Glen Ample Raspberry

Glen Ample raspberry (Rubus idaeus Glen Ample) – a commercial mid-early cultivar of common raspberry from the genus Rubus. The cultivar was selected from seedlings of crosses between Glen Prosen and Meeker in 1981 at the Scottish Agricultural Research Institute in Invergowrie. Authors: Ronnie J. MacNicol, Derek L. Jennings. Patented in 1998.

It is a vigorous upright deciduous shrub without thorns, 1.8-2 m high. It grows vigorously when young; the growth rate decreases during the fruiting period. First-year canes are herbaceous, green with a slight glaucous bloom. In the second year the canes become woody and turn reddish-brown. Each cane has 20-30 fruiting laterals with 18-20 berries on each.

Leaves are alternate, ovate, dark green above, slightly wrinkled, whitish beneath, pubescent with fine hairs.

Flowers are borne at the tips of stems and in leaf axils, white, about 1 cm in diameter, grouped in small inflorescences. Flowers in June-July.

Fruits are large, weighing 5-6 g, sometimes up to 10 g, broadly conical in shape, bright red, becoming dark red when ripe, firm with good transportability. Flesh is juicy and aromatic with a delicate sweet-tart taste. Fruits do not fall off even when ripe. Glen Ample raspberry begins fruiting in mid-late July for about one month. Yield is 6-9 kg per bush.

Winter hardiness: -28°C

Location: prefers open, well-warmed sites protected from cold winds. Grows well on fertile, neutral soils (pH 5.5-6). Preferably planted on moisture-retentive but well-drained light loam soils (groundwater should lie at least 1.5 m deep). On sandy and sandy-loam soils annual application of organic fertilizer and regular moderate watering is necessary.

Planting: raspberries are planted in spring before bud break (with spring planting regular watering is required for 2 weeks). In autumn seedlings are planted from mid-September to mid-October. Planting scheme 2x0.5 m. Planting holes are dug 0.4x0.4x0.5 m. Seedlings are not planted deep; after planting the shoots should be pruned to 30 cm above the ground.

Diseases: Didymella (purple stem blotch, cane blight), witch's broom, infectious chlorosis, leaf curl, mosaic.

Pests: raspberry clearwing, stem fly, shoot gall midge, raspberry-strawberry weevil, raspberry beetle, prodoxid and bud moth, leaf and raspberry aphids, nut weevil, stem fly, spider mite.

Care: requires regular weeding and soil mulching. Responds well to potassium and nitrogen fertilizers. In the second year after planting add organic fertilizer – 1 bucket of compost or humus per 1 cu. m, 25 g of double superphosphate, 20 g of potassium sulfate. In early June, if growth is weak, apply a feed of manure infusion (5:1) or poultry manure (12:1) at a rate of 1 bucket per 5 plants. In autumn it needs deep watering to recharge soil moisture. Support is necessary; a trellis is best.

Raspberry pruning is carried out in spring, when overwintered one-year-old shoots can be identified. Pruning shoots by 10-15 cm stimulates the formation of new fruiting laterals. Per linear meter of row leave 10-15 strong shoots 1.5 m high, spaced 15-20 cm apart. Thinning is done in early spring, but if performed in summer, when stems have reached only 20-25 cm, the remaining stems develop better. To accelerate ripening of a young shoot it is recommended to pinch the tip in mid-August. Winter protection is necessary – bend and tie the canes in the last days of autumn before frosts. Do not do this on frosty days, as the canes can freeze and break.

Propagation: propagated by root cuttings, rooted shoot tips, and green or lignified root suckers. Each year many shoots grow from the rhizomes that can be used for propagation the following year. For this they are dug up before they reach a height of 15-20 cm and transplanted to a new site. Root cuttings can be used effectively: roots at least 0.5 cm thick are cut into pieces 20 cm long and planted in specially prepared trenches.

Uses: raspberry fruits are used fresh, preserved and frozen; used to make jams, liqueurs, jellies, marmalade, juices, wine and tinctures. Widely used in medicine. Leaves are used as a substitute for tea. Suitable as a pioneer planting, for embankments and slopes, and for planting under other plants.