I currently have some Cumberland and what I believe to be Prelude or maybe encore. The Cumberland look awful and haven’t done much. Prelude look decent. Wondering what anyone might recommend? I haven’t had any issues with SWD yet but that might be due to the planting being smack dab in an open field with no shade. For those who have had issues with SWD, do you see better results on the summer bearing or fall bearing? Heavy clay soil so these will be planted in a 1 foot raised bed.
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Hi Alex, I live close to you in NW Ohio. Most raspberry varieties are suitable for zones 4-8. They do best in well-draining soil. Raspberries also need to be grown in full sun, with 6-8 hours of sunlight each day. During the spring and fall I usually don’t need to water the plants but in the summer, I’ll check the soil every other day and water as needed. The soil should be moist, but not soggy.
For a red raspberry, it’s a challenge to find a better tasting variety than Caroline. I have read that Joan J has good productivity, if that’s more important to you than taste. Thankfully I haven’t noticed any problems with SWD in my area. I have seen those others on this forum prefer summer bearing plants due to problems with SWD.
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Thank you. Do you trellis your berries? Of so, what gauge wire? I have grapes and fought with the high tensile stuff. Wondering if a raspberry trellis could get by with a 16 or 14 gauge.
Yes. My thornless blackberries are in the ground and have #12 AWG trellis wire. A #14 AWG wire would work as well. The #16 AWG (or smaller) wire will be weak over a long unsupported distance and is better used for supporting bird netting or shade cloth.
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Michigan extension published something worth reading
Also a Michigan state study in southern Michigan found Caroline the best primocane red but it will have issues with SWD as a primocane crop
Prelude and encore came from Cornell and are floricanes and very cold hardy so should do well and the floricane fruit will avoid SWD
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Not related to Michigan but when I have both prelude and caroline fruiting (floricane) it is hard to force myself to pick any prelude. However the floricane preludes are very welcome in the late spring.
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Hey there Alex.
I am near Ann Arbor and grow Jewel (Black-Summer), Cascade Gold (Yellow-Summer), Caroline, Fall Gold, and Anne. Over the years I have become unhappy with Caroline and would not recommend it. I find that the berries are usually delicate and have a habit of crumbling. The two that I currently recommend are Jewel for summer bearing and Anne for the everbearing crops. Anne is a peachy/yellow colored berry and has performed very well for me. The flavor is more sweet/mellow and lacking tartness.
I am adding Polana this year to trial it. I believe that Polana can replace Caroline with an earlier ripening crop and more firm berries. I have tried it at a U-pick orchard and was impressed by the overall quality.
I do have SWD but they only seem to be interested in my blackberry crop.
I hope this response can help in your decision making.
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Thank you. It does help! I was looking at the double gold but now I’ll look again at Anne. I’ve got my Jewel ordered and plan to get rid of my Cumberland as they just haven’t produced.
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