Raspberry rainbow
Why limit yourself to red? There’s a world of flavour and colour out there. So open your eyes to the ...
ASK someone to describe the appearance, texture and flavour of raspberries and the chances are t heir response would go something like this; conical, red fruit about the size of a thumbnail, with a soft, knobbly and aromatic exterior that gives way to sweet, juicy flesh with a delicious flavour.
Well, that’s not too bad, although raspberries do vary in size, shape and flavour. But the biggest flaw in that definition is… not all raspberries are red. There are yellow, gold, orange, purple and black varieties. Even the red ones come in a range of hues, from light to dark.
In fact, more than 50 different types are available in Britain, split into two groups, based on when they fruit. Summer varieties produce berries towards the end of June until August, while autumn raspberries bear fruit from late summer until mid-October.
Both types have their champions. Summer varieties tend to crop heavily for a short spell, while autumn raspberries produce a succession of fruit over a longer period.
I don’t think there’s any discernible difference in taste, but gravitate towards autumn varieties as they deliver the taste of summer up until the first frosts.
Bare-root plants, known as raspberry canes, can be planted at any time during the dormant season, roughly from November until March. They are happy in sunny or slightly shaded position and will do well in a rich neutral or slightly acidic moist soil that’s fairly well drained. Set canes 18in apart in a shallow hole, about 12in wide and 3in deep. Spread out the roots, cover with soil, firm into place and water. Cut stems back to 9in above the soil to encourage lots of fresh growth, and mulch with a 3in layer of leaf mould, garden compost or rotted farmyard manure. The stems of summer fruiting varieties can easily soar over 6ft, so need some support. Either plant alongside a wall or fence fitted with training wires, or make a support system – drive a 6ft stake into the ground at each end of a row of raspberry canes and run two wires between them, at 2ft and 4ft vertical intervals.
It’s important to get established raspberry plants off to a flying start in spring. Feed with balanced granular fertiliser and shoots will soon start to extend upwards.
Keep plants well watered during dry spells, especially when fruit appears, or the crop is likely to be poor. Raspberries are ready for harvesting when they are plump, consistently coloured and easy to remove.
PICKINGS from newly planted canes will be light this year but expect bumper crops from next year – plants will last for a decade or more before yields tail off.
I’m often asked how to prune raspberry plants. It depends whether they are summer or autumn-fruiting. Summer types bear fruit on stems produced the previous year, so cut back spent stems to ground level once harvesting is over, leaving any green shoots to provide next year’s crop.
Autumn-fruiting varieties are much easier to maintain. These produce fruit on the current year’s growth, which emerges from the ground in spring. To keep plants healthy, within bounds and productive, simply chop back very close to the surface after the last fruit has been eaten.
GET THE TASTE OF SUMMER RIGHT UP TO THE FIRST FROSTS