Gardeners seeking a longer fruit season and abundance of berries will be eager to get their hands on the latest longstem raspberry variety.
The result of a revolutionary breakthrough in cultivation techniques in New Zealand, Tadmor raspberry canes produce larger, sweeter and juicier fruit than other varieties, including the ubiquitous Tulameen.
Long culms have the added advantage of producing fruit in the same year they are planted. This cuts a full year off the growing process, which means you can plant them this spring and enjoy fresh raspberries for summer.
Raspberries are easy to grow along garden walls and fences or, to maximize space, in a wigwam format in large pots on the patio. Canes are best grown against supports and should be planted about 16 inches apart.
Choose a position that is protected from the wind, but still enjoys some sun, and keep the plants moist, especially during dry weather. Feed them with all-purpose fertilizer in spring and mulch with well-rotted barnyard manure. When picking the fruit, gently pull the raspberries from the plant leaving the plug behind.
Tadmor raspberry canes produce fantastic yields, over 500g in the first year, of firm, sweet and juicy fruit. The following years will see this more than double, giving you more raspberries than you will know what to do with!
Tadmor is the last fruiting of any known floricane variety, producing berries well into September. This is a significantly longer fruiting season than other varieties.
The canes are also virtually spineless, making them much more enjoyable to harvest. The large, bright red fruits are firm, sweet and consistently conical, weighing just under 7g. The Tulameen, by comparison, weighs around 5.7g.
Raspberries are best grown in well-drained, sandy soil. In addition to producing highly versatile and delicious fruits, reeds also attract bees to your garden and other beneficial insects, making them a real asset in the garden.
Forget paying through the nose for raspberries at the supermarket. With your own tadmor raspberry canes you can produce fruit all summer long. Berries are delicious just popping into your mouth, but they are also very versatile. Homemade raspberry jam, vinegar, desserts, smoothies, salad dressings, and pies are delicious ways to use the fruit. Or try mixing a third of raspberries and sugar with vodka to make a fantastic liqueur that you can enjoy all year long.