This week we've noticed our blackbirds perching on top of the poles that hold our Autumn Bliss raspberry cane supports. A bit early we thought, what optimists! But no, they are on the ball. Today I found three really ripe raspberries. Perhaps there were some before, that the lucky blackbirds found first. If so, then they deserve a few for keeping a closer eye than us!
Has anyone else ripe autumn raspberries yet? Admittedly we are on the edge of the French Pyrenees but it hasn't been particularly warm this spring. In Hertfordshire, I used to reckon on summer raspberries by the last week in June. But that was 8 or 9 years ago.
That is early... but as you are in the Pyrennes I'll not get too excited about mine down the lottie! ;D
I have just picked over a dozen Autumn Bliss. They were off canes that I did not cut down to the ground in the autumn. I can't remember where I read the suggestion to do that with a few canes to get some early raspberries. It has certainly worked!
Quote from: InfraDig on May 27, 2011, 15:31:26
I have just picked over a dozen Autumn Bliss. They were off canes that I did not cut down to the ground in the autumn. I can't remember where I read the suggestion to do that with a few canes to get some early raspberries. It has certainly worked!
Yes, that was what I was wondering as well. You can cleverly manage autumn fruiting raspberries by selective pruning to get an early summer as well as a summer/autumn crop. Not that I've ever tried it, mind you!
I seem to remember having Autumn Bliss with the summer rasps last year. They were newly planted that year. No sign this year though, behaving properly it seems.