Ask Gerry

In one of your answers about raspberries you say the plants should be replaced after 15 years. D.G.Hessayon ('Fruit Expert') says that would be 8 years. Can there be such avariance?

Three questions in one I'll try to be brief.I planted summer raspberries in my allotment two years ago this summer. They grow but not to any great height and leaves curl no fruit to talk of. I have autumn raspberries beside them and they usually are fine.I have a coronet coxes pippin in a pot which I regularly water and feed . There are plenty of apples coming on but I noticed last week that the leaves are curling and spotting. Will this affect the apples ripening?I have honeysuckle growing wonderfully but the old leaves are dying off. Is this just nature dropping off the leaves or have I a problem. They have lovely autumn berries.

For two years we had amazing early Raspberries. thought they were supposed to be foolproof! Followed all books to the T. Third year they all turned brown and died after growing and leafing up wonderfully. Waterlogged? We re-dug and put on a mounded rows.(Slightly clay soil.) Year 4 Still not good - some canes grew 12 inches, turned brown and died - some never stared growing. Gooseberries, blueberries, currants all grow wonderfully in same place. Everyone I know calls them weeds, but we can't get them to grow.

I planted raspberry canes approx 4 years ago and in this time we have had 3 raspberries I have cut back when i should, in the spring they were sprouting & flowering well then nothing.

Just purchase Raspberries..variety on the packet said 'MARAVILLA'. They were tasty, large and looked good. Can I grow this vaiety myself. Would I need a glass house/tunnel. How do I get this variety

I have raspberry canes for about 15 years, and have good crops each year . I never spray. But this year I have noticed a few canes with crinkled slightly yellowing ( at the edges ) leaves. The fruits are uaffected, but two canes have no leaves or fruits at all. And appear to have died.What should I do to protect my other canes. I have about 40 canes in all running north to south. Thank you Clare

The leaves on some of my loganberries are shrivelled and yellowing. The berries are hard and not ripening. The remainder of the plants are ok but cropping poorly.Any ideas what might be causing it?

My rasberry plants were planted in rows (3) thatare too close together - 3 years ago. They did produce good fruit. If so, what time of year would be best for doing this please and should they be pruned back hard when doing so? Thank you Mary

While weeding raspberries this morning I found 2 beetles. Thye were approx 2.5 cm long , abrownish shell and on the undersurface they had a very distinctive black and white pattern towards their tail. Just wondering if they are dangerous!Many Thanks.

I have Autumn bliss Raspberries growing on a west facing wall which I fed with chicken pellets in the Spring. The crop is plentiful and the leaves appear healthy but the fruit is very crumbly with white bits on the inside. Is this normal?

I want to lift this year's raspberry canes to give to friends. I would normally do this in January, having cut the plants from about 1.5 metres to 0.5m. What's the ideal month to lift them? The old canes have finished fruiting now, but I noticed some new fruit on one or two new green shoots with more small green berries already forming. I thought they'd have to be one or other of either early or late fruiting. I have nettles and blackberry brambles well rooted. I want to dig and spray. Which should I do first?

Is it too late to move new rasberry shoots that have grown near old plants? what time of year is the best for replanting?can i mulch rasberries with well mulched farm yard manure? when is the best time? can rasberries and strawberries be fed with liquid manure?