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Building a raspberry frame

Ryan180680Ryan180680 Posts: 202
in Fruit & veg
Anyone got any hints and tips on building a frame for growing raspberries? 

Posts

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Best place is against a wall or fence . Are they summer or autumn fruiting?
  • Ryan180680Ryan180680 Posts: 202
    They must be autumn as it's not flowered yet
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Ok so these do all their growing in one year and then are cut down in February to 6 inches or so unlike the summer fruiting which have fruit on last year's growth so it's important to know which you have. Mine are against a fence with posts either side with wires across about 12 inches or 30 cm apart and about 6 foot tall so six wires. As plants grow they are tied in to make a fan shape to give each stem room. This also helps when picking. So where are yours.
  • Ryan180680Ryan180680 Posts: 202
    Currently I just have them in a pot. Would it help if I took a photo of them to see if they're summer or autumn fruiting?
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    No photo won't help is there no label?
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    edited July 2018
    They need to be in the ground now as they have big root systems and need lots of feeding how long have you had them.
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    edited July 2018
    They get tall, so you need posts standing at least 5 feet high above the ground. You want two rows of wires - one near the top, one half way up. They aren't heavy plants in the winter, so it can be a reasonably lightweight structure, but sturdy to cope with summer storms that we seem to get often these days.
    They are fairly shallow rooted, so you should try to get all the weeds out before you plant the canes - weeding around them once they are established is quite difficult. 
    If they are happy, they run everywhere, so if you don't want an entire garden of raspberry, the bed where you plant them needs fairly well defined edges and good access to be able to pull out the escapees (so not next to your best prize dahlias, for example). Or put in a root barrier of some kind if you can. 
    They aren't heavy feeders, once a year when they begin to flower is probably plenty - easiest thing is to mulch them to avoid disturbing the roots.
    They don't mind partial shade.
    Ideally, you want to be able to walk both sides of the row to pick them, but one side at least, so again, not too close to plants you might tread on as you go.
    It doesn't matter much if they are summer or autumn fruiting as far as the frame is concerned. The plants are basically the same size and shape, you just prune differently. Autumn fruiting is easier because you just cut them to the ground in winter. Summer fruiting you need to leave 4 or 5 of last year's canes to bear this year's fruit.

    If they aren't flowering now, they may be autumn fruiting, or they may be immature. Either way, if you can keep them watered in the ground, then get them in. That way if they are autumn fruiting, you may get a crop this year. If it's easier to keep them alive in this weather if they are in the pot, then leave them, keep them in the shade and plant them when the weather is kinder. In that case you probably won't get fruit this year, but you'll keep them alive at least.
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
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