My raspberry canes are thriving but I've noticed some of the leaves on a few canes have begun to dry with a brown colour. Is it due to lower than normal rainfall or bad maintenance? I can water them from my rainwater butts if necessary.
I want to lift this year's raspberry canes to give to friends. I would normally do this in January, having cut the plants from about 1.5 metres to 0.5m. What's the ideal month to lift them? The old canes have finished fruiting now, but I noticed some new fruit on one or two new green shoots with more small green berries already forming. I thought they'd have to be one or other of either early or late fruiting. I have nettles and blackberry brambles well rooted. I want to dig and spray. Which should I do first?
I have what appears to be lichen on my Cox's Pippin apple tree. Also some cankers (they look like hard sponges) on certain branches. I got little or no fruit last year through neglect. Is it too late to prune and feed and place a Codling Moth trap?
Rather than throwing ashes in the bin can I use them to grow vegetables in a raised bed? The ashes are those derived from burning dry wood cuttings (raspberry canes, pruned branches etc.) How deep should the raised bed be? Can I use a base of 8 cm polystyrene sheets to build it up to a convenient height?