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Do my raspberry canes need thinning?

Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
in Fruit & veg
I have an area  approx 1m square where I grow Glen Moy raspberries.
They were planted in 2016.
I had a good harvest this year, but I'm pretty sure my canes have got raspberry leaf and bud mite (RLBM) as the leaves are showing all the signs.
I only realised yesterday that the soil pH is wrong (pH 7.8) but that's for another thread...

I've removed last year's canes.
Do I need to thin the new canes?
There are about 45 new canes.





Billericay - Essex

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

Posts

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Maybe if some are small or weak looking it would create more space for air flow over winter preventing dampness @Pete.8
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Thanks @purplerallim there were quite a few canes thinner than a pencil, so I took out about 20.
    Unfortunately I see they now have raspberry rust as well as mites...
    I'm wondering if I should cut them all down and see if they grow healthier the year after, or to leave them and see what happens next year

    I think the soil conditions (too alkaline) have weakened them and left them open to attack.
    Last year I planted Autumn raspbs in the same soil (but about 20ft away) and they're not looking too healthy either.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Don't be too fast to judge them @Pete.8 This year my autumn ones are not as good as usual. The plants are not as healthy, the fruit is smaller and fewer in number, so it is probably more to do with weather than the plants fault. Probably leave them till next year for the summer ones, the autumn will be cut back anyway, so they hopefully will be ok.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    P.S. My soil is alkaline too, its never bothered the autumn ones.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Thanks @purplerallim I appreciate your thoughts
    Yes, it'd be a shame to loose them so early, it's only their 2nd year of fruiting and they were delicious. The canes for next year don't look great, but I'll wait and see.
    I'll try the sulphur to get the soil pH more to their liking and mulch them well in the spring and see how they go next year and do the same for the autumn raspbs too.
    It has been very dry here and I'm sure that's contributed to the problems

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Mine are getting a top dressing of manure this autumn,  so it can be worked in over winter.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I've always spread manure in autumn over many years, but I read some interesting posts that suggest mid to late spring is the best time.
    If the manure is well rotted then spreading it the autumn allows the winter rains to wash all the goodness out of it and by the time the plants are ready to use it several months later, it's mostly gone - seems to make sense, so I'm going to try the spring approach next year
    I've got some home-made compost that I'll mulch with in the autumn as it's low in nutrients anyway and will just add some organic material (and weed seeds..) to the heavy soil

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    That is interesting.  I like the idea of doing it in winter, to get rid of the stinky time before I need to be doing things with the area, but yes it probably does get washed away somewhat.
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