Marianne's Response

Raspberry Roots

Hi Marianne, I am a new grower of raspberries. Today I was using a weed scraping tool to dig up some grass that resurfaced. I was scraping pretty hard and getting in there deep to get the grass and noticed some roots that traced back to the plant. By the time I had noticed I had already applied the same pressure around all 6 plants and perhaps harassed their roots too. I’m not sure if I ripped any up, it’s likely. Do you think I could have harmed them? They still look resilient, but it’s just been a couple hours since the mistake so maybe too soon to tell. I did my best to rebury the roots, and watered, but a little slim on soil right now. What damage control methods should I take? Thank you so much!

Posted by Brian Perry on June 15, 2020

Marianne's Response

First, my apologies as I just found this question. Second I have good news. Your raspberries will be just fine. They have an extensive root system so scraping up just the top roots should not destroy the plants. You did the right thing in trying to stuff those roots back in the ground and watering after the mistake. To keep down weeds in the future try covering the soil with a much of wood chips 2 to 3 inches deep. That will keep the roots cool, seal in water and require less digging around the roots to remove weeds. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti

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