Ruby Beauty Dwarf Raspberry Plants Now there are good ideas, and simply brilliant ones, and Ruby Beauty raspberries are one of the latter. They're a fantastic addition to our range of raspberries because the canes never grow taller than a metre and are multi-branching so you reap tremendous yields - up to 1.5 kg - from one plant - of sweet, firm, scarlet raspberries all through June and July. The canes do not need support because they're short and sturdy making it easier to pick the fruit and to net the plant. What is more, they're entirely thornless. Please note our Ruby Beauty plants come in 3 Litre Pots. This means that they'll fruit for you this year, without the need to transplant or pot up (although you can if you want). Which makes them perfect for your patio, or anyone's patio for that matter. Fruit for small spaces Ruby Beauty is obviously perfect for those who have limited space in their garden or are restricted to just a terrace or balcony. They would also make a wonderful present for any budding horticulturalists or cooks in the family. Let them crop for the first year in the pot in which they come and then gradually move them up through a 5 litre pot to a 10 litre one which should be their final home. If you want more than one then three will eventually fill a 40 litre pot and you will be harvesting summer raspberries with the best of them. If possible, use John Innes number 3 compost which dries out more slowly than multipurpose and is also heavier so it adds stability to your pot. As the raspberries begin to change colour you will need to net them to protect against birds, but this is the work of a heartbeat since the plants are so compact with no supporting canes needed or fussing around with wires. Once a cane has fruited, cut it down and wait for next year's cane to grow in its place. Anyone contemplating an original low hedge could usefully employ Ruby Beauty canes grown 70 cm apart. The result isn't only pretty but extremely productive in these times where homegrown is all the rage. For those who love their raspberries, you would then need to have a few autumn varieties like Octavia and Joan J to assuage the cravings for later in the year. Features Height: 1 m Flowering: April/May Fruit: red, firm, sweet Taste: dessert/culinary Picking: June-July Thornless RHS Plants for Pollinators Spacing: one per 10 litres of compost or 70 cm apart in open ground Top tip Bred in New Zealand and is the world's first dwarf raspberry plant. Raspberry plants require potash to fruit well. Sprinkle the ashes from your bonfire or indoor wood fires (not coal) around the base of the canes to do two jobs at once.Standard practice is to deliver raspberry canes with last year's growth cut back to 45-60 cm. Therefore, summer fruiting raspberries will bear few, if any, berries in the Summer following planting. Their first full fruiting season will be in the year after.
