Advice requested on growing raspberries

Hello
I started growing raspberries in a couple of pots last year and they did very well. Over the winter with the heavy rain, the soil became waterlogged no matter how hard I tried to protect the plants but when the weather warmed a bit in February, there was some growth on the plants. However, since the cold snap in March killed the growth, the plants have been barren and there is no sign of new growth. Recently, I have been using liquid seaweed as feed but I'm not sure the best way to bring the plants back to life. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Hi,

Did yours fruit last Summer, rather than in the Autumn ? ( there are two distinct types)

Did you prune out the canes that had fruited ?

Know its all questions, but if they are the Summer type they should be covered with growth and almost in flower by now, yours do sound more like you have lost them, to either cold or some bugs in the soil.

If they are the Autumn ones then if it could be the same, but worth seeing if it makes some new growth as they do develop later.

Can you take and post some pictures of them, so much easier to see the extent of the problem.

 

Thanks very much for your reply. I have a Glen Ample and a Cascade Delight, which I believe both produced the most fruit around August last year and are a summer variety. I didn't do any pruning last year as I read something about waiting until after the second year but I did prune one after the growth at the start of the year died off, in case it encouraged further growth.

The photo isn't very good as I took it just now in the fading light but this is the Cascade Delight with no growth. The stem in the middle was where there had been signs of life earlier in the year.

 

Hi,

Yes they are both summer friuting varieties, but from the look of them they do seem rather dead I'm afraid

Generally once a cane has fruited they are cut out as they will not produce effectively again.
While those canes were friuting, you should have seen new shoots coming up from the base and when you cut the old canes out the new ones should be at lest a few feet tall and thye will produce next years friut.

Did you see any new growths, where they the ones that died off this February ?

Have grown Raspberries in 12" wide big pots, one per pot, but your tub does look quiet shallow.

The damage could have been done last year as they need losts of water and if they dried out a lot in thouse shallow tubs that could have affected them badly...?

As you say the heavy rain and frost might have also seen them off , or the dreaded vine weevil might have attacked the roots.

If you lift one up, does it have any signs of healthy fine white or light brown roots ? and are there any little 10-20mm grubs around the base of the stem ?

Might be a bit late to get any new stock this time of year, but you might be better planting them in the ground/soil if thats possible ?

Looks like your Strawbs are doing all right

 

Personally I dont think the containers are anywhere near big enough.
I'm in the south and I dont remember a cold snap in March anywhere near cold enough to upset the growth on raspberries, My thinking is they actually died of water logging over the winter, and might have made a token move in early spring.
As Ricky says, old fruited growths should be cut out, and the new ones tied in for this years fruit, if you didn't get any new canes coming up during last summer it was going wrong even back that far.

You appear to have the containers on soil?
I'd grow them directly in the ground, they have a habit of wanting to move around a bit anyway.

 

I would agree with @pete as regards the container size. Its a while since I grew raspberries, but when I did, a single cane would be put in an 18" pot. Those containers look to be maybe half that side to side. Not deep enough either.

 

Thank you very much to everyone who has replied. Unfortunately @pete & @Sandy Ground , nothing can be grown directly in soil as under the grass there is only about 1cm of soil before hitting crushed concrete. I did consider a raised bed this year but with the social distancing situation, I haven't been able to get to the shops to buy any of the necessary items. I don't believe that the plants dried out last year as I water thoroughly but the point about the pot side is noted. I think they are only about 30cm deep (maybe 80cm x 30cm x 30cm?) and 1 plant was put into each pot. Thank you for the advice.

With respect to the question about the roots, @ricky101 , most of the roots look to be darker but I did notice some nearer the main part of the plant that look a bit lighter. Does that mean that I could try to repot them? Or are they likely to be totally dead?

 

Hi,

In all honesty, think its a lots cause, if there is no sign of a leaf by now then they cannot be healthy to say the least.

Fruiting plants like Rasp and Stawbs need to be in top condition and growing vigourously to produce the best crop, even Strawbs have to be replaced every 3-4 years as they run out of steam and become prone to disease.

If you can get to a garden center now they are reopening you might find some pot grown ones still for sale, more likely the Autumn fruitng ones which can be better than some of the summer types.
If non in, you will have to wait until the end of the year for new summer canes to come in or get them mail order.
What you want to go for in the "long Cane" Summer types where they literally come with a big long cane that will give a small amout of fruit that year, so no waiting for the second year with the typical ones you can get that are chopped right down.

Use a big and deep pot as you can per plant and use new soil or compost, you should never plant new Strabs or Rasps in the same place as the soil / compost can build up diseases etc.

 

Thank you for all of your help @ricky101 . I will try to get some bigger pots in the future and some more compost and then look at getting some new plants.