Topic: Heeling in Raspberries and Gooseberry

[Kendy]

Had to heel in a dozen raspberries and 2 gooseberries last weekend as the ground I intended to use was frozen solid where I had dug it over the week previous.

Not sure if I am going to be able to get back this weekend so my question is - how long can I leave these heeled in ?  Also, I left the raspberries as a group - is that OK or should I have separated them ?

Thanks chaps & chapesses :)

[shirlton]

They should be fine as they are. Better than leaving them in the bags. You can get them in as soon as we get a bit of milder weather.

[growmore]

They should be fine till you can get round to planting them out .Preferably before mid Jan. If the rasps roots get entwined, put the group in a bucket of water and tease roots out from one another .

[Kendy]

Thanks - that was the answer I was hoping for :)

Away over Xmas so it might be early Jan before I get chance to plant the properly

[flowerofshona2007]

I have had to do the same as we are taking on a plot for the fruit and its not ready yet.
If you want to warm the soil up a bit cover it in black plastic for a week or so, this will warm it up so you and plant them out.

[Kendy]

I've just took the black plastic off the area to prepare.  Got it all dug over ready for manure and it was frozen solid last weekend !

[flowerofshona2007]

Put some cardboard underneath it, the plastic will keep it all dry :)

[grannyjanny]

Hi. We've just been allocated a 1/2 plot. We were there on Friday doing some clearing up. There is a lot of couch grass & bind weed that we need to deal with. There are quite a lot of Autumn fruiting raspberries that need moving. ATM they are between 2 plots.  Brother in law suggested getting rid of everything as we don't know how are they are or if they are any good. There are 2 blackcurrant bushes, a few s/berries, lots of r/berries & about 6 rhubarb crowns. He is a qualified gardener with years of experience. What do you think?
Janet.

[Georgie]

Hi. We've just been allocated a 1/2 plot. We were there on Friday doing some clearing up. There is a lot of couch grass & bind weed that we need to deal with. There are quite a lot of Autumn fruiting raspberries that need moving. ATM they are between 2 plots.  Brother in law suggested getting rid of everything as we don't know how are they are or if they are any good. There are 2 blackcurrant bushes, a few s/berries, lots of r/berries & about 6 rhubarb crowns. He is a qualified gardener with years of experience. What do you think?
Janet.

Unless I knew for certain that there was something wrong with them then I think I'd be inclinded to give them at least one season before I got rid of them.  Waste not, want not.   :)

G x

[ceres]

If they're healthy and just neglected, keep them.  They're likely to give you a crop next year which you won't get from new young plants. 

[flowerofshona2007]

Keep the new runners from the raspberries and strawberries they are fresh plants and if the blackcurrants are healthy but need a prune they should be fine, have a look at the buds if they are swollen or distorted burn them !! I the rasp canes have brown ded patches on the stems they have a virus, but if there ok why ditch them ???