What's the best way of removing raspberry runners?
Last year I dug each one out carefully but it took forever - this year I have more runners than the parents so I can't face doing the same method.
They're only about 2" high - can I just hoe them off and keep hoeing until they give up?
They will never give up!
The roots are very shallow, if you are trying to restrict the area they are growing in, then dig a spade in about 18 inches from the main plant, if you just do not like the look of them then cut or shallow hoe them off.
Remember that you need some of them for next year, so do not remove them all!
You can always dig a few up, put them in pots and start a new bed, or even give some away.
The first time we moved them I let OH do it... we just ended up with two beds of Raspberries!
::)
actually they're worse than blackcuurrants imho. So much diggung out every year.
And to think I like to see more rasps coming up! But to answer the question, I agree you can hoe them off, this can be effective in controlling them but then they may just creep a little further underground and come up elsewhere!
You can insert strips of corrugated steel about 12 inches deep into the soil to form a barrier which will generally stop a lot of the runners, as they don't tend to go too deep.
They are planted next to a lawn on the one side and open ground on the other.
On the lawn side I may get one or two popping up but these are cut when the lawn is mowm. I guess sowing a stretch of lawn the other side might be the best long term answer?
I never knew raspberry canes produced runners! I though they were shrubs! Ah well, at least I know in advance what to do when I see one now!