We're not sure how far from the raspberries to plant the cordon apples & pears. Do they make big roots? I'm getting a bit concerned about space. ATM approx 16' are dedicated to fruit. That leaves approx 36' - any paths for veg as we have a 4' seating area at the top. We have 5 b/currant bushes. One row of rhubarb then a part row of cordon apples & pears with 5 trees. Could the 2 plum trees go at each end of the row of cordons.
Hope you don't get fed up with all my questions.
Janet
The recommended spacing for raspberries is 5 feet between rows - I would allow this between rasps and other fruit too. Yesterday I was digging over an area around 5 feet from the nearest raspberry row and it was full of raspberry roots (which are very shallow).
For your plum trees, it depends on what rootstock they are on. If it's not dwarfing, they are large vigorous trees.
Rhubarb will take some shade so you might be able to save some space by putting it under trees/in the shade of bushes?
It never ceases to amaze me how large little plants grow into huge ones. It seems an enormous gap between each I have to leave when planting.
Trees can be like ice bergs in as much as the spread under the ground can be one and a half times the height above.
I agree that fruit is a treasure, the supermarket stuff tastes like cardboard after you have grown your own and eaten it fresh. Problem is how to keep the huge harvest after a few years the yield is now huge and there is only so much we can eat, freeze, juice, make into jam, sorbets, ice cream, chutney, pies crumbles and even wine.
It is a good problem to have though...
Quote from: ceres on February 11, 2009, 08:01:56
The recommended spacing for raspberries is 5 feet between rows - I would allow this between rasps and other fruit too.
I was going to allocate one of my raised beds 10ft x 4ft (not built yet ::)) for raspberries and strawberries. The raspberries planted along one 10ft length and the strawberries in the remaining space. Does this mean I'm not going to have enough room to plant them in the same bed?
Luckydog
Strawberries have to be renewed every 4-5 years, rapsberries have a life of 15-ish years. So you'd have to dig the strawbs up before the rasps. Raspberries are very shallow rooted so you'll damage their roots digging up the strawbs.
I think the set-up you're suggesting isn't ideal. If your raised bed is 10 x 4, the usable area is actually smaller i.e. you can't plant right up against the edge. So that means the two rows will be even closer than 4 feet. Have you considered the 'sprawl' and shade aspect of the rasps too? Even if you put them on wires and posts, they will take up a good foot either side of the planting line. And then there's the suckers - you'll forever be disturbing the strawbs digging out the stray suckers.
Thanks for the reply Ceres. Will have to have a re-think!
Forgot to mention that they are Autumn varieties. Does that make a difference?
I've got a 4ft wide, 25 ftlong bed ful of 'autumn bliss', double row along the length. vinyl flooring paths either side. Although you supposed to have 5 ft between the rows, this is for commercial crops and ease of picking. but we seem to be able to pick them O.K. !! ;) can't grow anything beneath them. they block out all light to the ground
Thanks for that Tony. Will still have to plant them with the strawbs though, as am very limited for space.