raspberry plants...why are just some of them yell...

[apprentice tycoon]

This has got me stumped - I know that someone will know the answer to this

I have a row of 8 autumn fruiting raspberry canes along the longest side of the greenhouse (outside, in the soil) 6 of them are big and green leaved, the 2 at the end of the row look very sickly with yellowing leaves, if this is a soil deficiency why is it just 2 plants that are affected and are there any remedies?
Thanks

[JAMIEDODGER]

hi AT.....i dont know why sorry but i did want to ask you a question.......when can i buy raspberry plants for fruiting next year and where is a good place to get them? do they fruit in the first year and can i plant them in pots???? um lol soz that was 4 questions!!!!!! hope you can help me JD

[apprentice tycoon]

Hi Jamie - I bought mine from Ken Muir , by post. They have a wonderful stock of fruit trees and plants. I seem to remember mine being delivered in december (this is about 3 years ago now) to plant while they were just dead looking sticks, I got no more than 1 or 2 fruit of each cane and it's been building up since....apart from these 2 end plants! Not sure about the pots though, maybe someone else will know that one.

[calleyw]

Is it they are being sorched by the sun. Are the others getting more shade.

Otherwise no idea.


Yours

Calley

[tootles]

It could be an acid deficiency in the soil, try watering them with watered down cold tea....... sounds daft I know, but I think rasps like a slightly acidic soil. and yes you can grow them in pots, but you must cut out the fruited stems each year and you will need to train the shoots onto a fan of some description by tying them in, they will fruit the first year but need feeding and the amount of fruit will build up over the years, look on Ken Muirs site and see if there are any he recommends for growing in pots.

[apprentice tycoon]

Thanks for the replies - I've just had a re-think and a bit of a brainwave. The ones that look sick are near the guttering of the greenhouse, many years ago I used to clean the outside glass with Jeyes fluid, could this have contaminated the soil as it will have run off on this side?

[squeaky]

It could have done, I have no idea how long it would last in the soil though. I think jeyes is alkaline isn't it? So the tea suggestion would be a very good idea if so. I didn't know Ken Muir had a site - isn't there anything on there that could help?

[apprentice tycoon]

Originally Posted by squeaky

I didn't know Ken Muir had a site

Now you do surprise me - you know every website that was ever written!

I'll see if theres a problem page but I think that it must be the Jeyes that's done the damage

[squeaky]

Originally Posted by apprentice tycoon

Now you do surprise me - you know every website that was ever written!

Heck no! I'm just getting a whole lot better at using search engines. I used to be the worst searcher on the planet. Now I've improved a bit and am probably only the second worst now

Good luck with your own search, but the one thing you really need to do is find out if Jeyes is alkaline or acid so you can counter it. And the other one thing you need to do is try to find out how persistent it is in the ground. And another one thing you might care to look into is digging them up, shifting that soil out, and then putting them back. If they'll accept being mucked about - which is a nuther one thing you might need to know.

[tootles]

Yes you can dig them up and shift them but not until the autumn, cut out any stems that have had fruit on them, the new growth will fruit next year, you can tell the difference because its green where as the stems that have had fruit on this year will be brown.

[apprentice tycoon]

Thanks both of you - now that it seems pretty obvious that the soil is contaminated I will have to take your advice and either move them or change the soil, I like them where they are because they make a nice screen for the greenhouse, so another question has arisen - if I swap the soil with some from elsewhere, is this contaminated soil going to do more damage if I put it where I got the good soil from?

[squeaky]

I'd say yes, without a doubt. If Jeyes is persistent and is indeed causing the problem. If you're convinced it is I'd dispose of the soil unless you have a corner somewhere where nothing ever grows so you could do a swap.

You've got time to make sure you have plenty of compost ready which would reduce the need for pinching soil from elsewhere in the garden given the advice you've just read.