Ok i am asking this question again. The books say don't plant red and black raspberries close together. That is for disease prevention, i know. What i want to know is what about gold and purple raspberries. can i plant them close (less than 300 feet) to the red or blacks. am i asking for trouble planting blackberries and boysenberries and raspberries together. I will plant them in their own rows of course, and i could plant something in between them like grapes. I have tried to find the answer, but to no avail. I want as many things as i can, so i could throW out one if its a baD apple. thanks

-- randy in central missouri (rwybrant@coin.org), April 01, 2002

Answers

As well as I can remember, black raspberries are the most disease resistant followed by purple, then red , then yellow, planting a buffer crop, like grapes as you mentioned should help protect them,

the goal is to block or other wise prevent transmission of virus infected leaves, soil, water droplets [wind blown or on your hands, shoes etc.] fruit [birds are a problem with this] or plant trimmings,

For example, if you work one row each day and wash your clothes etc, before working the next row, you will not carry disease from one to the next, only work when the plants are dry, have a buffer crop [double buffer rows even better] to trap blowing leaves, block water spray, and give the birds a place to land other than the next row of berries, use seaweed sprays to boost the plants health and disease resistance, you have a good chance of keeping healthy plants much longer than other wise.

You should also plan in replacement cycles, start new plants from your healthy mature ones and start new beds every few years, [I don't remember what the time span is] that way the soil gets a chance to rest and the disease build up in the soil can have time to weaken.

I think the other kinds of berries can harbor [play host with out dying themselves] the diseases that kill raspberries, but I am not positve, if you plan in the buffer rows and work only one kind at a time, keeping as much space as possible between related berries. I think you have a good chance, no doubt wind and birds [and other animals] will be your biggest threat.

-- Thumper/inOKC (slrldr@yahoo.com), April 02, 2002.

Well, I guess its to late for me to ask that question. I started my boysenberries and red raspberries next to each other last year(about 8 ft apart,60 foot rows.) I would hate to have to move the boysenberries if they dont do well. Could not believe the digging I had to do to plant them the first time, never seen so many roots on a berry bush. I never read anything where there could be a problem. So far so good through the first 9 months.

-- Brian N. E. Ohio (brilas@hotmail.com), April 02, 2002.