Raspberries
(Rubas idaeus)

Raspberries are another fruit which do not keep or travel well, which makes freshly picked home grown fruit better in taste and quality than supermarket produce. There are a wide range of tasty varieties, which crop from early summer through to autumn.
Raspberries will even produce fruit in the first year, but it is advisable to remove the flowers in this first season before the fruit forms, this will make the young plants stronger. The canes should then produce heavy crops from the second season onwards. The live of raspberry should then last about twelve years before they need replacing.
The plant itself, is a native of Europe, including Britain and parts of Asia. It is often found growing wild in hedge rows and on hilly heath land with acid soils.
Raspberries fruit on laterals growing from canes which were produced the previous year.

Site and soil
Raspberries prefer a sunny site, but will tolerate some shading. Because raspberries are late in flowering, sites prone to frosts are not normally a problem. They will not tolerate waterlogged soil and in very wet winters can even kill the roots.
Besides adequate soil drainage, shelter from wind is the second major consideration, this is because the canes are fairly brittle and can easily snap in strong winds.
The best soils are deep, rich well drained loams, as long as they retain some water in dry weather.
Raspberries will tolerate more acid conditions than other soft fruits, but will become chlorotic if the soil is too alkaline.
Preparation of the soil well in advance of planting is advisable, make sure all perennial weeds, with their roots are removed and deep dig well rotted organic material.

Planting
Mid autumn would be the most favourable time time of the year to plant the young raspberries cane. Dig a shallow trench of about 30cms wide, spacing the canes 45cms apart. If you have more than one row, space these at least 1.5 metres apart.
Plant the canes firmly, with the roots well spread out and about 7.5cms deep. There should be a soil mark on the stem to indicate the right planting depth.
After planting cut the stem back to a strong healthy bud about 30 cms above the ground.

Plant support
Plants can be supported by erecting posts either end of the row, then between these posts connect three lengths of wire horizontally spaced 45cms apart. As the canes grow they can be tied to the wires with twine.

Pruning
In the first summer select six of the strongest canes growing from the central stool and tie these to the horizontal wires with twine. These six canes will bear next years fruit, all other canes should be cut off at ground level. At the end of the growing season remove any damaged or diseased tips, this will also encourage the canes to send out more fruiting laterals, thus increasing the yield. In the second summer after planting last years six canes will flower and fruit. After they have finished fruiting cut these canes down to ground level. Out of this years growth select six of the healthiest canes and fasten them to the wires with twin, the remaining growth can then be cut off at ground level. At the end of the season tip the canes once again, if any of the canes are slightly weak, cut them a little lower, so they don't have to bear to much fruit next year.
This process can then be repeated each year.

Care and cultivation
If dry weather occurs during the flowering period watering is essential, otherwise new cane growth will be small and sparse, effecting next years crop.
An annual mulch of well rotted manure will help conserve soil moisture through the spring and summer. If the soil is very dry water the ground before applying the mulch. The mulch should help to suppress most weeds, but if any weeding is necessary hand weeding may be wise as raspberries have a shallow root system. Suckers should also be removed when they form.

Harvesting
This takes place from early summer to autumn depending on the variety. Constant picking will reduce the risk of over-ripe fruit going rotten and spreading disease. When picking the fruit support the lateral with one hand and pull the fruit off the core with the other hand. Or just snip the fruit stems off with a scissors.