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market-farming - [Market-farming] Mowing down ever bearing raspberry canes in spring the second time.

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  • From: Marlin Burkholder <burkholders AT glenecofarm.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Mowing down ever bearing raspberry canes in spring the second time.
  • Date: Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:18:18 -0400


About 15 years ago when I first planted ever bearing Heritage raspberries, I
would have them begin bearing in late August, hit peak production by mid
September, and continue to produce fairly consistently until mid October,
and if we didn't get hard early frosts, still be picking a few as late as
Election Day.

The past few years the raspberries have begun bearing earlier and stopping
sooner. This year they began ripening by the first of August, hit peak by
mid month, and are now shutting down before they used to reach peak
production.

I think this problem is getting worse as the planting gets older. Younger
plantings seem to continue initiating new primacanes into May and June, thus
producing canes that flower and fruit later in the summer, thus extending
the harvest.

I normally mow the canes to the ground sometime during the winter months and
have the primacanes beginning to grow out in early April. I wonder what
would happen if I would mow down half of my patch a second time in late
April or early May with the idea of pushing forward one month the initiation
of primacane production and spreading out the fruiting season.

We are located in a zone 6 climate.

Marlin Burkholder
Virginia







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