In the Garden

Written By: Bob and Linda Larson  |  Posted: Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

                 This past couple of weeks, I have been reminded by several people that Bob & I take some gardening tasks for granted, mostly because we were working in our family gardens as soon as we could hold a hoe. What better way to keep the garden free of weeds than to send the kids out to take care of them! Of course there were some casualties of good plants, but after an inspection by Mom or Dad or Grandma, we learned to be careful. This week I want to give a step by step example of how to transplant raspberries. We have shared some of our plants over the years with friends and helped them get a good patch going. Of course, if you purchase plants from a garden center, they are certified to be disease free, but if you are careful with your own patch, and keep it disease-free, giving a few plants away can be very satisfying. I have included some pictures to help the process.

                First, identify a few sucker plants growing on the edge of the rows. The best plants to transplant will be about 6-8 inches tall. Take a garden spade and dig into the ground about 5-6 inches away from the stem of the plant. Try as best you can to avoid cutting off too much of the roots. The better condition the roots are in, the better they will start growing in their new location. Keep the plants moist, but not too wet.

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