HOW TO GET A DOUBLE CROP OF RASPBERRIES FROM AN AUTUMN FRUITER - POLKA

After picking unblemished, abundant, and yet unsprayed Polka raspberries for the last two or three weeks, the old canes (which sprang up tall and green in summer 2014 and provided autumn fruit in 2014) are now finished and I have cut them off at ground level.  But wait, that's not the end of the story.  I grow Polka—considered an autumn fruiter—as a double-cropping raspberry.  All the new canes which have sprung up this summer, 2015, should provide a crop of raspberries some time this autumn, weather permitting.  When that crop has done, I shall leave the canes in place over winter and these canes will provide fruit in summer 2016.  If I did not want Polka to provide a double crops then I would cut down the autumn-fruiting canes in early 2016.

This year's green canes of Polka raspberry are tied in

and should provide autumn fruit

I understand if you grow Polka raspberry canes just as an autumn fruiter that the raspberries are bigger and the crop heavier.  It's up to you.  I grow Polka as a double-cropper because where I live the weather can get very cold and blustery in autumn and can damage the crop.  By making it fruit in summer, as well as autumn, I am hedging my bet and hoping to harvest fruit twice. 



By the way, Polka is completely thornless and although it has had some problems with rust disease and white drupelet disorder this year, you wouldn't have thought it by the pounds of very healthy raspberries that I have picked.  I've seen no insect infestation, or disease other than the rust.  As soon as I spotted the rust, before it became a big problem, I picked off and put the leaves in the dustbin.  After I cut down the old canes, as I mentioned above, I cleaned the ground of any old leaves and put them in the dustbin too. 

Old brown cane of Polka double-cropping raspberry cut off

following summer crop.  The green canes will provide fruit in autumn. 

 I like to tie in my raspberry canes at an angle.  There's a reason for this.  The canes grow a little taller than my 6ft high fence and the wind batters the top of the cane.  By leading them down, the tops get more protection.

Green canes of Polka tied in ready to provide

an autumn crop of raspberries

When winter arrives and all the leaves fall off the above canes, I will retie the canes, angling them a little lower to give them more protection.