Lecture by Alan Chadwick in New Market, Virginia, 1979
Lecture 15, Part 3: Plant Study, The Raspberry
An Introduction to Alan Chadwick's Lectures and a Glossary of Terms
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The botanical name is derived from Mt. Ida, on Crete. The raspberry is adaptable to all sorts of soils, but above all, loves moisture. Grows in clumps, like lupines, and spreads by shoots that come up from the roots. Bees love raspberry flowers. Prefers lighter soils, but avoids heavy clay and gravel. Not a fussy plant, but loves coolness The black raspberry is a different matter; here we are discussing the red raspberry. Best to grow it in separate plantings, rather than to interplant it with other crops. Plants will live for up to fifteen years, if cared for properly. Propagates well from the shoots. Plant in long rows facing north to south. Beds three or four feet wide, with paths of the same size. A plant with shallow-roots, that will go fifteen feet from the crown. Stellaria is a good lay crop with raspberries. They love leaves and compost as fertilizer, also wood ashes but never animals manures. Plant them in the fall. Mulch with leaves: oak, beech, or pine, two to three inches in depth. Planted in double, staggered rows about three feet apart. Prune them down to about half their length. Two or three shoots should sprout in the first year. In summer build a training system of two wires to contain the growth, one at five feet high, and the other halfway up. Keep the canes inside the wires as they grow. To prepare the soil, dig it deeply and work a huge quantity of leaf mold into the soil. (16:44)