Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Raspberry Plants, Ready for Harvest!

A while back I had mentioned that raspberry plants had once been placed on the slope of my yard, in the section that I designated as 'the wild area'.  They had been left to their own devices, and reseeded themselves throughout the area.  They sprouted out from between rocks, they grew out from piles of leaves that were long ago raked into piles, and they covered any other soil they could get to, crowding out even such aggressive plants as dandelions!

Since then, they've been growing like crazy, and now they're in full-out berry mode!  The area is thick with raspberry plants, and there are dozens upon dozens of raspberries being produced!




This is just one very small section.  If you peer closely, you'll notice several raspberries in the process of ripening.





As well as one that's ready to be picked!  Yum!

Unlike raspberries that are farmed for sale, the raspberries in my yard won't all ripen at the same time.  Even on individual plants they'll ripen at various times, rather than all together.

This is a very good thing.

I have many, many raspberry plants growing in the yard.  If they were all ready to harvest at the same time, I'd be unable to eat them all before they spoiled.  With the amount that have grown in the area, I'd have berries spoiling even if I gave large amounts to my neighbors.  That's how many raspberry plants are growing here.  Wow!

I'm really lucky that they aren't all ready for harvest at the same time!

The really nice thing about raspberries is that they're easy to grow.  Give them enough water and they'll do their thing - and do it well.  Even in the desert southwest I was able to grow raspberries.  I had to place them in an area that got large amounts of shade, in order to keep the ground moist, but even in those conditions they'd reseed themselves.

Another glorious thing about growing your own raspberries is that they taste better.  I know, I know... everybody says that about every plant.

With raspberries, though, it's really true.  I'm not a fan of store-bought raspberries.  To me, they're too sour, even at the best of times.  I'll very rarely buy them, because of this.

Homegrown raspberries, however, are sweet.  They're so amazingly, tantalizingly, deliciously sweet.

And I have tons!

They're delicious, easy to grow, and they add a beautiful swath of green to any setting.  Is there really any reason not to grow raspberry plants?


2 comments:

  1. Hi Rebecca,
    Just came across your blog.
    I agree! Home grown raspberries, are the best.
    When you grow (or they grow by themselves) raspberries, you can pick them when they are just ripe, so you don't get the "underipe" ones that may have been shipped across the country before reaching your plate!


    I think that, rather than seed themselves the raspberries just sent out new plants underground through the root system, that is what usually happens.

    Great blog site!

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    Replies
    1. Ahhh... just like my beloved mint, then. Excellent! Thanks so much for the clarification, Lois!!!

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