Raspberries & Rosella

Raspberries are packed with vitamin C in addition to being high in antioxidants and dietary fibre. Freshly picked raspberries are divine and they can be made into so many delicious dishes, such as cakes and muffins, ice cream and fruit salad.

If you live in a cool or temperate climate, can devote some time each year to pruning and have a spare square metre or two in a sunny spot out in the garden they're a great berry to grow at home.

Autumn fruiting raspberry varieties like 'Heritage' and 'Autumn Bliss' will start flowering and setting their fruit in late summer and early to mid autumn.

Keep the plants well fed with regular applications of a potassium rich plant food like Yates Thrive Flower & Fruit Soluble Plant Food. It's easy to use, just mix 2 spoonfuls in a 9 L watering can and apply over the foliage and root zone.

Canes on summer fruiting raspberries, such as Chilliwack and Chilcotin, that have borne fruit during summer can now be cut back to the ground. Only cut back canes that have fruited, leaving the fresher canes to bear next year's summer harvest.

Rosella is a type of hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) that has a fleshy seed casing that tastes like a tart combination of raspberries and plums. It can be used to make cordial, jams, sauces and teas and is also a colourful addition to a glass of bubbly!

Rosella is a fast growing annual shrub that grows to around 1.5m tall. It needs a warm, frost free climate and after flowering will start producing 'fruit' in early autumn. Rosella is available as small plants from nurseries or can also be grown from seed. They make an attractive plant, having reddish leaves and yellow flowers, so they can be included as a decorative (and delicious!) annual in a garden bed.

From spring to late summer feed rosella plants with potassium fortified Yates Thrive Flower & Fruit Soluble Plant Food to promote healthy foliage growth and lots of flowers, that will develop into tasty seed pods.