Raspberry strip/patch

**Russ** · 06-17-2008, 02:44 PM

I live on 10 acres, so I have plenty of room to start a raspberry patch.
Here's my line of thinking - please guide me if you have better suggestions.

I like the thought of the Heritage raspberries and just mowing them down as a way to prune them.

I was thinking a strip rather than a square patch for a couple of reasons...
I can scoop out the clay the width of the loader and fill with some better quality soil.

Easier to just mow em down and mow around.

Tractors rototiller is about the width of the bucket.

I want this to be as little work as possible in the future.

**suki** · 06-17-2008, 02:52 PM

Don't they need 2nd year canes to produce berries even on heritage varieties? And, yes, a strip works best so you can actually get in to pick the berries.

**Russ** · 06-17-2008, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by suki

Don't they need 2nd year canes to produce berries even on heritage varieties? .

I don't think this is true for the everbearing, but if you quote me on that I will deny it.

**zakity** · 06-17-2008, 05:03 PM

Research it well to make sure that mowing them down is what you should do.

**missyali** · 06-17-2008, 05:10 PM

Keep me posted. We just planted a strip for picking purposes. I think the mowing idea sounds good if the blade is up as high as possible.

**suki** · 06-17-2008, 05:14 PM

Apparently you can mow the heritage raspberries, but you will only get one fruit cycle instead of ever-bearing fruit.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1421.html

**Russ** · 06-18-2008, 07:15 AM

THATS why I wanted to plant that variety. I knew there was a reason.

I also found this article at Fine Gardening.
http://www.taunton.com/finegardening...spberries.aspx