Raspberry patch work

Today being an exceptionally warm afternoon, I hewed the raspberry canes to about 12". Several had some buds, so I hope it's not too late. I left a dozen canes for early berries.

I also mixed 2 wheelbarrow loads of leaf mold and aged chicken manure, and spread it around several of the cane clumps. We'll see what happens. On top of everything then I forked some chopped and wintered leaves, to a depth of maybe 4".

Last spring, Liz and I cleaned and weeded the entire bed, and the weeds took over completely. The boys picked maybe 2 or 3 dozen berries. This year I'm determined to keep it weeded, with the help of a thick layer of leaf mulch.