I know, I know, I've written about the wonders of the raspberry variety called Polka ad nauseam, but I cannot help myself. I've grown
Polka raspberry canes for a few years and if there is one thing in my garden which has given consistent satisfaction, it is this raspberry. After giving me bowlfuls of fruit this summer, this double-cropping variety is now giving me handfuls of jumbo raspberries.
 |
| Polka raspberries - autumn crop, 29 Sept 2016 |
Although my raspberry canes have suffered from
white drupelet disorder, and attacks of
rust disease, which is quite common with raspberries, apparently, the fungus has never affected the crop and each year the cane produce fruit that is almost perfect. I've never seen an insect or insect larvae on the fruit, never seen mildew. Of course, now I've said that I will have gone and put the mockers on it and I'll be singing a different song next year!
Today I've picked a handful of fully ripe raspberries off the canes and there are loads more ripening, and many more on the way - just so long as the weather holds out. I have found that by growing them in a cordon style (where I gently bend the canes downwards), the lower canes, which have more protection against the wind, have fruit ripening much earlier. It's worth thinking about.
 |
| Polka raspberry canes grown in a cordon style (canes bent downwards) to help protect against wind damage |
