Which raspberry should I grow?

[Tora]

Hi, this is my first post here! Nice to see you all. :)

I've just taken on an plot of allotment. This is my first allotment so I'm really excited about this! ;D
Anyway, I'm thinking of growing raspberries. Which varieties would you recommend? I'm interested in autumn fruiting ones like "All Gold", "Joan J" because I'm too impatient to wait for over a year for the first crop but thinking of planting summer fruiting ones too.
Also any tips for growing them would be very welcome!

Thanks

[Tora]

[flowerlady]

Hi Tora, and welcome.

I'm also on the quest about rasps.  Would love to know all about yellow rasps.  Which ones etc.   :-\

I shall use the search facility too, there is a wealth of info in there if you have to time to go rooting  ;D

I have some unknown rasps on my site, no idea if they are early or late.
Need to know is it too late to dig them up to sort them out, or, is it best to prune out the excess the resort next autumn!! 

talk soon  ;)

Have just been doing a search, the mind boggles with all the tips etc.  'Joan J' seems to be a popular choice

One tip I have always known about is:  when you start to tie in the canes, always use the same side of the wire for one year, and the other for the following year.  Then when it's time to cut out old canes you won't get confused which is which!!  ;)

[mat]

I don't think you can do much better than "Autumn Bliss"  I bought these 13 years ago by luck as they were the only Autumn ones in a garden centre and I thought, umm, Autumn ones sound good.  I have since read on several occasions, they are the "best" variety.  Crops are a good size (though none will totally compare to summer fruiters) fruits themselves are a good large size and the flavour is excellent.  Mine grow to 5ft high and as they are next to a fence, they need just a bit of string around them to keep them upright.  Mine are 13 years old and are still good.  They crop from about August right up to the first frosts, so in some years this has included December.

mat

[sandersj89]

Another vote for Autumn Bliss, loved it for years. Good flavour and yield.

Jerry

[grawrc]

Me too! Autumn Bliss are good.

[vee]

That's good to hear, as I've just planted Autumn Bliss and Glen Ample for the summer.

[grawrc]

Hey!! That's what i've got too  ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Mothy]

Hi Tora & Welcome  ;D

I too am a fan of Autumn Bliss, I planted some last Feb and they fruited the same year. So good I've just put some more in today!!

[Moggle]

I'm pleased so far with my Galante. According to Ken muir you can crop em twice! I ordered 5 canes last year on about the last day they'd send them out (april?) and still got at least a couple of take-away containers full (enjoyed them immensly on christmas day!)
I'm still waiting to see what happens as far as 'second cropping' goes!

[moonbells]

I'm  Joan J /Glen Ample grower.

One advantage Joan J has over Autumn bliss is that it's completely spineless.  (So for that matter is Glen Ample).  I find that summer rasps tend to go more acidic when you freeze them, but the autumn ones don't.  So if you like rasps and want to save them, go for autumn ones.  If you want to eat loads in season, get summer, or give up and get both!

Just don't plant the two types just 2' apart as after 2-3 years you don't have a clue which is which!!!!

(Ahem)

moonbells

[tricia]

Glad to hear the recs. for Autumn Bliss as I planted ten canes last Autumn. I didn't cut them down to ground level and the greenery that was on them when they were planted is still there, though not growing as yet. Question - should I now cut them down to ground level or leave them as they are (about a foot high), some with greenery near the top and some bare?

TIA

Tricia

[grawrc]

Autumn fruiting rasps should be cut right back now as they fruit on this year's (new) growth. Don't leave it much longer though.

[mat]

re: Autumn Bliss

you can leave last years the canes on and get a summer crop on them and this years growth will crop in the Autum...

BUT and a BIG but, you get fewer canes this year and hence fewer Autumn fruit.  I know from experience as I read this was possible and one year when I was ill, I did this, but the number of canes and fewer Autumn fruit (and I believe weakened canes the following year) mean I will never do it again.

mat

[Tora]

Thank you all for kind replies and good tips! ;)

I will definitely plant Autumn Bliss canes. In fact I saw some healthy looking Autumn Bliss canes at a garden centre this past weekend. I must go back and get some!

I want to buy a few more varieties including summer fruiting one. Do you think Glen Ample is the best summer fruiting variety?
Am still interested in All Gold. Some catalogues say they taste even better than Autum Bliss. Has anybody grown All Gold? Galante sounds interesting too...
I wish I could grow them all!