billh
Pro Member
Posts: 231
Zone:: 6a
Joined: December 2011
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Post by billh on Jul 12, 2014 7:05:00 GMT -5
I bought this type because the claim is 1 crop in the spring, another in the fall, or 1 big crop in the fall if you mow the plants in the spring. With time always in short supply around here I thought the "pruning" sounded easy enough plus it would be cooler in the fall for picking and preserving. I don't really have a question just wondering what your thoughts are.
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elliemater
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Posts: 226
Joined: June 2014
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Post by elliemater on Jul 12, 2014 10:41:36 GMT -5
I bet they will do great for you. They didn't survive in my borderline zone 8b-9a garden in Jacksonville or here near Pensacola either. They are described as being good for zone 8 but that must be true for zone 8 with less intense summer heat. I think sometimes the zones should be rated for heat intensity as much as for how cold it gets since the heat actually limits which plants I can grow than the cold.
Heritage is a primocane raspberry, supposed to fruit in the fall. But there is a earlier summer crop the second year...not maybe what you are thinking of though. Let me put here what Cornell University says about it...this is a great description:
Primocane-fruiting raspberries produce fruit at the top of first-year canes in late summer. If allowed to overwinter, these same canes will produce fruit again in early summer of the second year. However, the quality of this early summer fruit is inferior to both the late summer primocane crop and summer crops of floricane-fruiting types. Also, harvesting the early summer second-year crop is difficult because of interference from new primocanes. Likewise, harvesting the late summer primocane crop is difficult because the primocanes are thinner and taller when the second-year canes are allowed to grow, too. Most growers sacrifice the early summer second-year crop in favor of a smaller, but higher quality late summer primocane crop.
To prune primocane-fruiting raspberries for a single late season crop, the canes need only be cut to the ground in early spring. New canes will grow each year and fruit in late summer, the canes will be cut early the following spring, and the cycle continues. It is important to cut old canes as close to the ground as possible so that buds will break from below the soil surface. If canes are not cut low enough, fruiting laterals may form on any remaining cane portion. These fruiting laterals are not healthy; they are entry sites for insects and disease pathogens. Also, any fruits that form will most likely rot, attracting pathogens and creating a source of inoculum (disease-conducting material) for the late summer crop. All canes that are cut from the planting should be removed from the area and destroyed. In warm climates, the primocane crop can be delayed by mowing the young primocanes a second time when they are approximately 1 foot tall. Pinching the primocanes (removing the growing tip) in July to stimulate growth of laterals will also delay fruiting. This is sometimes done to delay harvest until after the intense heat of July.
The timing of cane cutting is also important. Carbohydrates move from plant leaves into the crown in autumn, and from the crown to the buds in early spring. If canes are cut before all the carbohydrates reach the crown in autumn, the new canes may not be as vigorous the following year. Canes can also be cut too late, after carbohydrates have moved into the buds. From December through February, most carbohydrates are in the crown, so this is the ideal time to cut canes. The advantages of a single cropping system are that (1) cane thinning and detailed pruning and tying are eliminated, (2) cold injury of buds is eliminated, (3) winter damage from rabbits or voles is eliminated, (4) spur blight, anthracnose, cane blight, and several other diseases are reduced, (5) sap beetle problems are reduced and other insect problems are eliminated, and (6) applications of fertilizers and pesticides are made easier.
Yield of primocane-fruiting types is influenced mainly by (1) the number of canes per unit area and (2) the number of berries per lateral. Growers can influence the number of canes produced by plants. Since large numbers of canes do not seem to decrease fruit size in the fall crop of primocane-fruiting raspberries, growers should try to produce as many canes per area as possible. This can be done by planting narrow rows and more rows per acre. Row widths of 12-18 inches are considered ideal for harvesting. The distance between rows should be wide enough to allow available equipment to pass. The other factor influencing yield, the number of berries per lateral, generally depends on the particular cultivar being grown. The grower has little control except to choose productive cultivars.
Sorry for the long post, may have been more info than you wanted..hahaha! But it is really accurate information on this type of raspberry and might help you to get the best crop from them.
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billh
Pro Member
Posts: 231
Zone:: 6a
Joined: December 2011
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Post by billh on Jul 13, 2014 17:13:20 GMT -5
Thanks elliemater, Think I'll do my pruning in January
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Post by bestofour on Jul 13, 2014 23:06:19 GMT -5
Let us know and get pictures if you can. Love raspberries.
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