Allotments 4 All

I have just been out and cut down the fruited canes on my summer fruiting raspberries (already on the plot when I took it over). Is there anything else I should be doing?

I have found that they they have spread quite far from the wires that I guess were supposed to support them. Can I dig up these and replant them to fill gaps? Should I thin the crowded areas? Also noticed some of the canes are a bit yellow. Do I need to feed them? Also, there is lots of couch grass growing below them...can I just leave it as I am worried about damaging the raspberry roots?

I am thinking of maybe getting rid of half and planting some autumn fruiting canes as we love them so much. Any advice on varieties?

Infact any advice at all on raspberries as all I know is how to eat them!  :)

Hi Emmalou
I was advised to plant 'Autumn bliss' when we first got the plot.  Apparently they're trouble free, they don't need support either.  Mine are fruiting for the 1st time and they're lovely ... :)
D

I believe commercial growers dig out the new plants and use them to replace old. I should just go ahead.

I recommend the variety Joan J. have grown these now for about 3 years, fruit is large (fruiting now) and good flavour. They also freeze pretty well if you get them just at the right time - not too soft.

I was given a few canes of a yellow autumn variety (unknown), they are very tasty and the birds leave them alone. Because I only have a few canes at the moment, they end up getting thrown into milkshakes ... a useful way to use very  small quantities of fruit.

Derekthefox :D

Just to confirm that you can dig up escaping canes with as much root as possible & move as appropriate. Where canes are too crowded cut out the weakest. We have autumn fruiting canes next to summer fruiting ones & ! problem we have is that the former seem to send new canes out further than the latter so I'm concerned that they may get muddled up in the end. As for the couch grass, depending on your views, I'd be inclined to use a herbicide once the canes have lost their leaves. Potash feed late Jan.

RHS say at this time of year remove fruited canes (as you have done) and tie in new growth that is pencil thickness and thicker.  remove thin canes and canes that are growing more than 8 inches from the cenre of the rows.  you can propagate by digging up canes and replanting, but would plant these and any autumn varieties (i recommend 'autumn bliss') in a new bed and not in the existing bed as this may cause various probs.  plant canes 14-18 inches apart allowing the row to be 6ft away from any other fruit you have growing (because of shading).  hope this helps.   ;)