Decisions!!!!!!

[grannyjanny]

Today OHs brother in law went to the plot to advise. He is a qualified gardener with years of experience behind him. The upshot of it is we have lost the large blackcurrant as it was rotten. I had seen something that looked like fungus on it. He has looked at the autumn raspberries & said they are way past there best & get rid. All we will have left now is the rhubarb & one small blackcurrant bush. Do you think 20 autumn bliss will give us enough fruit to eat & freeze & give some away to the girls. He has given the name of a supplier & grower & the prices are
very good, £6.25 per 10 canes.
Janet

[grannyjanny]

[tonybloke]

20 Autumn raspberries, when established, will provide more than you can deal with! after a few years, each crown should produce about a dozen or so good canes per year, feed and mulch, they like their roots cool!  plant out in a row or (double row) about 18" apart. 'corrall ' them with a wire/string support (like broad beans) to keep them under control. post some piccy's of progress  ;)

[shirlton]

We planted around 20 two years ago and we had plenty to eat freeze and share. I prefer them to summer raspberry

[saddad]

More than enough Janet, unless your site is particularly windy/exposed Autumn Bliss rarely need support.  :)

[grannyjanny]

Decision has been made. We have bought 20 new canes, 2 blackcurrant, 1 whitecurrant, 1 redcurrant, 1 blackberry, 2 blueberries. We have decided to leave the existing raspberries where they are & see what happens, at least that way we hopefully will have something this year. Plus I would love to prove this expert wrong. Naughty I know£42.2 but what the heck. We paid £42.25 for the lot, is that good. Will they fit in a 12'x18'bed, we also have a row of rhubarb to put in. We got Ben Sarek which is a small blackcurrant about 4' max. The blueberries can go in pots if need be.
Janet

[1066]

The blueberries prefer alkaline soil - I usually get this bit the wrong way round so I'd double check!  I'm on clay and have my blueberries in pots in ericaceous compost which is lime free and acid loving plants need it / prefer it.
as to the spacing I'll leave that to someone else with more knowledge  :)

[tonybloke]

Raspberries are (on a commercial operation) usually replaced after 10 years, due to disease build - up.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I can see why; I had rasps and strawbs on my plot when I moved in; neither ever fruited worth mentioning due to viruses.

[amphibian]

The blueberries prefer alkaline soil - I usually get this bit the wrong way round so I'd double check! 

Acid, they prefer acid.

[tonybloke]

strawbs only crop reliably for 3 / 4 yeaes, don't think that taking runners of your own cures the problem, after all, a runner is just a clone, and will carry any virus the parent plant had. grow from seed or buy in clean stock to replace after 3 years for best crop.

[1066]

The blueberries prefer alkaline soil - I usually get this bit the wrong way round so I'd double check! 

Told you I'd get it the wrong way round  :(   ::)   :-[

Acid, they prefer acid.