Raspberries...which cultivar do YOU grow?

Putting in Raspberries this year, but undecided on which varieties will do best in our climate. Need to order soon. Give me some advice, please.....

I've thought about raspberries, but they seem like a lot of work to me, what with pruning the old canes & not the new canes, and keeping them under control. Then there's the thorns...... Think I'm going to stay with lower maintenance berries like Blueberry & I think I'm going to try some Boysenberries.

Could you assume that what they have for instance at Lowe's would be appropriate for this area? I hope so, because I got my Triple Crown (thornless) blackberries and some grapes from them.

I was just wondering about raspberries a couple of days ago. I saw them for sale at Lowe's. I thought that our summers were too hot for them. They grow wild up top of Mt. Mitchell.

This message was edited Feb 21, 2008 7:51 AM

Not sure I'd trust Lowes as I recently perused their Blueberry selections, and several cultivars were better suited to more northern areas. Having said that, I purchased some Patriot blueberries there on clearance a few years ago, and they have done well.

Anyone else growing raspberries???? Someone in the Carolina's must be--there's even a Raspberry called 'Caroline'.....

'Caroline' is supposed to do well and bear continuously in the heat of our summers. I bought that one on sale last year from Parks and sadly to say, never got the bushes in the ground. Considering my neglect they did OK in the pots and I had at least 3 berries. LOL Not sure however if they would do better under different circumstances.
Hopefully they are still alive and I will try and be a better berry parent this year.

There are a number of pick your own thornless blackberry farms in the lowcountry so they should do well anywhere.

My DH ordered raspberries quite a few years ago. No telling what cultivar they are, but they produce like crazy and require nothing from us aside from pruning to keep them from taking over the world. The berries are wonderful.Only drawback is that they have major thorns and I have had a few pop up from the birds 'reseeding' them for me next to the fence. They are in a fair amount of shade as well. If you are game for the thorns, I have a few rooted pieces around. I won't take offense if you'd rather have some that aren't so scratchy, though.
Bev

Thanks for the kind offer! For now, I think I'll keep researching which varieties do best here, but if I don't find any substantial recommendations, I'd be glad to trade you something for them. Will let you know what I discover (if anything!).

Good luck in your quest:-) My DH never thinks about stuff like cultivars...to him, a raspberry is a raspberry, lol! Typical.

Are you heading to Asheville for the ru in May?

Raspberries are a continuous weed for me. I can't seem to get rid of the wild so I won't be planting them. I did notice that at least the wild ones don't like the sun very much. They are always growing under something or in a shady corner. Hope that little tip helps someone.

There's a listing at CraigsList for raspberry plants ($1.5 ea), in case you're interested.....

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/grd/579970837.html

Thanks everybody--great advice!

TggFisk--there's a round-up in Asheville? Hadn't heard....I was thinking of dmailing Lavinae to see if she was going to put on the trade again this year. I'm not sure she will be interested since she is so much further away, now. I might try to do it, but maybe not if we all do Asheville.....where did you get details on this?

Yotedog, I have no clue how to include a link to a thread, but this is in the "roundup" forum, with this as the first post;

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN ROUND-UP
Asheville, NC Saturday, May 3, 2008, Swap Starts @ 10:00 AM

This will be held at Lake Julian Park in Asheville. Please indicate your preferences here, and later we will start a swap thread.

I'd like to go, but still can't find any company. I'll keep trying....:)

I'd love to try raspberries, but the wild blackberries that areher have been very bitter for the two years I've been here. Would the raspberries be bitter, too? I admit to being totally clueless......