North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["fuwa fuwa usagi" <fuwafuwausagi@muchomail.com>]

It was so queried:

I'm in zone 5. We're looking at a red raspberry and a purple one, and  
maybe a golden one. We haven't decided exactly which yet. Maybe  
Heritage  and Royalty, and possibly Anne.

My reply:

In evaluating raspberries you want to consider soil type, management, and 
ripening time in conjunction with zone.  I am not sure why color matters 
unless you intend to have 3 varieties that ripen at the same time.  Normally, 
a home grower (perhaps that is the key, maybe this is for a commercial 
endeavor?) you attempt to spread your harvest over a on period of time, 
unless you want a freezing variety in which case you double or triple up on a 
variety for that season.

As a rule everbearers are much easier to handle(if managed as mono-croppers) 
but they are late in the season relative to most varieties.  

You might wish to strongly look at Caroline as an everbearer that has had 
success in many soil type s and locations.  Heritage is also a very proven 
Everbearer that has much to recommend it.  But once again consider soil types 
and management.  I think at this point if I had to chose, given yoru zone I 
would take Caroline over Heritage for an everbearer.

Taylor is an awesome late season raspberry that I would recommend everyone 
grow who has decent soil and can deal with the hassle of a summerbearer.  I 
have let my land go fallow for 5 years now, while I wait to replant Taylor.  
We have missed it, but I have only so much land.  

The reality is my summer bearers tend to burn out in 7-10 years, I have never 
had that problem with an everbearer and mine are going on 15 years or so.  
But I manage the everbearers as mono-croppers.  I have heard tales of 25 
years with Heritage from homegrowers.

If you have rich soil (maybe in dappled shade) I like Fall Gold.  Once again 
an everbearer.  

tfb






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