A raspbery is actually not a bush, but single canes that emerge from underground runners and shoot up everywhere. Not sure how well they will grow in clay soil, but you can always dig down a foot or so and add some sane as well as peat moss and compost to the hole instead. This will give the raspberries a better soil to grow in, and may even block the spreading of the roots and new canes due to the clay soil. With the blueberry, you can also ammend the soil with the same ingredients, but there, add lots of acid type fertilizer. Something like Holly Tone (by Espoma), is a good acidifying fertilizer, and is added twice per year. The blueberry bush will have shallow roots as will the raspberries, so you don't usually have to dig very deep. A single blueberry bush will not yield as much fruit as two or more would. Even though they self pollinate, its always a good idea to plant more than one bush. As to the raspberrys, just give them a few years and they will spread on their own.

Blueberries don't need extremely fertile soil, but it does need to be fairly acidic. Most do best if you have some cross-pollination with another blueberry that blooms at the same time.

Sue

raisemybeds,
I don't mean to hijack your thread here, but hopefully these will be some of your next questions too:

I have my raspberries growing (in containers). There were about 4 canes per plant, and I can see the raspberries loading up. But there are also new canes --lots of them -- coming in too. Do I leave these new canes, or cut them out? Are these "next year's" canes?

Also:
My plants were new and tiny last year. I don't know the type, but they seemed to have some late spring/early summer berries and then a smaller new group at the end of the summer/beginning of fall that never ripened. Does this make them "ever-bearing"?

Thank you,
Jan

Yes, that would be an everbearing if they produce more than once per year. Don't expect big berries if these are growing in containers. As for the new shoots emerging now, yes, they are for next years fruiting. If they remain in containers, the plants will become rootbound and will not be very productive.

Thank you, ksrogers.

I live on a lot of rock and not much soil. Where I've built up raised beds, the trees are sending *up* roots faster than anything I plant can send *down* roots! And where it's full sun and no trees, they've put a driveway! My DH says I should just give up!

Jan

Raisemybeds,

You need to amend your clay soil with some sand if the clay drains badly. Blueberries need really well draining soil. I put 4 in this spring in a raised bed mixed with sand and they're doing great. I have clay soil also and if I dig a 6 inch hole it will be full of water for a day after a good rain. Blueberries don't tolerate having their roots wet like that. I'm originally from mid-NJ and blueberries thrive there mainly because of the sandy acidic soil. If you can't do a raised bed I'd at least plant them in a raise mound mixed with some sand.

omg ppl answer the question please.. can raspberries & blueberries pollenate each other or not?

That question wasn't asked, but no they don't pollinate each other because they are different species.

@Ben 6a...omg where is that rage coming from??

P.S. reading is fundamental.

The need extreme drainage they grow next to rock mounds in nature. evr want to know how to grow a plant look at wher it grows narurally.