Kitchen Garden Forum

What is the best way to deal with the offshoots that come up way outside of the line that you have allocated to the main canes? If I pluck them off, they just regrow but were I to use glycophosphate I surely run the risk of killing the parent plant because they are interconnected. Advice please.

Transplant them and you'll get new plants to use or give away.

If you dont require extra plants just hoe the spawn off but be careful as they are shallow rooted.

However, can you ever have enough raspberries?

Thanks to you both. Yes, some could be saved for new plants but the real issue this year is the sheer numbers of off-line suckers. There must over a hundred in a 10m row that are surplus to replacement. I'll try hoeing them carefully.

Regards, Tristram

My OH would agree with you piglet, but when he has ruled out jam, you've made vinegar, sauce and framboise and you are still getting around eight pounds a day what do you do with them? There's only two of us. I freeze of course, but actually end up giving loads away.

Oh I forgot, we have them with our muesli every morning and for pudding at dinner, sometimes even just in sandwiches. I do love them too, I just don't know what to do with them all.

Hello Tristram
I've found raspberry plants are pretty tough and stand up well to severe root pruning. I cut along both edges of the bed quite deeply with a spade then ease out all the roots beyond the row limits with a fork - most of them will pull out easily as they are shallow rooting. I do this during the winter, can't say that I'd recommend such ruthless treatment in the growing season though - you've still got time this year to have a go.
Also within the row, cut out any thin weak stems and then thin out any overcrowded ones so as to leave about 4 - 6 strong stems per foot run in the bed.
I'm assuming you've got summer fruiting raspberries.

John

That's most helpful, John. My previous method had been to dig each one up individually, trace it back to the parent plant and cut it off with secateurs. With the sheer numbers this year (reason for which mystifies me) I had a day of the triffids vision. What you suggest seems much more time-effective and something I hadn't considered.

Yes, I do accept the view that you can't have enough as voiced. But when you have filled the freezer, supplied the whole village with give-aways and sold some to passers-by at the end of the drive, you have to ask why do we do it? Don't know. Maybe it's an obsession. I can think of far worse one's, however.

Tristram