Raspberries, dead or alive?

I've always wanted to grow some raspberries, but never seemed to have time. My son ordered twelve plants of four varieties back in February or March of this year from Bonnie plants. They finally shipped them in June of this year. By the time they arrived, he had already purchased more from a different source so he could plant them in the spring. When the plants from Bonnie arrived, they looked like dead dry sticks with their bare roots packed in damp wood chips. I planted them in pots to see if I can revive them before planting out next spring (it is simply to hot and dry to plant them in the middle of summer). They have been in the containers for over a month in good potting soil and have not displayed any sign of life. I don't know much about growing raspberries and wonder if any chance exists the roots will produce new growth next spring. Right now, they look like good material to start a campfire.

Ted

[delltraveller]

Is there any green if you scrape away a bit of the skin/bark near the base of the plant, but above the roots? Is there any green if you break off a firm bit of a root? If you get green in either location, you've still got some potentially viable material.

[Mudman]

Maybe someone knows more about this than me but I have grown them my entire life and here is my opinion. You need to get them in the ground so they can send out roots and new growth. The current year's growth will die and new growth will produce berries next year. If you wait until next spring to get them in the ground I think you may lose a year of growth.

[halleone]

Originally Posted by tedln

Right now, they look like good material to start a campfire.

Ted

I am inclined to think the campfire might be the best use for them. If they haven't shown any signs of life yet, I doubt they ever will.

Such a shame; I've been enjoying mine for about 12 years now (and so has anyone I could get to take the excess off my hands).

Do raspberry plants produce new growth as side shoots from existing canes or do they send up new canes from the root crown in the spring?

Ted

[Mudman]

They send them out from the roots in the spring, but these produce fruit the next season. They can send them out as far as 10-15 feet in my experience. This canes fruit producers will die after fruiting.

[rxkeith]

important point to note with raspberries is the roots must be planted shallow. plant too deep and they just will not grow. the plants don't look like much when they come. often times the only growth you will see will come from the very bottom of the cane at soil level, but thats all it needs. once the plant takes hold, and further growth continues, additional canes will start coming up from the spreading roots. if there is no green growth after several weeks, i would check the plant depth, and scrape a bit of cane to see if it is still green wood underneath. replant shallow if need be, and if no growth appears within a months time then they are probably dead.



keith

[meadowyck]

gosh, I just had written down a link to a new container variety that one of the magazines had listed (I found it while looking through magazines at the Dr's office) White Flower farm was suppose to have it but it isn't listed on their sight, just through that magazine. Let me go check a few more scraps of paper in my purse and I'll be back.

I was reading the planting instructions from Bonnie plants again and it says to plant them with the roots 2" to 3" deep. Those were the instructions I followed when I planted them in containers. My intent is not to grow them in containers, but to simply revive them and plant them in the soil when the weather cools a little in the fall and we start getting a little rain.

Ted

[meadowyck]

ok found the link. http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/m004721-product.html The item # GM00 for $31.95, so not sure how well this one plant is worth the asking price but since my growing space is limited and it is suppose to do well in a container, I might just give this one a try.