Ripe Autumn Raspberries

My allotment, and garden at home for that matter, is looking a little bit sad where things are beginning to come to an end. However I am pleasantly surprised with my autumn cropping raspberries. I have never really been one to concentrate on fruit, apart from my giant strawberry patch, but these raspberries definitely made me sit up and take notice. The variety is called ‘Joan J’ and gives the deepest red, largest raspberries that I have ever seen.

Now I know some of you may say that size is not everything, but I can assure you that the taste of these are definitely not impeded due to their large size. It seems as if I am picking cupful every day just off at about four plants, that were given to me as transplants last year. Even the birds seem to leave the Autumn fruit alone, after having their fill of the summer cropping fruits!

Any new canes that have appeared as small new plants, will be dug up and moved to a new location. I do not want to overcrowd the raspberries which will make it easier for air to circulate between them and much easier to crop. (They have spiny stems which can cause discomfort when harvesting the fruit if there is no room). As soon as this variety has finished cropping for the year I shall cut the canes back down to the ground where they will then sit dormantly during the Winter months. I will apply a mulch of well rotted manure to the base and leave them to have a well earned rest, ready for producing their fruit again next Autumn. Next year though, I must remember to support them more against my fence as the weight of the fruit sometimes causes the plants to bend and sometimes snap.