?

[bonniethomas06]

I have seen some very reasonable bare root summer raspberry plants for sale on fleabay.

Now I know that they should go in at autumn, but it is still early in the year...do you think they would be OK if I keep them well watered?

I am not so bothered if I don't get a crop from them this year, but would like to at least have a bash.

Thoughts?

[oldjerry]

Give 'em a go.Stand for a few hours in a bucket of water.It's a bit late but even if they go pear - shaped you'll have the wires up for the next lot!!

[Big Al]

Give 'em a go.Stand for a few hours in a bucket of water.It's a bit late but even if they go pear - shaped you'll have the wires up for the next lot!!

As far as I understand the term summer or autumn raspberries only apply to the time they are cut back in the year after fruiting. Therfore if you stick them in now and leave until autumn before you cut them back then next year they will be autumn rasps and you can grow summer ones from autumn this year. ... Well that's how I think it goes..

[boboff]

roots put up the canes, if you are in no hurry, go for it.

Mulsh with poooh, let the plants get going this year, cut them all back harvest just after the Olympics..... done

[Millymollymandy]

Give 'em a go.Stand for a few hours in a bucket of water.It's a bit late but even if they go pear - shaped you'll have the wires up for the next lot!!

As far as I understand the term summer or autumn raspberries only apply to the time they are cut back in the year after fruiting. Therfore if you stick them in now and leave until autumn before you cut them back then next year they will be autumn rasps and you can grow summer ones from autumn this year. ... Well that's how I think it goes..

No, it's not! It applies to when they fruit. Summer ones fruit on previous year's growth then the canes die, autumn ones fruit on same year's growth then if you don't prune them in spring, they will have a secondary and smaller crop the following summer on the same canes.

Go for it Bonnie, they probably won't fruit but it is fine to plant them now.

[Big Al]

No, it's not! It applies to when they fruit. Summer ones fruit on previous year's growth then the canes die, autumn ones fruit on same year's growth then if you don't prune them in spring, they will have a secondary and smaller crop the following summer on the same canes.

Go for it Bonnie, they probably won't fruit but it is fine to plant them now.

Thanks for that, MMM. So what will happen to mine n ow as I had both summer and autumn rasps but I cut them all back last october. Am I right in guessing that bec ause I've chopped them all down then I'm only going to get Autumn rasps this year?

[bonniethomas06]

roots put up the canes, if you are in no hurry, go for it.

Mulsh with poooh, let the plants get going this year, cut them all back harvest just after the Olympics..... done

After the olympics?

I have never been very good at delayed gratification

Still if I had pulled my finger out last year, I would be eating them in 5 months time, so will get on with it.

Thanks guys.

[boboff]

I hate to say this, but I disagree with MMM.

I have done what big Al has done, and you do get fruit from Summer Rasps if you cut them down, you get it though in the autumn.

On the other hand if you leave Autumn fruit rasp canes, they will fruit the following year, in the Summer.

This is a fact, I have done it, it has worked for me. The "quantity" and "quality" of fruit I can not comment on as there are so many other factors at play, but summer ones cut back do fruit in the autumn, autumn ones left do fruit in the summer.

I know it's not normal to disagee on here, especially with Admin, but it's not all black and white, and to keep giving out the same warnings, when there is an alternative view does smack of providing opinions as facts.

[Millymollymandy]

Boboff just go and read about raspbs and that is what is given as fact. We've had this discussion before recently and yes sometimes summer ones do produce more fruit on the current season's growth but according to the text books that is not supposed to happen. Mine did that this year but the fruit produced was too late to ripen more than a few.

So I am giving the advice that is given in the textbooks which is the normal advice, if plants decide to do odd things (which all plants do occasionally) I can't help that.

The whole point of having summer and autumn fruiting ones is that you get fruit in summer and then again in autumn, by having the two different kinds.

I will disregard your last sentence as I think you are just trying to be provocative.

[oldjerry]

I hate to say this ,but I agree with MMM !! (cos she's right).

[boboff]

Disregard and disagree all you like.

I am right and you are wrong, neh neh neh neh neh!!!

(unless it does not come across, I don't get upset about things like this, I know what text books say, I know what I have experienced, for others it's different, I know that, that is the joy of doing what we do, you can tinker with gardening, and because of all the permutations, prove or disprove pretty much anything, you have your opinion, thats fine, I will continue to offer my opinion, and be ignored as I am wrong)

[grahamhobbs]

Now, now, we are not kids. I actually think that everyone is correct. If you do what Boboff says you will get autumn raspberries from summer varieties, but equally MMM is also corect. i think the thing is that all raspberries started off the same, but some people started cutting all their canes down noticing they got a crop later in the autumn. Then the specialists come along and started breeding varieties that particularly repond to this treatment, so now we have varieties specifically bred to provide summer and autumn fruiting, but dependent on the pruning regime.

[boboff]

Agreed.

[grahamhobbs]

Now I have another question - how far apart should you plant them? I'm wanting to squeeze another row in, but the books talk about rows 5' or 6' apart, surely this is not really necessary - any comments?

[boboff]

I planted mine in 4ft Beds, with the intention of putting up the T bars at the ends with Wire for support, I then ran Blackberry and Loganberry along the back of the beds on more 4 wire set ups. With one plant every 8 - 12 inches, now most of the bed is full, and they even sprout out on the path, so definately plant them closer together, as once they sprout out again it will thicken up, and if it does get overcrowded just dig some up, split them up and you get free plants.

Or not.......