Topic: Compost/leaf mould - solution for raspberry weeds?

[newspud9]

My summer-fruiting raspberries always do well but they are a pain to keep weed-free(ish). Was thinking of throwing some compost down now followed by a good dollop of leaf mould over the whole lot. Good/bad idea?

Thanks for all the responses

[Borlotti]

I have been chucking horse manure on mine, cant do all that weeding, hopefully will work, raspberries are spreading all over the allotment. Had loads last still got jam, and gave loads away. Time will tell.

[Flighty]

My raspberry patch is the one area on the plot that I mulch, generally using wood chips.  Compost is even better, but I don't think that leaf mould is needed as well.  Any mulch certainly keeps the weeds at bay.

[Paulines7]

Monty Don said to put grass cuttings as a mulch after cutting the stalks down in the winter.  He had Autumn fruiting raspberries but I don't suppose he would do it differently for summer fruiting varieties. After watching Monty, we put grass cuttings on ours a few weeks ago for the first time, so I cannot say yet if they will be successful.

[Digeroo]

I had some leaf mould so have put some  around my raspberries they are basically a woodland plant so I am hoping they will like it.  Hoping it will add to the acid.   So difficult weeding between the plants and not damaging the new growth. I do not have many grass clipping yet, but may try some as well.  They had a layer of manure before the winter.   Hoping it will keep the moisture in too, and I cannot water them.   Water is too alkaline.

Unfortunately the goose grass seems to power its way through most of the mulches, it seems to love leaf mould.

I suppose it depends on what you have available.

I am wary about mulching them now because the new shoots are just surfacing.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Mulch won't inhibit raspberries, but one goosegrass has germinated, it's as vulnerable to burying as anything else.

[kGarden]

I'm going to put a thick layer of loose (rather than compacted) straw on mine this year. It should totally exclude the light, but I'm not going to apply it for another month so that the soil will already be nice and warm when I apply it

[Paulh]

I've put a mulch of leaf mould on mine (with some generous helpings of pelleted chicken manure first). The canes are coming through fine, no weeds yet, but it wasn't a problem anyway.

I have an area of blackberries / brambles at the back of my plot, not strictly mine as measured out when the site was re-opened, but clearly where the back of it used to be. They fruit well, mostly with large, luscious fruits, but had nettles and bindweed growing through each year which made picking difficult. At the end of 2013 when I got rid of the old canes, I put a layer of cardboard all round them (just spread out boxes) and then a heavy mulch of wood chippings that the council provides. That really kept the weeds down, and any that got through could be dealt with. I've done it again this winter (spreading pelleted chicken manure first) and they are looking good.

You could try something similar with the raspberries - perhaps several thicknesses of newspaper, then wood chippings or leaf mould on top. I would feed and water them first.

[Digeroo]

Leaf mould doing well but it does not seem to stop the most determined weeds. 

[Robert_Brenchley]

Very few things do. They probably need individual attention.

[Digeroo]

If there are only a few then I have the whole collection.  Nettles, catmint, thistle, goosegrass, couchgrass, deadnettle, poppies, and fathen are still appearing in profusion.  I keep dumping more stuff on top.