I planted my raspberry canes as directed and after much research on the net. I am convinced it did it right...planted them in early spring, now it's June and all I see is the same stubby 4" cane (one per plant) peeking up at me from it's happy well watered, well manured little home. I am guessing some new plant activity is present but I cannot identify it, all I see is what most likely is weeds and grass starting up in the cozy homes I created for these canes...I don't expect anything to really happen until next summer but would LIKE to know if there's a runner or two, a leaf or two, SOMETHING to show some activity...how do I see this? Can anyone describe or show me a pic of the kind of growth that should be happening? And by the way, I planted them with the cane standing upright and only one of them touching down to the soil...was this a mistake??? I planted 5 of them, 3-5 feet apart. Can I let the grass grow around them knowing they will make themselves apparent sometime in the future?

Missydog_lala,
Welcome to The Garden Helper's Forum!!!
We're very glad you found us!!!

And an extra special Welcome to a fellow
New Yorker!!! YAY!!! Glad to have you on board!!

By any chance do you have a picture of your
plant(s)?

And outta curiousity, where did you get them from??

* * * *
Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2





http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

Same issue with my raspberry. I just bought one bush, everbearing, and I think I got it at Lowes. (Don't yell!) I planted it, watered it 2x week kept the grass down around it. I think I made 2 mistakes. One being, I let the first 'berry' ripen, instead of cutting it off. I think I shoulda cut it off so it could work on the vine growth instead of the fruit growth. 2nd, I surrounded it with some extra bricks I had laying around...and I'm wondering if I smothered any suckers because of it

Here's what it looked like before I realized I shouldn't have let the berry grow - sometime around the 1st week in June.


Still haven't really figured out how to prune it. Everything I read explains what to do with a full grown plant. This is so not full grown, that I'm kind of at a loss for what to do with it I'll have to get a more recent picture...I think we're down to less leaves now than pre-berry

* * * *

Yeah, I found that out after the berry grew, we picked it and ate it. <sigh> Not sure were to go from here.

* * * *

Do they have thorns?

* * * *


http://www.picturetrail.com/bestofour

Okay. I checked - closely. I felt my raspberry up this morning LOL no thorns, anywhere. Not on the main cane or the leafy shoot. LMT send instructions for your raspberry dance please?

* * * *

quote:

---

Originally posted by MaryReboakly:
Okay. I checked - closely. I felt my raspberry up this morning LOL no thorns, anywhere. Not on the main cane or the leafy shoot. LMT send instructions for your raspberry dance please?

---

It's not unusual not to have thorns on such a small stick. The darn thing never should have grown a branch!

Oh, got bills? LOL!

* * * *
Currently listening to: Vince Guaraldi Trio -- A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adult and contemporary but evocative of youth and innocence, a must own CD.

quote:

---

Originally posted by LMT:
To Missy and Mary,

I posted last night but got a closed for maintainance message, so you get the cliff notes.

Missy -- If those plants (root stock) have been in the ground for more than six weeks and no plants have sprouted primocanes then you should, carefully, pull a little soil away from the stem. I think you might have them planted too deep. If you see a bit of green, push the soil back and grin.

Mary -- Now that the cane has fruited (rare), cut it back to a 3-4 inch stem so it will develop primocanes.

---

I do need to expand on this. I planted 6 plants/bare root stock last year. One was DOA. One only managed two whimpy primocanes. Two rocked and produced fruit.

What grows this year (primocanes) will produce this fall's and next summer's crop (when they are floricanes).

Like most weblinks, this will be helpful next year.

* * * *
Currently listening to: Vince Guaraldi Trio -- A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adult and contemporary but evocative of youth and innocence, a must own CD.

I hope so! Where did you get your raspberries, if you don't mind my asking? I'm afraid I shouldn't be shopping for these things at a big box store, which I did (Lowes). I can chalk it up to being their 'fault' if it doesnt grow LOL! At least though, it doesn't seem to be dying. I did pinch off some leaves at the tip of that one tiny branch, because they looked dried up. That could be a sign of things to come, I suppose. I have to admit, I started to neglect it a bit (not enough water for awhile) because it wasn't in plain site and I forgot about it. Bad, bad me.

* * * *

Thanks - next time around I'll definitely buy from a nursery instead! --grumble--

Cross your fingers for me that this one comes up. I haven't given up hope yet.

* * * *

Thanks LMT...I have next to no skills, so that's comforting to hear. I'll keep ya posted.

* * * *

You're good for my ego Thanks!

* * * *

That's very true. Its amazing how much I've learned over the past couple of months. Who woulda thunk this NYC girl would be composting and seeking out manure for gardening a year ago? Not me! Pretty cool when I think about it

* * * *

Your sister move to the big apple? Poor gal. I know what kind of culture shock that can be. My partner moved there with me, coming pretty much from rural Illinois. Course she did live in OKC for a while, so I guess it wasn't nearly as shocking as it coulda been. She holdin up ok? Big weekend this weekend She'll have a blast if she can handle the crowds.

* * * *

Na, she moved to Chicago. Different but from very small to very large none the less.

* * * *
Currently listening to: Vince Guaraldi Trio -- A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adult and contemporary but evocative of youth and innocence, a must own CD.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by LMT:
[QB] To Missy and Mary,

Missy -- If those plants (root stock) have been in the ground for more than six weeks and no plants have sprouted primocanes then you should, carefully, pull a little soil away from the stem. I think you might have them planted too deep. If you see a bit of green, push the soil back and grin.

LMT--I am hoping that instead of making all the above-ground stuff like leaves and canes, that my raspberry plants are busy doing underground stuff like making root systems and sending runners. In which case, if there are in fact runners, I am afraid to weed between the plants in case there ARE runners. So I let grass and wildflowers and all sorts of stuff go on instead. And perhaps that is a mistake. I did, however, mulch directly around each of the 5 roots I had planted (5 feet apart for good measure). Not sure if this was a good idea but time will tell. And thanks for the help!!!!
Missydog

Here's a picture I took about 3 days ago. You can barely make out the edges of the leaves turning brown I checked it again yesterday, and they're more brown...I don't think it's a good sign.


I didn't get out there to check it today, but will check back tomorrow to see if it's getting worse. I've been watering the h#ll out of it, but may be it's too late

* * * *

Missy,

You should see some green around the root (crown root). If you don't, I'd guess they are too deep and I would carefully pull a little soil back.

Mary,

You need to cut off the portion of the plant that fruited. About two inches below the green should work. Yes, a dead looking stem.

* * * *
Currently listening to: Vince Guaraldi Trio -- A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adult and contemporary but evocative of youth and innocence, a must own CD.

I had a similar experience, but I kept watering the plants - put them on a drip system that watered them every day for an hour. The second year, the plants put up a few new shoots, but not as many as I expected. This year, the third summer, I am finally getting raspberries and the plants are putting out runners to create new plants. I imagine (and hope) that next year there will actually be enough berries to actually do something with! Growing fruit seems to be a long-term investment. Hang in there!

* * * *
Ethel
Highlands Ranch, CO