Autumn Raspberries - Joan J and Autumn Treasure versus Glen Cova

Last year, for the first time in 30 years (!) I decided to try growing a different variety of raspberry so this is their second year.  

I have always grown the Scottish bush raspberry, Glen Cova and find it produces lovely raspberries for eating fresh and also for freezing.  I also make tons of jam for the cottage and it seems to go down quite well with our guests!  

The new varieties are a different shape and a completely different flavour.  They are Joan J and Autumn Treasure.  I am hoping to extend the season a bit and they do seem to have more developing raspberries than their Glen Cova cousins but I am not sure I like the flavour of either of these so much.  However, the jam is excellent for flavour so all good there.  Being bigger, they are quicker to pick too!  

In the whole raspberry patch I am plagued with a particular invidious weed called horsetail.  It spreads mainly through the roots (but also through spores as it is truly a fossil plant) which can go down 6 feet and even if I could spray weedkiller, which I can't as it would get on the raspberries, it is resistant to most.  I just have to keep pulling it out and it is exhausting and frustrating!  The only way to get rid of it is to dig grave like holes and dig it out and this of course is impossible.  We manage to do this in other parts of the vegetable garden which grow annual plants. The pickings pictured are mixed varieties.  The fig tree is doing well this year too although the birds get there, nearly every time, before me.  Ah well, they sing nicely!