Growing raspberries in containers? MERGED

Addiscomber

Probably about 5ft tall and about a foot wide. They are quite easy to look after, but are shallow rooted and throw up suckers very readily. They need supports and may need netting from birds, but I don't bother to net mine - I like to share with my resident blackbird family. If you look for a variety called Joan J you can have rasps right through the autumn until first frosts.

pobby_2

thanks both of you for the quick response, knew I could count on this board for good advice! Sounds perfect for what I need and I know that my children will probably beat the birds to most of the fruits in any case!! At least that's what happened with the strawbs last year!

will let you all know how I get on.

Just ordering some stuff from thompson and morgan (shallots/garlic/raspberries (free just P&P to pay) and some tomato seeds)
Also got loads of free seeds at the end of last year from a friend with an allotment so plan to plant carrots, peas, beans, salad leaves and beetroot and leeks. Should fill my patch up quite nicely!

I have also just bought a plastic covered shelf thing (like a very very small greenhouse with 4 shelves) to use for propagating my seeds so guess I'm going to have a busy few weeks!!).

Expect me back soon for more advice!! :rotfl:
Paula x

elliep_2

I'm another newbie looking for raspberry advice.

I LOVE raspberries and bought 5 canes yesterday. Currently they look almost dead but I assume this is how garden centres usually sell them so I'm not worried about that.

My problem is that I need to grow them in a pot because the ground in our garden isn't ready yet. Currently they are in a bucket (bigger than the pot they were sold in - just a standard bucket with holes drilled in the bottom.)

Will that be big enough for them all season? If I put 3 long 6 foot bamboo canes in there tied at the top will that be enough for them to climb or is it really not going to work like that?

illusio

Pobby, don't count on the kids getting the raspberries before the birds - most of our earlies were stripped while they were barely pale pink, so have invested in netting this year for those, the strawbs and the cherries (small tree). Shame the plum trees are too big to net, have to find another way to stop the squirrels stripping the plums while they're still green (grrrrr).
Re the plastic shelves/propogator, make sure you attach it firmly to something rock solid, or you may find yourself sweeping the contents off the patio after a blowy evening like I did.

Ellie, my raspberries in the ground are only just starting to show signs of life; the ones I've just bought (yellow rasps!) also look like twigs right now but a few weeks in soil will soon remedy that.

theoretica

I would think five canes in one bucket would be too cramped and would be more inclined to put one, or at most 2 canes into a plastic storage box (with holes in bottom) as raspberries like to spread shallow roots. They don't climb canes like peas, you need to tie them to whatever suits you. If they are summer fruiting ones you are unlikely to get much, if any, fruit the first year as they fruit on the old canes.

I have some yellow autumn raspberries and their first/summer crop is really disappointing, but their later/autumn crop is great so I have cut them all down for autumn fruiting this year.

elliep_2

Thank you. I'll get a storage box or few and spread them out. I'm not really expecting much fruit from my gaarden this year but am setting it up for future years so I'm not worried what the prodution is like this year really.

Lots of things, well mostly rhubard, I'll be leaving to get stronger rather than harvesting if I can resist it anyway.

Lotus-eater

See
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=362188

Personally if I had the space at all, I would put them into the ground. They will grow well in half shade as well.

elliep_2

I really can't put them in the ground yet. I still need hubby to dig out some massive ivy roots (there were left to do their own thing for at least 10 years, we don't know about before that!) and he says he won't do it at all if he has to avoid things I've planted while he does it.

I do have another place that they could potentially go though. It's a small opening between paving slabs that is just under a trellis. Woud that work? The visable soil is about 6 foot long but only about 6 inches wide. It does have a very convenient trellis there though which would help with being able to net them. And no ivy to worry about in that part of the garden. Other trouble with that spot is that it's north facing, there's a fence behind the trellis as it's the boundry with our neighbour.

Am I best off planting in the spot described or doing what I can in a big pot this year and planting in the ground on the south facing part of the garden when DH has got rid of the Ivy?

Lotus-eater

Raspberries roots are very shallow and I would guess that the paving slabs would hinder their roots and it being north facing as well, I would give it a miss myself.

You're better off planting in the ground as I'm sure you know, but that depends on whether you can get your OH to get the ground ready or not in the very near future.

elliep_2

OK. I'll give that spot a miss and do what I can in pots this year. I know I'm unlikely to get much yield and I'll have to keep watering a lot but we have too much DIY that needs doing in the house and I'm not going to put any pressure on DH to dig the ivy up. I might go buy a new fork (we need to do that anyway) and give it a go myself but they're so huge I'm not convinced.

At least that way my rasperries will produce their new canes so that next year when they're in the ground there will be a better chance of them producing more? and if I get even enough for a bowlful with cream this year then I'll be a very happy girlie.