Kitchen Garden Forum

Today I have received 5 Polka barerooted canes, planting advice, that i can find is 2' between plants and 6' between rows.
My question is as I only have five canes do I plant in a long row or can I plant them one in each corner and one in the middle.
Not quite sure how tall they grow and how much support they need?

Most summer fruiting raspberries need support. For ease of picking and maintenance for future years I would have thought planting in a row is best.

Autumn varieties don't tend to grow quite so tall so maybe you would get away without any support.

Either are going to be in the ground for at least 10 years so better to give them the best start you can.

Beryl.

I only have autumn fruiting rasps and just put them in clumps along the edge of the garden where they are protected by a fence and partially shaded by fruit trees. They've never had any support and always give fantastic crops.

As Beryl says, they need a good start in life so put as much muck in the planting holes as you can spare. Mine also receive an annual mulch of home-made compost

Thank you Beryl and Solway cropper for your replies

I know this is an old topic - but I didn't know if anyone had any updated experience with Polka? I'm looking at getting a collection with it in and wondered how it fruits.

I planted my 3 Polka canes 2-3' apart in a row, wiith support, but not convinced it was needed. Similarly, they have not needed protection from birds, unlike other soft fruit.

How you plant them is not worth loosing much sleep over -they will spread as they please anyway. Some of mine have made it from Bedfordshire to Worksop (I sent a chap some of the suckers, but you get the idea). You'll need to thin out the canes to keep them under control.

The fruit came steadily through autumn; easy enough to pick a 1L ice cream tub per week, sometimes enough to make a summer pudding with the strawberries and blackcurrants.

The books say to cut them to the ground after fruiting in autumn/winter, but if you ignore them and just thin them out a bit in winter, you can get a smaller spring crop too. This then leaves the less than ideal job of prining out the old canes from the thicket of new ones in summer. Wear long sleeves and stout gloves !

Thank you Tony for that info. I have just had 5 freebies delivered from the Daily Mail. I've not had much luck with Autumn ones before and this time have allocated them much more space..

Beryl.

Hi Beryl,
With my autumn Raspberries I prune at the end of February beginning of March leaving just one decent cane to give me an early crop whilst this years autumn crop is is growing away like mad.
As Tony has said the new growth is extremely virile and certainly some thinning is needed every year. As long as there is no disease the thinings can be passed on to another gardener.
Autumn Bliss are very aptly named and Joan J the primocane variety are very prolific but somehow do not have as good a flavour as the sheer bliss variety.
Sincerely,
JB.

Thank you JB. My canes are growing away very well and already throwing out fruiting spurs, I am looking forward to trying the berries this year as I renewed my summer canes as well last spring so won't get anything till next year on those.

Regards
Beryl.