Autumn Raspberries

[davholla]

I garden on heavy clay soil and these don't do well.  Any advice?  I am wondering whether I should give up or try something else.

[davholla]

[Tee Gee]

No experience with such a situation but my first thoughts are dig a trench around 18" deep and as wide as the number of rows you would like to grow.

Then fill the trench with a layer of gravel on the bottom to act as a drainage layer and to stop surface water ponding.  Next top up it up with material other than clay e.g. from your compost heap or some such source.

Plant you Raspberry canes and fingers crossed you you should be able to grow Raspberries.

Keep us informed on what you decide to do.

Edit
On second thought reverse that procedure and build a raised bed at least 12" high.

[BarriedaleNick]

My neighbours always did well with them on clay but we were on a slope so I guess drainage was better..
Personally I always struggled with getting them to even root..

[davholla]

My neighbours always did well with them on clay but we were on a slope so I guess drainage was better..
Personally I always struggled with getting them to even root..

Did you never ask them what their trick was?

[Paulh]

I grow them on heavy clay and they have done OK even when neglected. If I dig up ones that are straying too far into other places, they don't always take if I stick them in where they should be - it's more successful if I pot them up for a few weeks to grow on.

Unfortunately, they are being shaded by the boundary hedge / tree, so I will have to have a good go at that this month.

[Vinlander]

The Autumn Bliss on my plot are a weed that I would tolerate more if they didn't prefer my deep (one spit ~25cm) woodchip paths. They seem to like running rapidly down the interface between the raised beds and the paths - where they get good drainage, very light chip to move through on one side and heavy fertile soil on the other.

I think it's a good system for raised beds in many ways, possibly the best, not forgetting the chip also tends to lure couch and bindweed away from the beds (so much easier to remove from chip) so there are much worse things than raspberries. They may even stabilise the soil when the planks start to rot.

I also occasionally get good crops, but it's a nuisance brushing past them even after I've removed those side branches - I keep intending to tie them back from the path, but there are too many other niggles to fix.

Cheers.

[IanDH]

My plot is on heavy clay.  Currently grow rasps in a raised bed.  Mixed a lot of compost in when setting up and add compost to the surface every year as a weed mulch - double job of adding compost and feeding bed.  Summer and Autumn rasps seem to like this arrangement.  Bone meal on the bed at start of the season and additional feed - growmore type couple of times later in year - especially for Autumn varieties.  Autumn Bliss is OK, but Joan J gives bigger berries in more abundance.  Thinking of outing Autumn Bliss and looking at something else but I do like their flavour.

[BarriedaleNick]

My neighbours always did well with them on clay but we were on a slope so I guess drainage was better..
Personally I always struggled with getting them to even root..

Did you never ask them what their trick was?

Nah - He was a great gardener but never seemed to do much!  He had the ability to just pop things in and forget about them and they would do well...

[Deb P]

Keeping them weed free was my problem on clay full of couch grass.....it took over in the end and the shallow roots made it impossible to weed properly.

[Digeroo]

I am having a problem keeping my raspberries weed free.  So this year I am experimenting with leaves.  Last year dumped several bucket loads of them around the raspberries.  It seemed to be working well so I have done it again.   But it does not stop the nettles and dead nettles.
It is difficult to understand quite what sort of soil raspberries like.  Seems they do not like clay, they do not like alkaline what do they like. 

[Paulh]

According to the RHS web site article on growing raspberries:

"Raspberries thrive in moisture-retentive, fertile, slightly acidic soil (ideally pH 6.5–6.7), which is well-drained and weed free. They dislike soggy soil and shallow chalky soil.  For best results, plant in a sunny position. They will tolerate light shade, but may produce a smaller crop."

How long have you had your canes and did you buy them as certificated virus-free?  Viruses can affect them substantially after seven years or so.