North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Diane Whitehead <voltaire@islandnet.com>]

Sheridan described a raspberry he's growing in Montana which filled a  
four foot square in a year.  That sounds like one I am trying to  
eliminate.

I tried to buy Tulameen for a couple of years, without success, so I  
bought what was available:  Boyne, Autumn Bliss and Fall Gold.

I planted six canes of Boyne two years ago, on a community garden plot  
I rent.  Last year they fruited early, then all summer till late  
fall.  I kept pruning out new canes, but finally decided it was just  
too enthusiastic for the restricted space.  It had infiltrated not  
only my entire 20 x 50 foot plot, but was in the pathways and over  
into the neighbour's plot as well.

My nephew, who owns ten acres, dug out all the canes in the winter -  
two full-sized pickup loads of them.

I have been digging out resurgent plants all spring, digging and  
redigging the same areas.  I am amazed to see buds sprouting from such  
thin roots.  It is worse than couch grass and Canada thistle.

Meanwhile, the Fall Gold has perhaps doubled its space, and the two  
plants of Tulameen I was finally able to get have a few new sprouts  
right around the original cane.  That's probably why it is hard to buy  
- it only increases modestly.

I think Boyne should be restricted to places like the Yukon.

Diane Whitehead
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
maritime zone 8, cool Mediterranean climate
mild rainy winters, mild dry summers