Garden owners know the problem all too well. The offshoots of the raspberry bushes threaten to take over the entire garden. So that there is still room for other plants, the only thing left is to slow down the wild growth.
How do you remove raspberry cuttings in the garden?
To remove raspberry cuttings, loosen the soil with a digging fork, carefully lift the cutting out of the ground, cut it off from the runner and leave enough roots on it. Either plant the cuttings in a new location or dispose of them in the compost.
The offshoots of the raspberry
The raspberry bushes form numerous underground runners. They give rise to offshoots that appear above ground.
If they are not dug up, new plants will grow from them, which in turn form offshoots. You should therefore regularly check the garden for new raspberry cuttings and remove them in good time.
Offshoots of raspberries can be used quite well for propagation. This is particularly useful if the raspberry plants in the bed are older.
Use offshoots for propagation
If you want to use the cuttings of your raspberries for propagation, you should heed the following tips:
- Loose cuttings with the digging fork
- Carefully lift it out of the ground
- Cut off the tail with scissors
- Leave enough roots on the offshoot
- Plant in desired location
- Observe plant spacing
- Set up scaffolding if necessary
Tips for composting cuttings
If there is simply no more space in the garden to plant new raspberries, dig up the cuttings and throw them in the compost.
Cut the small plants several times or chop them before composting. Otherwise there is a risk that new raspberries will also settle in the compost heap.
Prevent the spread of raspberries through cuttings
There are two ways to prevent the uncontrolled spread of raspberries.
When you create a raspberry hedge or a raspberry bed, ensure a root barrier. The raspberry runners then do not reach the lawn or other beds. You can use leftover pond liners (€27.00 on Amazon) as a root barrier. At the hardware store you can find root barriers made of stone or plastic that you can bury around the bed.
Choose modern raspberry varieties. The new varieties are usually bred so that they do not spread as much and produce fewer offshoots.
Tips & Tricks
Other garden owners may be happy to receive cuttings from their raspberry plants. Why not ask neighbors or the hobby gardeners in the allotment colony whether they are interested in your raspberry variety.
