| I recently acquired a couple of small red raspberry "plants" and I haven't a clue what to do with them. They are called "Hilton Red" raspberries. My questions are of a general nature: where should I plant them, what kind of soil (andplant food) do they like, how much space do they need, will they need "support," what problems should I anticipate? |
| Until planting time, keep the roots of your new plants moist by keeping them wrapped in moist burlap or other fabric.Avoid growing raspberries anywhere where members of the tobacco or nightshade family have grown. This includes tobacco and nightshade as well as eggplants, potatoes, peppers and tomatoes. This family is disease prone and together with raspberries, share a propensity toward verticillum wilt virus. Raspberry plants need a soil that holds moisture but drains well, such as a good, rich, crumbly garden soil. They prefer a pH that is slightly acidic (5.5-7.0). Clear and till the planting area, removing large rocks, and work in some organic material and bone meal at tilling time. A helping of rotted manure or compost would be great and will improve the soil's ability to hold moisture without getting "mucky". A couple of hours before planting, soak the roots in a bucket of water. Since this is a brand new patch, you need to shorten the new canes to 6-8 buds right after planting.n plants. When planting the raspberries, I would recommend setting them a few inches deeper than they were growing at the nursery. While growing (especially during flower/fruit production) your plants will need a regular water supply. To help keep the plants from drying out, a thick layer of mulch, such as straw, is beneficial. The mulch also helps keep weeds at bay. Plants should be topdressed each year in the early spring with a generous amount of organic material such as compost or rotted manure. You csprouts from the roots and grows to it's full height. The following year it produces fruit and promptly dies. While that's happening, other canes are growing which will produce fruit the next year. So, prune out all the old canes in the fall, andleave the ones that grew during last summer since, they will bear fruit this year. It is relatively easy to tell the old from the new canes. The old ones look gray and scraggily where the new ones look vigorous, reddish green and young. Also, remove any weak, spindly new canes at this time. Unless...these are everbearing raspberries! If they are, the pruning procedure is different. You can find pruning directions by searching the database, and if need more info after that, submit another questionto us. Enjoy your berry patch! |
