Does that "mtn" in mtnstan indicate you live somewhere in the mountains? Your mountains, wherever they are, may be a little different than Massachusetts mountains.

One growing year is not too much to lose, considering the possible alternatives.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Derek Jennings, the well known raspberry breeder responsible for all the Glen varieties which were named after the Scottish Glens that Derek had walked, describes his more recent successes produced during his 'retirement' in Kent.

Autumn Fruiting Raspberries: keeping up with the JOANS

"After years of breeding summer-fruiting raspberries in Scotland it was difficult for me to give up the job when I `retired`. So I formed a partnership with a leading Kent fruit grower and, since I needed a change, took up the breeding of the autumn-fruiting kind. At this time autumn-fruiting, i.e.primocane-fruiting, raspberries; were only just beginning to become popular.

Another change was that I could name my varieties after the ladies in the family rather than after Scottish Glens. My first success was Joan Squire. It can be described as a second early and its fruit suited most but not all market outlets. It came from a cross between my Australian collaborator`s selection and the unnamed summer-fruiting selection mentioned. It became a leading variety whose use peaked in 2002 and is now declining in the face of competition from newer varieties. Growers in Chile who export raspberries over long distances to North America reported that it was not quite good enough for this purpose, so I sent them my selection 941/3 from a cross between Joan Squire and Autumn Bliss, just for them to test how it traveled over long distances. The selection has many faults and I asked them not to report them because I know them all!

To my great surprise they think 941/3 is perfect and last year reported a production of 338 tons of it. I cannot visualise what 338 tons of raspberries look like. Maybe a small mountain?

A selection that came from my own cross between Autumn Bliss and Glen Moy is Terri-Louise. It has exceptional fruit size but poor shelf-life and was more useful as a parent than for commercial use. Crossing it with Joan Squire gave me JOAN J. JOAN J. clearly illustrates the different priorities of the supermarkets and the consumers. Its VERY EXCELLENT SIZE AND FLAVOUR make it a clear favourite with consumers as shown by big sales of plants to amateur gardeners and to non-supermarket suppliers. Thus recent annual sales have been 76,000 plants in the UK and 67,000in the USA. But the supermarkets feel that its slight tendency to darken when very ripe and a slightly weak skin strength reduce its shelf-life and they have all refused to accept it..."

From ‘Fruit Forum’ Edited by Joan Morgan

http://www.fruitforum.net/autumn-fruiting-raspberries-keeping-up-with-the-jo.htm

Last year, my Joan J’s tasted quite good, and right in line with all my other berries flavor-wise. So far this year, I’m afraid I have to agree with FruitGirl. They were waxy/bland and no where near as good as my other raspberries. I'm wondering if this has something to do with all the rain we've had this year? We have had a ridiculous amount of rain this spring/summer. The plants are also much shorter in stature (only about 2.5') than my other plants, despite being in a good, full sun, composted location. Right next to them is a bed of Preludes which are doing awesome and taste awesome.

The plants have been quite short too (probably only 2.5 feet high) where as the other berries nearby are already 4 feet plus. I have to say, I'm quite disappointed with them this year. If they’re like this next year, this bed is coming out.

I’m still perplexed why they didn’t taste like this last year. (Sorry fruitgirl!)

Sorry if this isn’t the news you wanted to hear. :-( Maybe it’s due to the lack of sun, and yours will be better.
-Glenn