Raspberry Autumn Fleshy - Rubus idaeus

The 'Primeberry - Autumn Fleshy' Raspberry is a variety of autumn raspberry with large, fleshy, firm, and aromatic fruits. This raspberry variety, known as an autumn raspberry, produces fruits from early or mid-August until late September on the current year's branches. The dark red and relatively round berries have a fruity taste and pleasant acidity. The plant is fast-growing, robust, and healthy, offering a high yield on canes of a size that facilitates harvesting. They are slightly prickly. Planting this raspberry variety in autumn or spring, especially in regions with cold or humid winters, is recommended.

The Rubus idaeus, commonly known as the Raspberry, is native to Europe and temperate Asia and belongs to the Rosaceae family, like strawberries, blackberries, and wild roses. In its native habitat, it grows undergrowth in cool climates, associated with plants such as mountain ash, elderberry, or beech, with which it forms a symbiotic relationship. The optimal production starts in the third year after planting. The lifespan of the raspberry plant is about ten years. There are two categories of raspberries. The everbearing varieties produce two crops, the first in June-July on the previous year's canes and the second from August until frost on the year's new shoots. The non-everbearing varieties have abundant harvests around June-July and bear fruit on the previous year's canes.

The 'Primeberry - Autumn Fleshy' variety is a recent Swiss creation from the 'Primeberry' range. It is part of this extensive range of autumn raspberries, which consists of selected varieties for their vitality, robustness, high yield, and exceptional taste quality of their fruits. Each variety has been carefully chosen to ensure a pleasant growing experience and abundant harvests of delicious raspberries. 'Autumn Fleshy' forms a bushy shrub that can reach a height of 1.80m and a spread of 80 to 90cm. Its deciduous foliage is carried by upright canes, developing as a moderately suckering perennial stump. The canes are biennial, each having the peculiarity of dying after fruiting. Every year, new canes armed with small prickly prickers emerge from their roots. The Raspberry has green leaves on the upper side, whitish-green and tomentose on the underside. The flowering is highly melliferous.

The white flowers, 1 to 2cm in diameter, are grouped in small clusters of 10 to 12. They appear from April to May, and the flowering extends until August. The fruits are formed by small clustered drupes, which are easy to detach when ripe. It is a self-fertile variety, capable of self-pollination. Still, it is also beneficial to associate it with other raspberry varieties to stimulate production by staggering harvests and diversifying tastes and uses. The 'Autumn Fleshy' raspberry is hardy, able to withstand temperatures as low as -20°C, and resistant to diseases. It is easy to grow and requires little maintenance.

The Autumn Fleshy Raspberry is an early variety in the range of autumn raspberries. It stands out for its abundant production of fruits from August to late September over a relatively short period. This characteristic offers the advantage of a concentrated harvest, allowing for abundant raspberries in a short period. The raspberry is a delicate fruit that needs to be carefully picked. It can be lightly washed with water and is better kept in the refrigerator. The picking is easy, and it is delightful either to taste the fruits on the spot or to pick them for various culinary uses: sorbets, coulis, jams, tiramisu, crumbles, and puddings, not to mention the traditional Raspberry Tart. Low in calories but rich in minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron), vitamins C and K, fibre, and antioxidants, raspberries contribute to a balanced diet.

Within an edible fruit hedge, in the vegetable garden, or as punctuation in the ornamental garden, the Autumn Fleshy Raspberry will find a special place alongside other varieties of small fruits. To extend the harvest period and increase the diversity of colour and taste of raspberries, it can be attractive to plant near everbearing varieties, such as the Zeva and Heritage varieties, or yellow-coloured varieties, like the Golden Everest, Fall Gold, Autumn Amber, or black-coloured varieties like the Black Jewel or Glen Coe.

Tip: This variety of autumn raspberry, known as primocane raspberries, bears fruit on the canes of the year, but during winter pruning, by keeping some canes from the previous year, it is possible to obtain a first harvest in June on these same branches.