Raspberry Golddigger - Rubus idaeus

The Schlaraffia 'Golddigger' Raspberry Bush is the first variety of raspberry with yellow fruits from the renowned Schlaraffia series. This raspberry variety, known as autumn raspberry, produces fruits from early August to late September on the current year's branches. It offers a high yield. The berries have a medium to large size, a conical shape, and a beautiful dark yellow colour. The taste is subtle, delicate, slightly sweet, and not very acidic, with a juicy sensation. The plant reaches a maximum height of 1.2 to 1.5 m, and its stems are entirely thornless. 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 Bush, is native to Europe and temperate Asia and belongs to the Rosaceae family, like strawberries, blackberries, and wild roses. In its natural habitat, it grows in the undergrowth of cool climates associated with plants such as rowan, 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 bush is about ten years. There are two categories of raspberry bushes. The everbearing varieties produce two crops, the first in June-July on the previous year's branches and the second from August until frost on the new shoots. The non-everbearing varieties have an abundant harvest around June-July and bear fruit on the previous year's branches.

The Schlaraffia 'Golddigger' variety is part of a range of raspberry bushes comprising high-yielding varieties with large, quality fruits and reasonable dimensions. 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 the harvests and diversifying the tastes and uses. It forms a bushy shrub that can reach a 1.2 to 1.5 m height with a spread of 70 to 80 cm. Its deciduous foliage is carried by upright stems, developing from a moderately suckering perennial stump. The stems or canes are biennial, each one dying after fruiting. Every year, new suckers emerge from its roots, producing new thornless canes. The Raspberry Bush has green leaves on the top, whitish-green and tomentose on the underside. The flowering is highly melliferous. The white flowers, 1 to 2 cm in diameter, are grouped in small clusters of 10 to 12. They appear in April-May, and the flowering extends until August. The fruits are formed by small aggregated drupes, which are easy to detach when ripe. The Golddigger Raspberry Bush is very hardy and disease-resistant, requiring little maintenance.

The Schlaraffia 'Golddigger' Raspberry Bush 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. Raspberries are delicate fruits that must be carefully picked; they can be lightly washed and better keep in the refrigerator. Picking them is easy, and it is delightful either to taste the fruits on the spot or to choose 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.

The Golddigger Raspberry Bush will find a special place alongside other small fruit varieties within a fruiting hedge, in the vegetable garden, or as a punctuation in the ornamental garden. To extend the harvest period and increase the diversity of raspberries' colour and taste, it can be interesting 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 varieties like the Black Jewel or Glen Coe.

Tip: This autumn raspberry variety, known as primocane raspberries, bears fruit on the canes of the same 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.