Monday saw a massive improvement in the weather with some decent sunny periods and still with mild temperatures for early December.
Our new raspberry canes arrived first thing in the morning. When ordering online I’d been asked to give a preferred delivery date by Ashridge Nurseries and the delivery arrived as I requested.
The plants were unpacked and the canes looked to have some good roots which had remained nice and damp on their journey from Somerset to Ossett. These canes are to be shared equally with Jan our plot neighbour.
As it was such a nice day we decided to see if we could get the new raspberries planted up on the allotment.
Now to be honest we hadn't prepared the allotment ready for these new raspberries. My intention was to store the raspberries in a large tub filled with soil over winter and plant them up next spring. The plan was to move the post and wire supports shown above which had been erected for our now dead raspberries to a new location along the edge of the plot.
This is the new location for the raspberries with the new supporting fence running along the edge of the path at right angles to the one supporting our blackberry, Loch Ness. The ground needed a quick dig over and I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't too wet to turn over and break up into a decent tilth. The wires were removed from the old fencing and the posts pulled up. This went much easier than I’d imagined it would and the old posts were moved to their new location and spaced out correctly. By sheer good fortune the length of the two fences has finished up the same. The posts were rather temporarily knocked into their final positions, the raspberry canes suitably spread out and planted.
Tulameen, a variety we haven’t grown before, are planted in the foreground and Glen Ample a tried and tested variety at the far end of the row. The posts still need to be hammered in a little more once I remember to take my sledge hammer down to the plot and then the wires can be rethreaded. The whole process was helped a little as I could work from the grass path and I didn't have to tread on the soil or risk standing on any of our leeks. We plan to use some weed control fabric around the canes but that’s a job that can be done in spring.
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They look really healthy plants. The weather's lovely again today, perfect weather for outside jobs.
ReplyDeleteI've never done so much on the plot in December before. Wonder how long it will last?
DeleteThese seem to have good roots on them,unlike the ones I bought online last year which I then planted in a mud bath!
ReplyDeleteI suppose buying online is a bit of a risk but the choice is much better.
DeleteA wonderful long row of raspberries, they're my favourite soft fruit. I've got Glen Ample as well, they're fantastic. I located my weed control fabric in the darker depths of the garage today, so I can start on my planned strawberry bed at the allotment when time allows.
ReplyDeleteOur fruit stock on the plot seems to keep growing. We should replace our strawberry bed next year but I think we will see how the plants perform next summer before making any plans.
DeleteMay the better weather continue, at least until the Raspberry planting is finished.
ReplyDeleteSome forecast are suggesting this milder weather might continue to the end of December. Although they have been known to get it wrong in the past.
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