Susana: Raising peaches is tough, and in many areas requires very close attention, especially early in the season just after fruit set. I don't know how large your trees are, or whether it is your usual practice to thin and inspect the peaches after they begin to form, but that is what you have to do. Plum curculio seems to be the earliest insect threat to peaches, but not the only one. It is quickly followed by the oriental fruit moth, which, unlike PC, can have several generations throughout the growing season. Imidan is effective against both these insects, but so is Permethrin, which is more widely available. I suggest you go out to your peach trees, get up on your ladder (if necessary), and inspect all the little peaches for signs of insect penetration. Those that have it should go into a bucket and out in the trash. If there are any undamaged peaches left, make sure they are spaced at least 6-8 inches apart, then spray the trees. If the interior branches are crowded, or if there is a lot of top growth cutting off sunlight to the peaches, prune it off. Peaches grow best when kissed by the sun, and insects love to operate in a busy, crowded tree. It will not injure your peach trees to prune them now. I always prune mine immediately after the final thinning. You will not want to eat peaches damaged by insects, since they become a mushy, brown mess around the pits when they stay on the trees. Often, they fall off before fully ripe. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Thanks for the info in this thread. I would like to grow more raspberry cultivars, and found the info useful. Although I must disagree with some users about Fallgold. I have grown it a few years and it is by far my favorite variety. It tastes so different than any other raspberry. Amazing jam from it. Everybody whom has tried it loved them. I have not tried many cultivars, so I may change my mind, but if this is bad, I can't wait to try Anne and KiwiGold (I ordered both for this spring). Hard for me to believe they could possibly taste better than Fall Gold. Kiwi Gold sounds like it tastes like Fall Gold. Apricot flavor does describe the flavor. More apricot than raspberry flavor if you ask me, but does have a blend of both. What yellow cultivars are commercially sold? I tasted one, it was not marked as to what it was, and it was terrible. I ate 3 or 4 and threw them out. I guess it's possible the soil and conditions make a world of difference. Again thanks all. Has anybody tried Cascade Gold? A Summer bearing yellow! I would love to know any opinons...

I forgot my original post that got erased, was about spacing FERTALIZER, but some people plant Them closer together. (3 1/2 FEET) AAA Organic Homesteading & Gardening QUOTED FROM Tenzicut Early spring, before the plants leaf out, is generally the best time to plant or transplant raspberries, though you can do it in the fall too, just after the leaves drop, as long as your winters are fairly mild. Since the berries will remain in that bed for many years, make sure you prepare the soil especially well before you plant, cultivating deeply and adding a good amount of organic material. I just take the shoots that are coming up out of row and use a shovel to dig them up and put them in a new row. I dont make too much of a fuss over them, just dig a hole and toss them in. I had the use of a wire feed welder and LOTS of pipe, so I made my rows with a 4" pipe that was about 4 feet above ground and 2 below (fence post pounder got them in) and then I had two 1/2 inch pipe(?) welded on sideways about 12-18 inches apart which I then ran wire through on both sides and pulled tight for the raspberries to go up through to keep my row in order as when I moved to that property, the raspberries were a MESS and about 15 years worth of growing like mad. To get the most out of your raspberry planting, you must choose your planting site carefully. Raspberries prefer full sunlight and grow best in well-drained, sandy loam soils rich in organic matter. Avoid low areas that remain wet late into the spring, but select a site with access to a water supply. Irrigation is important for good plant growth during dry periods and can improve fruit size and yield. Do not plant raspberries where tomatoes, potatoes, peppers or eggplant have been grown within the past four years, because these crops carry a root rot, called Verticillium, which can also attack raspberries. Destroy all wild raspberry and blackberry plants within a distance of 600 feet of the site if possible, to reduce the possibility that virus diseases might spread to your planting. Preparing the Soil Getting the soil ready for raspberries may take up to two years, depending on its condition. Test the soil to determine it pH and fertility levels. Raspberries prefer a soil pH of 5.6 to 6.2; this may require applications of ground limestone to increase the pH of more acid soils. Soil testing information is available from your county Cooperative Extension office. The level of organic matter in the soil can be improved and perennial weeds discouraged by sowing a cover crop, such as buckwheat, rye, millet or oats, and plowing it into the soil before it goes to seed. There should be time enough for two sowings in a single season. Applications of barnyard manure or compost and repeated tilling for a full season can be substituted for cover cropping. However, be aware that animal manures may contain weed seeds that can become a problem in your planting later. In the spring of the planting year, spread 25 pounds of 10-10-10 garden fertilizer per 1,000 square feet of the planting site. Organic fertilizer sources, such as compost, manures, sul-po-mag and rock phosphate, may be used in place of synthetic fertilizers. Apply enough of these materials to deliver two pounds each of nitrogen, phosphorus (P2O5) and potassium (K2) per 1,000 square feet. Cultivate the soil several days before planting to incorporate the fertilizer and break up any clumps or clods. The Raspberry Plant The crowns and roots of raspberry plants are perennial, but individual canes live two years. Each spring, the plants produce canes from buds on the crown and underground lateral stems. These canes grow vegetatively during the first season, overwinter, and produce fruit during the summer of the second year, while new canes emerge to provide a crop for the following year. Second-year canes die shortly after fruiting. Everbearing raspberries bear a crop on the tips of first-year canes in the fall, followed by a typical summer crop on the lower portion of the canes the second year. It's easy to tell first-year canes from second-year canes. First- year canes have green stems, while second-year canes have a thin, brown bark covering them. Although a wide selection of raspberry varieties is available, only a few will do well under the short growing seasons and severe winters of northern New England. Select only those that are rated very hardy and early or mid-season ripening. In general, red raspberries are the hardiest type, followed by purple raspberries, black raspberries and blackberries. Temperatures below 5 degrees F will injure or kill blackberry and most purple and black raspberry canes, so these should only be planted in southern parts of Maine and New Hampshire, on protected sites. Order your plants from a reputable nursery or garden dealer. Specify disease-free, virus-indexed stock. Most raspberries are sold as dormant, one-year-old canes, but some nurseries offer plants generated by tissue culture, or micropropagation. Tissue-cultured plants may be more expensive, but they are less likely to have disease problems. Suggested Varieties Red Raspberries Boyne: Early ripening. Large crops of medium-sized, dark red berries with good flavor. Short, spiny canes. Very hardy. Killarney: Ripens mid-season. Medium-sized, bright red fruit with good flavor. Short, spiny canes with many fine thorns. Very hardy. Newburgh: Ripens mid-season. Large, round, bright red fruit with fair flavor. Good for freezing. Vigorous plants with very few thorns. Hardy. Nova: Ripens mid-season. Medium-sized fruit, bright red, firm. Resistant to most cane diseases. Latham: Mid-to-late ripening. Medium-large fruit, prone to crumbling, with fair flavor. Plants are vigorous with few thorns. Very hardy. Black Raspberries Jewel: Mid-season ripening. Firm, glossy fruit with good flavor. Vigorous, erect plants. Blackberries Darrow: Large, glossy fruit with good flavor. Vigorous, erect plants with large thorns, but susceptible to virus. Illini: Large fruit, vigorous plants with large thorns. Everbearing Raspberries August Red: Earliest ripening everbearing type. Soft, medium-sized fruit with fair flavor. Short, spiny canes. Autumn Bliss: Early ripening fall crop with large flavorful fruit. Canes are moderately vigorous with few thorns. Fall Red: Early ripening fall crop, but many be too late for all but extreme southern Maine and New Hampshire. Medium-small fruit, soft with good flavor. Vigorous, short spiny canes. Purple Raspberries Royalty: Late ripening. High yielding, large, round reddish purple fruit that are soft, with good flavor. Large vigorous canes with thorns. Susceptible to root rot. Success: Mid-to-late ripening. Small, dark purple fruit with good flavor. High yielding. Slow spreading plants, with thorns. Planting and Management Systems Raspberries should be planted early in the spring after the danger of severe frost is past (in late April to early May). Do not allow plant roots to dry out prior to or during planting. Plants should be set at the same depth or slightly deeper that they were in the nursery. Firm the soil around the roots and water the plants. If one- year-old canes are used, cut them back to a height of four to six inches about the ground. Red raspberry plants are typically grown in a hedge row. Crowns should be planted about two feet apart in rows that are eight to 12 feet apart. Choose the wider spacing if you'll be using large equipment, such as tractors, in the planting. The plants will soon send up suckers from the roots and crowns to form a hedge, which should be maintained at 12 to 18 inches wide. Purple and black raspberries and blackberries only produce suckers from the base of the crown and will not fill out a hedgerow as red raspberries do. For this reason, they are frequently grown in the hill system to get the most production out of individual plants. For this system, plants should be set four feet apart in rows eight to 12 feet apart. All raspberries should be grown with some sort of a trellis. This will improve fruit quality, make harvesting easier and reduce disease problems. Trellises also make pruning simpler by encouraging new cane growth to occur in the middle of the row, rather than the outside edges. For plants grown in a hedgerow, the "T" or "V" trellis systems are recommended. Keep the planting completely free from weeds with shallow cultivation and hand pulling as necessary. Make sure the plants receive one to two inches of water a week for best growth. Mulch can be used to reduce weed problems within the plant rows and will also help retain soil moisture and add valuable organic matter. Spread sawdust, bark, pine needles or rotted leaf mulch over the plant rows, and maintain it at a depth of three to four inches. Starting the second year of the planting, a cover crop may be planted between the rows. An annual cover crop may be planted between the rows. An annual cover crop, such as spring oats, can be sown just after harvest. The oats will aid in hardening off the raspberry plants for winter by using up excess water and nutrients in the soil and will also reduce weed growth. Oats will be killed by low winter temperatures, and the dead sod cover will reduce soil erosion in the spring. A permanent cover crop may also be sown following harvest the second year. A non-competitive grass cover, such as a bluegrass-fescue mix, can be sown between the plant rows. Take care to prevent grass from spreading within a foot of the raspberry plants, or it will compete with the raspberries for water and nutrients. Permanent sod covers allow easy access in the raspberry planting, prevent soil erosion and weed growth and can be easily maintained by regular mowing. Raspberries should be fertilized each year in the early spring (mid- April). Apply 20 pounds of 10-10-10 (or organic equivalents) per 1,000 square feet of the planting. Increase the rate to 25 pounds if a heavy mulch is being used. Alternatively, the application may be split, applying half of the recommended amount in mid-April and the second half four to six weeks later. Pruning Pruning is a vital part of maintaining a healthy raspberry planting. This practice greatly inhibits the spread of raspberry diseases and improves fruit quality and yield. Pruning should begin soon after harvest is complete by removing all the canes that fruited. This improves light penetration and air circulation for the canes that will fruit next year. Also, remove any new canes that are growing outside of the 12- to 18-inch row width, or show obvious symptoms of insect or disease damage. In the spring before the buds break, thin the remaining canes, leaving only four to five of the sturdiest per foot of row. Spread the canes that are left onto the wires of the trellis and tie them with twine or some other soft material. Everbearing or fall-bearing red raspberries bear a late-season crop on first-year canes. If they are pruned in the same manner as the summer-bearing types, they will bear two crops per season; one in the summer on the second-year canes, and one in the fall on the first-year canes. Everbearing raspberries can also be managed to produce only the fall crop. Simply mow all the canes down early each spring. During the summer, cut down any new canes that develop outside the 12- to 18- inch row width and thin the remaining canes to about six inches apart, leaving the sturdiest. This technique greatly reduces pruning labor, but also eliminates the summer crop. Unfortunately, most everbearing cultivars, such as Heritage, produce the fall crop too late in the season to escape damage from frost in most of northern New England. For black and purple raspberries, pinch off the top four inches of new canes when they reach about three feet in height. Blackberries should be pinched when they reach four feet. This encourages the canes to form side branches, or laterals, which will bear the fruit in the following year. Remove all canes that fruited following harvest. In the early spring, thin the remaining canes, leaving only five to seven of the sturdiest per hill. Cut the side branches back to 12 buds (usually about 12 inches in length) and tie the canes to the wire or post for support. Remove all plant waste from the field after pruning and destroy it, preferably by burning. Leaving dead canes in the planting will encourage the spread of disease. Harvesting Raspberries Raspberries are ready to pick when they easily separate from the receptacle or core. Blackberries do not separate from the core, so ripeness should be judged by color and taste. All bramble fruit are extremely perishable and should be harvested frequently. To maintain fresh quality, place fruit in shallow containers, no more than three fruit deep, and cool the fruit to 33 degrees F as quickly as possible. Fruit properly harvested and held at this temperature can maintain fresh quality for three to seven days. If the fruit is to be made into jam or jelly, process it immediately, or freeze it until ready to use. Insect and Disease Management A well kept raspberry planting can provide fruit for 10 to 20 years, but viruses, fungi and several types of insects can greatly reduce yield and may destroy the planting if they are not controlled. Many problems can be prevented by proper planning and care. Select only raspberry cultivars that are very hardy, and plants that are certified virus-free. If possible, destroy all wild brambles within 600 feet of the planting. Encourage good air circulation by having at least eight feet between your plant rows and keeping the hedges to a 12-to 18-inch width. Prune your plants regularly to promote healthy new growth and reduce the spread of diseases. Keep the planting weed free to discourage insect pests and prevent competition for water and nutrients. tenzicut

According to Boughen website, ....Good heavy bearer of medium sized sweet red fruit. Well...still don't know what happened, these are the largest of all... after a couple of years of no fruits after freezing down I have some canes now with good size berries, 4 large berries can fill your hand and packed with awesome flavours ..kind of citrus. I've turned around from a miserable dude to a happy camper lol. Now I need to separate/isolate these from others growing between, want to establish away alone somewhere so no others will contaminate.