Raspberry shrub – Autumn Bliss 2ltr pot

The plants are supplied as bare-root canes, so it is important that they are planted out as soon as they arrive. If this is not possible, they can be heeled in temporarily (covering their roots with soil) or potted up. Before planting, soak the rootball in a bucket of water for half an hour and prepare the ground well, removing all perennial weeds and adding plenty of well-rotted garden compost or manure. Plant canes 8cm (3in) deep, at 45cm (18in) intervals, carefully spreading out the roots and backfilling with soil. Subsequent rows should be 1.8m apart. Normally after these autumn fruiting raspberries have been growing for one year, all the canes should be cut back to just above ground level each February and fed with a slow release fertiliser. However there is an alternative way of pruning that brings the harvesting season well into summer, thereby increasing the months of berries. At the end of autumn, instead of cutting all the canes to the ground, only prune out the canes which fruited. These will grow on next year, fruiting much earlier than usual giving you a summer crop. Next year’s spring shoots will emerge as normal to give you your autumn crop of raspberries.As the canes emerge they can be tied onto their supports as normal.