I wouldn't separate on a cane-by-cane basis. Dividing the clumps in halves or quarters with a sharp instrument would be fine. Take care not to mash around the base of the living perimeter canes--that is where next season's new canes are budded. If your dug clumps have a lot of soil you may be fine; if too many roots become exposed, expect less vigor of the new canes for a year until the transplants are re-established. Do this sooner than later as fine new root growth can occur in your area any time now.

Mad Gardener: I have had a row of red raspberries (Baba) flanked by trailing thornless blackberries (Triple Crown and Doyle) for about 12 years now. There have been no disease transference issues at all. That is not to say that it couldn't happen, but it has not happened to me. I am careful to monitor the appearance of wild blackberries around the property, however, and eliminate them with Roundup whenever found. I am much more concerned with the possibility of disease transference from the wild species. But in order to test my theory, you will have to buy a real blackberry plant, and I am pretty sure that Jewel is a black raspberry. That may be considered good or bad news; Jewel is, I believe, one of the better and newer black raspberry varieties. Since you don't say where you live, I cannot compare my zone 7 climate to yours, but I have tried growing Latham and found it seriously wanting. I would suggest planting one of the newer everbearing red raspberry varieties like Caroline (and there are several other good ones). Latham is a very old variety, and a summerbearer, which must winter over its canes to produce. I found it to be a very shy producer, and the berries soft, crumbly, and highly subject to mildew damage. I have not encountered these problems with everbearers, which produce on primocanes beginning in late summer and continue into fall. I don't know for sure what Pike's is, (is that the market in Seattle?), but you might look around at internet or mailorder sources offering a wider selection of varieties than those that turn up by chance locally. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

More likely vice versa. Strawberries need light and sun which the brambles will obstruct. And have you thought about how you'd harvest the strawberries from beneath raspberries and blackberries in full growth? You might make a go of growing some around the sides as edging but I honestly wouldn't try and plant them together.

I got the Soilmaker (see the link below) from my city. I'm concerned about whether there's enough ventilation. While it looks like there may be ventilation holes in the slats on each side, that's not the case. The only ventilation holes are the two rows on each of the two little doors on the bottom of two sides of the composter. Is this too little ventilation? Should I attempt to drill some additional holes myself? Here is a link that might be useful: Soilmaker