<p>Among the few talents I possess, gardening is not one of them. I have no affinity for working with the soil, get no pleasure from it. Distinguishing between a weed and a sprout worth nurturing is a concept I’ve yet to grasp. My goal is to to keep the lawn mowed, the bushes trimmed, and hope the azaleas that were here when we bought the property don’t die from me just walking by.</p>
<p>We’ve had a small garden plot, 10’x14’, in a fairly sunny prominent spot. While in prior years I’ve had varying success with eggplant, lettuce, cukes, pole beans, bell peppers and tomatoes, it’s lain dormant for the past 5-6 years. I have planted a few things during that period, under the pleadings of the wife/d combo who promised to “take care of it”. There is a vast chasm in the definition of “care” between theirs and my own; their standard tops out at only needing a small machete to hack through the weeds to access any fruit bearing plant.</p>
<p>This year, given the economic clime, and a yen for the taste of a garden grown 'mater, I figured I’d give another shot. Pulled all the weeds, roto-tilled in some 10 year old compost from my leaf pile, and as before came up with a nice, soft black loam that allows you to sink to your ankles. Planted 3 varieties of tomatoes (about 8-9 plants), and roughly equivalent quantities of cukes, red and green leaf lettuce, and a package of pole beans from seed.</p>
<p>D had planted a scrawny raspberry seedling a few years back in one corner, and as it yielded a small amount of fruit I let it be. It has now grown to the point where it encompasses about a quarter of the garden, yields enough fruit to pique d’s berry loving interest so that she ‘ll pick the berries before the birds get them, as opposed to years past. What is a typical yield? It now has a 3’ x 4’ root footprint. It does however block some sun and is encroaching into the 'maters.</p>
<p>If you’ve gotten this far, I should probably commend you. My basic questions are:</p>
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<li>how does one maintain raspberries so that they provide sufficient yield without becoming a detriment to other equally tasty yet equally important salad and sandwich fixings? I’ve tried tying them back, trimming, but there seems far too much “plant” for the amount of berry yield. I have no suitable spot to replant them, as sun and soil conditions prohibit it.</li>
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<p>-the New England weather this year prohibited an early planting, so the “stuff” is probably a few weeks behind the typical growing season. Lots of cloudy days and rain haven’t helped. The cukes have grown like crazy, lots of flowers, but only about 6-8 in various stages of formation. The lettuce did ok, but is now spent. The beans seem to have suffered from lack of sun due to the raspberry growth, and I lost a few plants from either the birds or varmints getting to the seeds, or an overzealous weeding in the early stages of growth. The 'maters (beefsteak, early girls and big boys) have about 10 green small fruits of various sizes. I did get one red 2" diameter one last week; given the stages of development, I might see another by September. </p>
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<li><p>I water and weed religiously, but haven’t fertilized as I did in the past. I’m not interested in soil tests, or spending large sums. I can easily grass seed it over and spend the money on fertilizers, nutrients and soil tests by running up the road to the farm stand or at the local farmer’s market. </p></li>
<li><p>Is the raspberry a hindrance or at cross purposes in planting with the 'maters and other veggies?</p></li>
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<p>Given we cover everything from auto sales to grout removal, I’d figure I’d pick the collective brain before venturing into the depths of another forum.</p>
