I received 4 little raspberry plants from Darius just over two years ago. Look how much they've increased. I am truly amazed! And they have the BEST berries! Thanks, Darius!
Raspberries from Darius - GREAT trade!
Hi GrannyLois,
Those are for sure a big batch now!!! What is your secret for growing such wonderful rasp. bushes??? I'll just bet the berries are heavenly :) About how many quarts do you get from them now??
patricia
I think the secret is planting them in a place they like ... and you don't know that until after you've planted them ... Sorry!
I fertilize them once or twice a year with Miracle Grow. I water them when we're having a drought. That's it.
Quarts? I don't know. Maybe a quart a week. This year should be a bumper crop, though. Yummy!
Oh yummy!!!!! Raspberry Cobbler for sure!!
"eyes"
Wow! Lois, you have had similar growth that I had from my original 2 plants 4 years ago. I had maybe 2+ gallons of berries last year but this year looks like a bumper crop even with thinning for trades.
Darius, they've started to ripen and whenever I'm out there, I pick a few delicious 'first fruits', and they're scrumptious! You and I have about the same climate, etc., and these berries must feel really at home here.
I never knew raspberries grew in the South - but I guess our elevation helps (being in the mountain area). My parents in Wisconsin have grown them for years and I always think of raspberries as a northern thing. Thanks again for trading with me - was it 3 years ago - I know it was right after davesgarden.com got started.
Lois, I joined DG in March, 2001 and I believe it was early that summer you came for the raspberries, so it's just 2 years. Mine are starting to ripen, too, and I find it irrestible to pick and eat a few when they are still covered with dew in the early morning.
About 2 months ago, I finally dug and transplanted just 20 plants into 2 rows so I could train them to a trellis. Unfortunately, a week ago we started some backhoe work to repair a bad leak in the basement and he had to dig right where the transplanted raspberries were planted... so that batch was dug again and given away. I probably have 25-30 plants left still in the original bed... quite a lot of growth from the 2 plants I started with 4 years ago! Like yours, I guess they like it here...
I plan to take some with me when the house sells and I move.
Where will you be moving to? Another house, same town? Or a new town?
Asheville is getting too expensive, so I'm looking to move to the Andrews/Hayesville/Murphy NC area down near the Georgia line. My best friend (and gardening buddy!) Bud lives there, and my aunt has a new house nearby on Lake Chatuge just north of Hiawassee GA where I can live while house-hunting. They're in Fla. and don't use the house but a couple of weekends a year, so it's a perfect situation.
Trying to make ends meet on my social security check is no picnic, and my extra income from selling books online has dwindled, mostly due to spending my time tending to my mother who had a stroke last year.
Darius, that sounds like a good match for you. I'm sorry to hear about your mother. Where does she live?
My mother is now in Assisted Living nearby in Asheville but she was in FL last year when she had her stroke. I moved her up here in November, into Assisted Living, and have had no peace since... I guess I'll have to move her as well, after I get settled as it will be too far to come to visit very often.
Im looking for raspberry plants for sase or possible trade. Im a new member!
gretagreta, where are you located? I will probably have some for postage.
(ps, you can go to your member page and add your location and zone... it helps us all in doing trades.)
Thanks Darius! Im outside of Portland, ME. I'm a mix of zone 4 and 5. I tried earlier to add the info to my page but I have two young kids and they can be pretty distracting!!!! The reds you have need spring pruning right? I havent done that before, is it complicated?
I never prune them, except to cut out what are obviously old canes that are not growing...
These bear 2 crops a year, one about June, and a larger crop in Aug-Sept.
You might want to wait until the summer heat is over to get your raspberry plants. The heat in shipping is so devastating to them unless you have them sent priority, which would be a bunch of money....
That sounds like a good idea to wait, Darius. I appreciate your help and interest. I hope you havent sold your house before the weather turns! But Im in no hurry for cold weather, I'm so glad summer is here.