Schlaraffia® raspberries are simple autumn raspberries that offer a large harvest. Schlaraffia® is synonymous with the land where milk and honey flow and these raspberries grow directly into the mouth of the connoisseur. With the Schlaraffia® raspberry varieties, the gardener no longer works for his/her plants, no, the raspberries do (almost) all of the work themselves – the perfect varieties for the lazy but intelligent gardener...
What are Schlaraffia® raspberries?
In the past 10 years, two fundamentally contrary tendencies have dominated raspberry breeding. On the one hand, the 'ordinary' autumn raspberries, which have become more and more productive and better tasting – and have meanwhile left the original variety 'Autumn Bliss' several lengths behind. And on the other hand, the first compact raspberry varieties that grow to a height of around 80 to 100 cm have come onto the market. These Lowberry® raspberry varieties are also very productive in terms of volume, but the absolute quantity remains limited due to the finite plant volume. Between the 'normal' autumn raspberries and the Lowberry® raspberries, there was nothing – until now...
Schlaraffia® raspberries currently fill the gap between the compact Lowberry® raspberries (compact growth, <100 cm; ideal for growing in containers on balconies/terraces, rather only used as snack fruit, less yield in direct comparison) on the one hand and the Primeberry® raspberries (strong growth, >170 cm; high yields; require a supporting framework in cultivation) on the other.
Schlaraffia® raspberries combine the advantages of these two variety groups (Lowberry® & Primeberry®). Schlaraffia® raspberries have a significantly reduced growth of only 120 – 150 cm, so the fruits can be harvested easily and are usually only an arm's length away. In addition, Schlaraffia® raspberries are characterised by very stable and completely thornless shoots with an upright habit, which means that no additional support in the form of a frame or scaffold is necessary. Also in terms of yield, Schlaraffia® raspberries are in no way inferior to other high-yielding varieties and even surpass them.
Picture: Schlaraffia® raspberries in the selction field
Here is another advantage of Schlaraffia® raspberries: they are perfect for informal plantings, in a grove or in a perennial and herb bed, or even in a pot. Or how about right next to the kids’/grandkids’ sandbox? They are no longer the raspberries we know from our parents' garden: proud and upright, 2-3 m tall, impossible to tame without a concreted framework. Schlaraffia® raspberries just need to be planted somewhere and then they can be harvested as required and for pleasure.
In short, here are the advantages of the Schlaraffia® raspberries:
- Simple and robust, reliable and little, if any, susceptibility to (cane) disease
- Completely thornless
- Extremely high yielding, even surpassing some Primeberry® varieties
- Moderately vigorous with an ideal growth height of only 120 – 150 cm
The Schlaraffia® raspberry varieties at Lubera Edibles
Currently, our Schlaraffia® range consists of two varieties that complement each other well:
Schlaraffia® Plentiful® can rightly be called the high-yielding variety. With its gigantic yield, Schlaraffia® Plentiful® outshines many a Primeberry® variety. The shoots hang over and are full of large and delicious raspberries. The ripening period starts quite early; the first fruits can be harvested already in July with the harvest lasting until September.
Schlaraffia® Nibbleme® starts ripening even earlier than its sister variety, however is not so long staggered; it is rather short and compact, but with a very high yield until early August, i.e. in a relatively short time.
Schlaraffia® Plentiful® – the high-performance variety
Picture: Schlaraffia® Plentiful®
Schlaraffia® Plentiful® is one of the earliest raspberry varieties in our range, along with its sister variety Schlaraffia® Naschmich® (Nibbleme) and the compact Lowberry® Little Sweet Sister®. The first ripe fruits can be enjoyed as early as the end of July. And in the course of August, a lot of them will follow, and this is not exaggerating. In August you can hardly see any leaves because of ripe fruits, green fruits and blossoms. The first fruits are very large and then become somewhat smaller at the main harvest, which is simply due to the sheer amount of ripening fruit.
Schlaraffia® Plentiful® – the advantages
- Completely thornless shoots
- Ideal growth height of max. 150 cm
- Gigantic yield
- Long harvest window
- Low maintenance
Picture: Schlaraffia® Plentiful®
Short description – primocane raspberry Schlaraffia® Plentiful
- Cultivation: primocane raspberry, ability as Twotimer® is given; also suitable for growing in containers
- Maturity: very early, from the end of July, main harvest until the middle of August, harvest window lasts until the middle/end of September
- Fruits: conical, very large at the beginning, then medium-sized
- Growth: completely thornless shoots, well-branched
- Breeding: comes from the joint breeding programme of East Malling Research and Lubera®
Schlaraffia® Nibbleme® – the irresistible raspberry
Picture: Schlaraffia® Nibbleme®
Schlaraffia® Nibbleme® is, next to the even earlier Lowberry® Little Sweet Sister®, the earliest autumn raspberry in our assortment. However, with a ripening period starting in mid-July, it can hardly be called an autumn raspberry...
Schlaraffia® Nibbleme® convinces not only by its very early ripening time but also by its tight and upright growth of the self-standing canes. This is also necessary in order not to topple over with the huge fruits and the short but vigorous ripening. This gives us other advantages. The very concentrated ripening and harvesting periods extend only over about 3 - 4 weeks. Due to this compact harvest window, the fruit size is maintained throughout the entire harvest.
However, it is also possible to extend the harvest window. For this purpose, part of the young growing canes should be cut back to 5 cm at the end of May. On the one hand, this pruning measure results in the remaining shoots growing faster and thus they will flower and form fruit more quickly. And on the other hand, the pruning leads to the formation of side shoots at the base of the cut-back canes, which grow up delayed as new canes and thus still form fruit at a later time.
Schlaraffia® Nibbleme® – the advantages
- Completely thornless canes with a stable and upright growth habit
- Very early and concentrated harvest
- Huge fruits
Picture: Schlaraffia® Nibbleme®
Short description – primocane raspberry Schlaraffia® Nibbleme®
- Cultivation: primocane raspberry, bears on this year's canes
- Maturity: one of the earliest autumn raspberries, from mid-July onwards
- Fruits: very large conical fruit, fruit size is maintained throughout the harvest period
- Growth: stable and upright, the canes are largely self-standing – can be grown without a framework
Order now!
If we have sparked our interest in this new and unusual raspberry assortment, then do not hesitate to contact us and request your Schlaraffia® raspberries. The sooner the better, because, as expected, our new varieties are always in great demand and especially in the first few years, they are only available in limited quantities. Be quick – it's worth it!
