How many raspberries?

[Sprout]

I've decided to get some raspberry canes this autum/winter but the trouble is, I don't know how many I need.
I've noticed from those companies selling over the internet that you can often only buy them in 'bulk'.
Could someone that grows rasps please tell me roughly (on average, all things being equal etc) how much fruit each cane will produce then perhaps I can work out how many canes I would need.  ???
Ta muchly.

[Sprout]

[sandersj89]

I started out with a dozen canes and that kept us in just about enough to eat fresh, but come the folling years the canes multiply so now we have enough to eat fresh, freeze and jam. We still end up giving some away.

I estimate we have about 50 canes now.

Jerry

[artichoke]

Yes, I agree. We got about 10 a couple of years ago, and I now have three rows and am giving some canes away. The problem is in restraining them from taking over your allotment and your neighbour's.

[Niamh]

I planted 10 canes last autumn, 5 summer and 5 autumn, not all have come up, I think out of my 3 Autumn Bliss only one is showing signs of life now. But by the sounds of it they'll all multiply at a rate of knots!

Do you just dig them up in autumn to separate out into new plants?

Niamh

[sandersj89]

Do you just dig them up in autumn to separate out into new plants?

Niamh

Yes, do it in the autumn when they are dormant.

Jerry

[tim]

With a family, 2x50' rows was just nice. Ideally, some summer & some autumn. But they open freeze well.

[Mrs Ava]

Similar story here, started with 10, 2 years ago, which was enough to eat the first year, then and abundance last year, and I still have one more bag full in the freezer, so this year I am expecting to be making jam, fool, puddings, cakes, icecream, sorbet, jellies as well as scoffing them fresh.  However, suits me because as far as I am concerned, the raspberry is the greatest of all the berries!  ;D

[Svea]

i bought one of those cheapo packs from morrisons (you know, a clumb in a small box)

about 3 canes i would say.

last year they sprouted from those short old canes and we had enough to nibble - now we have six canes producing, which should be sufficient for two people.

next year? who knows. i will see how we are doing this summer, and cut back accordingly. it is a matter of not letting them get in the way/taking over our plot.

[Merry Tiller]

With a family, 2x50' rows was just nice

Blimey, I've got 2 x 15' rows, one summer & one autumn and we still struggle to get through them all

[saddad]

Being inherently idle ( with five plots) I only grow Autumn Bliss, as then I can just cut all the canes down in winter and don't have to work out which is which. In a good year they can start in late July and go on until Nov... and the freeze fine!
One year we had south Africans to stay, in October, and their lad was in 7th heaven being able to graze fresh rasps, they really only get them in syrup because it was far too hot and dry for the plants!
;D

[artichoke]

I agree about planting only Autumn Bliss.People say they don't produce as much as the "summer" ones, but they were wonderful last year from July to late September, and as you say, you don't have to strain your brain pruning them - just cut them all down in the winter.

Books say to cut them down in February - does anyone know why? I like to do it in the late autumn, to make the plot look neater.

[jennym]

If the foliage is left on autumn raspberries over winter it does 2 things in my book:
First, the plant is still able to photosynthesise to some small extent, which must help it grow better next season, and secondly it offers some protection to the base and shallow roots of the plant where next seasons growth will come.


And in answer to how many - well how can you possibly have too many raspberries?
Raspberries to eat fresh, with cream, stewed and mixed with cold custard, in trifles, in jam, on cheesecakes, made into raspberry milkshake syrup, dried and added to plain breakfast cereal... ;D

[saddad]

I find that when we leave the canes too long, the plants get rocked by the wind in winter. That can't be good for them.
???

[mat]

Autumn Bliss - I tend to cut some of the height off (usually about 2-3 ft) to avoid wind rock, and then leave the rest and only cut that back when I see sign of growth from the base.  I found this way the best for the new seasons growth.

mat