Should I pluck out newly sprouting raspberry plant?

[bigbad]

I just planted a bunch of raspberry plants a while ago.

One of them is still showing ZERO signs of life. I'm really starting to think it's dead.

The other three are sprouting leaves, so I'm not as concerned.

That said, one of them, has another plant growing from it... 6 inches away.

Is that possible?

There's a brand new raspberry plant growing SIX INCHES away from the original cane that I planted a month ago.

I know it's a baby raspberry plant, because it has those trademark rosetta leaves. Nothing in my garden sprouts leaves like that... the only rogue plants that sprout from underneath the soil are weeds or clovers, which I vigorously pluck.

So my question is... should I pluck out this raspberry plant? 'Cause it's only 6 inches away, and I read somewhere that it's gonna be detrimental to both raspberry plants if they're too close in proximity...

Also, the raspberry plants that are sprouting leaves, have leaves growing in all kinds of directions. Should I prune these in any way? Or do I just let it grow with the flow, freestyle?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sounds like they are doing very well. Don't totally give up on that one that has not sprouted either. It may yet send up shoots from the roots.

Do not, I repeat, do not pluck that plant. They are just getting established. Let them. And do not prune them yet.

Raspberries and blackberries send shoots up from the roots. You do not even need that bit of cane that was sticking out of the ground and is now sprouting to get them started. If you had just buried the roots, most would have sent shoots up. Those shoots are exactly what you want.

The first year when they are getting established, you may not see a lot of shoots, but that is how they reproduce. They send shoots up from the roots. These are clones so the berries produced will be exactly what you want. Blackberries and raspberries can grow from seeds, but those are pollinated and you are not sure what the berry will look like. With these clones, you get exactly what you want.

The canes are short-lived, usually two years at the most. You need new shoots coming up to replace the ones that bear and die. If I remember right, one of the varieties you got was Caroline, a red raspberry that will produce quite a bit on the first year canes. They will produce a little on the second year canes, but usually not much. The usual recommendation is to whack them off to the ground every fall and just depend in the new canes for production. Don't expect a lot of production this year since they are just getting established, but the following year should be very nice.

Some varieties of raspberries and almost all blackberries bear on second year canes. You do not whack them off every year. You remove the ones that have born fruit every year after they quit bearing, so you have a lot of time before you even think about any pruning on them. Once any of these get established, you will have a thicket, not a few individual plants. That is the way they grow.

I remember you mentioning in another post that this is the first thing you have planted. Relax a bit. It sounds like you are doing great.

 

[Rozzie]

I agree! Leave it!

Red raspberries (at least the ones I have) bear fruit on the current year's growth. So, that little baby should have fruit THIS YEAR. Blackberries, on the other hand, produce on last year's growth. So, protect that old growth. At the end of a growing season, you can prune out the old stuff. Mark it somehow if you need to so you can remember.

Just make sure when it's past time for those canes that you do prune or you'll end up with an unmanageable thicket.

 

[bigbad]

I agree! Leave it!

Red raspberries (at least the ones I have) bear fruit on the current year's growth. So, that little baby should have fruit THIS YEAR. Blackberries, on the other hand, produce on last year's growth. So, protect that old growth. At the end of a growing season, you can prune out the old stuff. Mark it somehow if you need to so you can remember.

Just make sure when it's past time for those canes that you do prune or you'll end up with an unmanageable thicket.

Thanks... I think the baby isn't red, though... it's an Anne, which is yellow...

 

[bigbad]

Sounds like they are doing very well. Don't totally give up on that one that has not sprouted either. It may yet send up shoots from the roots.

Do not, I repeat, do not pluck that plant. They are just getting established. Let them. And do not prune them yet.

Raspberries and blackberries send shoots up from the roots. You do not even need that bit of cane that was sticking out of the ground and is now sprouting to get them started. If you had just buried the roots, most would have sent shoots up. Those shoots are exactly what you want.

The first year when they are getting established, you may not see a lot of shoots, but that is how they reproduce. They send shoots up from the roots. These are clones so the berries produced will be exactly what you want. Blackberries and raspberries can grow from seeds, but those are pollinated and you are not sure what the berry will look like. With these clones, you get exactly what you want.

The canes are short-lived, usually two years at the most. You need new shoots coming up to replace the ones that bear and die. If I remember right, one of the varieties you got was Caroline, a red raspberry that will produce quite a bit on the first year canes. They will produce a little on the second year canes, but usually not much. The usual recommendation is to whack them off to the ground every fall and just depend in the new canes for production. Don't expect a lot of production this year since they are just getting established, but the following year should be very nice.

Some varieties of raspberries and almost all blackberries bear on second year canes. You do not whack them off every year. You remove the ones that have born fruit every year after they quit bearing, so you have a lot of time before you even think about any pruning on them. Once any of these get established, you will have a thicket, not a few individual plants. That is the way they grow.

I remember you mentioning in another post that this is the first thing you have planted. Relax a bit. It sounds like you are doing great.

Thanks a lot.

I'm still concerned about the raspberry plant that's not sprouting any leaves. The other three raspberry plants are starting to sprout tons of leaves. The two planted closest to a wall, seem to be doing great. Maybe it's the shade?

My area is pretty hot, after all. Today, we had a high of 92 degrees.

The one Caroline raspberry and two Apache blackberry plants are still AWOL.