Don’t feel like reading?
Try watching our Sales Advisor Eric explain about the production of long cane raspberries in detail in this 26 minute video:
Propagation of Long Cane Raspberries
To create the young raspberry plants for production roots are grown in containers. Once a vast root system has developed they are cut into smaller parts. These roots are then put on beds and covered with growing media.
After a while new shoots will develop from the roots and the young plants are born. The next step is to take the young plants from the beds and put them into separate containers.
A growing medium that is often used for growing the shoots from the roots is fiber-less coir. Watch this 6 minute video to learn more about coir and it’s properties and solve some common misunderstandings.
Tipping long cane raspberries – young plants
We usually advice to place the young plants in growing media composed of coir and fine European block peat.
There are two main points of attention for the production of these young plants.
Firstly you need to make sure that the irrigation intensity is appropriate. When the tips are developing roots they need intensive fogging to be able to take up enough water to grow. However, too much fogging can lead to issues like botrytis.
Secondly, you need to keep in mind that the young plants need a proper feed schedule as well in order to grow and develop.
Transplanting for growth
Once the roots have developed and there’s no frost risk the plants are transplanted into larger containers. It is most common to put two young plants in one container to optimize fruit production and the use of the space and growing media.
For more susceptible varieties we recommend growers to use growing media with a large chemical buffer and a higher air content. This way the chemical composition will be stable and roots get enough air and space to develop. Schedule a meeting with our team for personal advice and support on this topic.
Storing grown plants
The raspberry plants are usually put outside with a supporting system to develop and reach a height of approximately 180cm (5’11”). In autumn growers bring down their feed schedule and plants start losing leaves. Eventually all leaves should be removed mechanically or manually before putting the plants into storage.
It’s crucial to make sure that the plants are pre-cooled before they are wrapped in plastic and put in cold storage. If the plants temperature is still too high when you store them away they will remain active and create their own warmth. In addition it is also highly important to make sure your plastic cover has holes in it, as a totally closed environment may lead to botrytis or gasses can build up.
The ideal temperate for storage is -0,5 degrees Centigrade (31°F). If the temperature is above 0°C (32°F) plants will remain active and already start to grow. This means you will lose a lot of potential growth/plant power later on. The same goes for storing the plants in too low temperatures for too long.
Fruit production
Once the plants can come out of cold storage they are transplanted in larger containers. We usually recommend using growing media that are composed of coir, European block peat and perlite to offer optimal security and stability to the plants. Don’t hesitate to contact our team to learn more about the growing media available for your plants.
Fertigation schedule
Make sure to take a careful look at your fertigation schedule. These plants need enormous amounts of nitrogen at the start of this growing phase. The composition of your fertigation liquid and you strategy should always depends on your fresh water quality and composition. Contact our Sales Advisors for more information or support on this topic.
Growing structure
Best practice is to create rows of 3 pots per meter, 3,28 Foot (each pot containing two plants), with ropes supporting the plants to prevent kinking of the laterals. Raspberries should always be produced under cover to protect the fruits from wind and rain, as well as animals.
Watch the video at the top of the page if you’d like to see some visual examples of what’s been described in this article. Don’t hesitate to contact our Sales Advisors if you’d like to learn more.
Or read more about our products for raspberries.
