Topic: Autumn raspberries preparing the ground

[Crystalmoon]

Hi everyone, I've just been given an allotment & plan to plant Autumn raspberry canes. I realise they should really be in the ground by now but I need time to prepare the ground for them. My first task is to do the mega weeding required! After that I plan to dig in organic manure. My plot is heavy clay so my first question is should I dig in some gravel to help with drainage or would raising the soil level & adding trenches around the bed work for drainage?

Second question is how long should I leave between digging in manure & planting the canes? I don't want to risk burning the roots

I don't mind if I have to forgo having fruit this year, really want to ensure I set the canes up well
Many thanks

[saddad]

I grow mine on heavy clay and they didn't need much prep... other than getting out any perennial weeds. Raising the level a little can help if drainage is poor. I'd plant them and top dress with the muck to avoid too much issue with "burning" the roots. You will not loose this years fruit... which is the great thing about Autumn varieties. 

[Crystalmoon]

Thanks Saddad that will make my life a lo easier. Can I top dress them with the well rotted organic manure straight after planting?
Jane

[saddad]

I do... 

[squeezyjohn]

I can definitely vouch for getting ALL the perennial weeds out first!  I managed to leave a little bit of bindweed in my raspberry bed and it's a devil climbing up all the canes and strangling the raspberries.  It's definitely a case of a little work now or a huge amount of work in the future ... I have to identify and cut all the bindweed vines at ground level in amongst the prickly canes at least 5 times a season to keep the raspberries happy.  I've tried in vain to follow the roots of the bindweed through the established raspberry rows and it's impossible.

[Crystalmoon]

Thanks Saddad that's what I will do then, means I can get the canes in the ground asap.

Hi Squeezyjohn the bindweed sounds like a real nightmare! I'm not really sure what weeds I've got on the plot yet as I covered it in weed killing membrane as soon as I got it as it was too waterlogged to do anything else. Fingers crossed I don't have bindweed  Jane

[squeezyjohn]

My advice is definitely dig the whole area over and remove any trace of a root you find no matter how small.  Then you give your bed the chance to be a whole lot less maintenance than mine is!  Trust me.

[Crystalmoon]

Happy to report I managed to rotavate the future raspberry bed yesterday & remove any roots I could see. Loads of long buttercup roots came out, there was hardly any growth showing on the surface, I think due to the thick membrane I've had down. I didn't find any bindweed roots so fingers crossed. Will have to wait to see if there is any Marestail as I couldn't find any trace in the soil....but I know how sneaky & hardy these blighters are so only time will tell. Terrible weather forecast for Kent from today until at least Wednesday so I may not get the raspberries planted out for a while yet...bit frustrating. Thank you all for your wise words Jane