Got Raspberry canes, now what?

[Mortality]

Ive bought 4 raspberry canes from poundland, resembling little sticks in a bit of soil in a small plastic bag. What do I do with them now? Box says Feb to plant out, so do I just keep em moist until then? Any tips much appreciated as Ive never grown them before ty.

[Mortality]

[aquilegia]

I got mine in about November 2009 and just popped them in a pot and covered with old potting compost from the previous summer's tomato plants. I left them by the house (where it's warmer) until it got warm enough to dig the bed and plant them in about february 2010. They were really productive last summer, so they must've been ok!

[Unwashed]

Raspberries are virtually insedtructable, but even so you shouldn't let the roots dry out.  Heel them in over the allotment, and then plant them out say mid-February when the ground's not so cold and wet.

[saddad]

Heel them in .... means just open the soil with a spade and lie them in so that the roots are covered but the rest is out of the soil... until you want to plant them properly...  :)

[Unwashed]

Just so - thanks! :)

[Tonythegardener]

Heel them in if the weather is still inclement but I would plant them on the first relatively warm day you have.

Remember that raspberries will grow quite large if you are lucky so they will need a frame to tie them up to.  Having said that I have seen Autumn Bliss grown without supports.  I use two tree posts with wires stretched between them to make a frame.  If you can plant them with mychorrhiza they do seem to appreciate it. 

[Mortality]

Thank you  ;D

[Digeroo]

mychorrhiza

???

[Unwashed]

mychorrhiza

???

They're the fungi that live cooperatively around the roots of lots of trees and shrubs (and I've seen suggested lost of other plants too).  It seems that it's often these fungi that actually take up the water and nutrients and then pass them on to the roots of the plants - though what the fungi get out of it I don't know.  Each species of plant seems to have its own species of fungi so I'm not convinced buying generic mychorrhiza is particularly useful (though you do get a variety of species) and it's my guess that these mychorrhiza arrive on their own anyways.  I didn't know that raspberries particularly needed any help, though there seems to be some evidence that some trees are quite dependent on their specific mychorrhiza.  I think it's all quite new, especially the non-tree relationships.

[Digeroo]

Ah! I read about them on a visit to Kew last year. 

[birdsrfun]

Don't forget raspberries are very hungry plants so plenty of muck in the bottom of hole when you do eventually plant them.

[Debs]

I've just bought  from wilko (£2.98 for one cane).

Is there much produced from one cane or should I buy more??

Debs

[Debs]

. . .been back to Wilko's and bought 2 more

Debs

[calendula]

personally I think that's very pricey - would expect to pay and £10 for 6 canes  :-\ - you'll always want more  ;D

[Debs]

Oh dear :-[ thats impulse buying for you!! ;D

[birdsrfun]

Don't worry, they'll multiply till you curse them for going where you do not want them :D