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I've just received my delivery or raspberry canes ( 5 x Octavia and 5 Glen Ample ) and i was wondering whether I'm too late to get them planted into they're final position for fruiting this year, or should i " heel them in " and wait until next year? anyones help would be brilliant :) PS. any tips on soil prep??

Either way you're planting them, so why not do it properly?

OK Rob, i see your point, it means i need to get my skates on to build a permanent fruit cage as the existing one that i inherited in march, has seen many better days, and a lot of nettles. Cheers

You can always build a fruit cage round them later. meanwhile, get them in. I don't find the birds are too bad where raspberries are concerned, but they go for currants and strawberries like nobody's business.

Agree with Robert, birds don't seem to be a problem at all with rasps - slugs however are a different matter, the b*ggers can climb quite high, and I've often caught them munching away on fruit after rain.

i would say a little late but plant them anyways, you'll probably wont get fruit this year but next year you should be ok

       Any tip on soil prep? Dig a trench and put in as much compost and farm yard manure as you can get. Don't for get the plants will be sitting in that spot for about ten years before they need replanting.

Thankyou one and all for your replys, you are all stars.... ;D

Give them as much organic stuff as you can, but I'd put it on the surface rather then digging it in. I found years ago that autumn leaves took a lot longer to rot down under the surface than they do to disappear when I just put them on top.

Rasberry canes make good hedging round the edge of lotty to shelter more delicate plants within!  Just a land scaping idea!

Looks like your fruitcage is in the right place Andy... Nettles usually indicate good soil!
;D