The canes I bought from Van Meeuwen have been disappointing, with only two out of 20 surviving with any growth at all.
Could have something to do with high water table(not now, funnily enough!), so my next attempts will go into raised beds.
Which suppliers do you experience raspberry growers reckon are the best overall for quality and VFM?
I gert a high water table in winter - sometimes it's been less than a spit deep. It's never affected the raspberries at all that I could see, though flooding kills them if it lasts any time at all.
I think computer has thrown a bit of a wobbly, as I typed this message a bit ago, thought I had sent it, but it does not seem to have got through.
Delboy, all plants are usually guaranteed. 5% success rate with your canes is completely unacceptable. Complain to the company, and I am sure they will be more that happy to replace/refund.
Having named the company, if you get no joy, post again letting us know, so that we can avoid the company in future. The companies cannot afford this sort of bad publicity!!
valmarg
I've used and been pleased with:
http://www.buckingham-nurseries.co.uk/acatalog/Index_Soft_Fruit_23.html#10637 at about £7 for 5 canes
and
http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/stockresults.aspx?fruittype=72 at about £12 for 10 canes
and most recently, and most prolific, Joan J from
http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/rkmain.asp?PAGEID=20670&STK_PROD_CODE=1060-5516 at about £20 for 12 canes
They like a moist but not wet, slightly acidic soil, looseish if possible so if you're on heavy London clay (like me) you need to dig it deep and incorporate lots of well rotted manure before planting. My plot is on a flood plain, and I ridged up about 6 - 9" before planting to give them a bit of breathing space.
I purchased my glen ample from Marshalls, and I beleive all but one grew. Very pleased and they have been very productive and I am now thinking of getting Autumn bliss to add to the collection!
They are from the edges of woodlands so don't mind dappled shade - mine are in the dappled shade of my apple trees. Also they are incredibly shallow rooted, so be careful when hoeing or digging nearby.
I would definately follow valmargs advice and telephone them complaining! Funnily enough, I got a van Meeuwens catalogue today. On the odd occassion I have had problems, other companies have been very quick to refund or send replacements, not questions asked.
Brought four plants last year from Van Meeuwen, three are still alive but not doing much, they have remained stunted and I should dig them up and bin them. The fourth plant was a tree which was in very poor condition and we 'phoned the company who said we had to return the tree before they would do anything, we duly did this and they replaced the tree several weeks later, with one that was in a worse state than the original. We don't use them any more their catalogue goes straight into the bin without being opened.
Thanks Mike, I will do just that.