Raspberries

Raspberries

Growing your own raspberries is EASY!

Raspberries are one of the most rewarding fruits you can grow at home—sweet, nutritious, and perfect for fresh eating, freezing, or making into jam. With just a little care at planting time, your raspberry patch can thrive for many years. Proper planting is the key to strong, productive canes that will reward you with abundant harvests season after season. Follow these simple steps to give your raspberries the best possible start and set the stage for healthy growth and delicious fruit.

  • Step 1: Dig hole large enough to accommodate roots when spread. Excessively long roots may be pruned to accommodate the hole. Do not “wad” roots to fit the hole. Plant raspberries 1 to 3 feet apart in the row, with 6 to 10 feet between rows.
  • Step 2: Set plant in hole just deep enough to cover all roots. Plant at the same depth at which the plant was previously growing. Be careful not to break off any of the white shoots growing from the crown of the new plants.
  • Step 3: Backfill with soil mixed 50/50 with T&C Soil Enhancer. (Optional… but highly recommended: also mix in 4 tbsp. soil sulfur). At this point we highly recommend pruning the cane down to about 4” high. This will force new canes to emerge from the roots, which is what you want to get a strong healthy plant.
  • Step 4: Water in with Fertilome Root Stimulator solution (according to directions on bottle). If the plant is dormant and no leaves are present, the plants will use very little water at first. Avoid over-watering. Over-watering will only lead to root rot. After growth starts and leaves appear, water when soil is dry on surface. Established plants need about an inch of water every 7 to 10 days during hot weather.
  • Step 5: Feed raspberries monthly with Save-a-Tree or T&C Fruit & Flower Food according to directions on label.
  • Step 6: Enjoy your harvest. Summer bearing raspberries produce fruit during July. Everbearers produce in both July and Sept/Oct. See variety list on back.

Raspberry Varieties

Summer bearing- Produce only during July on two-year-old canes.

Canby: (Zone 4) This nearly thornless variety is a popular raspberry. Produces large quantities of medium sized, firm, good flavored fruit. Excellent for freezing, canning, cooking, and fresh eating. Produces one crop (multiple pickings) in July each year.

Everbearing- Produce in July on 2-year-old canes and again in Sept./Oct. on first year canes. Some gardeners choose to cut all canes to the ground in late fall each year. This sacrifices the summer crop, but makes pruning easy.

  • Caroline: (zone 4) Moderate summer crop with a heavier fall crop. Large, dark red berries. Excellent flavor, rich and intense. Good for fresh eating, freezing, canning, and preserves. Very productive. Fall harvest begins in September in east Idaho.
  • Fall Gold: (zone 4) Extremely sweet, excellent for fresh eating, canning, and preserves. Large golden berries are not bothered by birds. Fall harvest from new canes begins in September in east Idaho.
  • Prime Ark: (zone 4/5) Primocane blackberry variety that will grow a cane and produce fruit during the same growing season (similar to everbearing raspberries). Medium-large fruits from mid to late summer through fall. Upright thorny canes.

Hardiness Zone- Zone 3: Hardy to -40 deg. Zone 4: Hardy to -30. Zone 5: Hardy to -20 deg.

Pollinating- All raspberries are self pollinating, meaning you only need one variety to produce fruit. There is no harm in planting different varieties near one another.

Raspberry Varieties

Summer bearing- Produce only during July on two-year-old canes.

Everbearing- Produce in July on 2-year-old canes and again in Sept./Oct. on first year canes. Some gardeners choose to cut all canes to the ground in late fall each year. This sacrifices the summer crop, but makes pruning easy.

Hardiness Zone- Zone 3: Hardy to -40 deg. Zone 4: Hardy to -30. Zone 5: Hardy to -20 deg.

Pollinating- All raspberries are self pollinating, meaning you only need one variety to produce fruit. There is no harm in planting different varieties near one another.

 

Variety Type  Zone Description
Canby Summer Bearing 4 Prime Ark: (zone 4/5) Primocane variety that will grow a cane and produce fruit during the same growing season (similar to everbearing raspberries). Medium-large fruits from mid to late summer through fall. Upright thorny canes.
Caroline Everbearing 4 Moderate summer crop with a heavier fall crop. Large, dark red berries. Excellent flavor, rich and intense. Good for fresh eating, freezing, canning, and preserves. Very productive. Fall harvest begins in September in east Idaho.
Fall Gold Everbearing 4 Extremely sweet, excellent for fresh eating, canning, and preserves. Large golden berries are not bothered by birds. Fall harvest from new canes begins in September in east Idaho.
Prime Ark Everbearing 4/5 Primocane blackberry variety that will grow a cane and produce fruit during the same growing season (similar to everbearing raspberries). Medium-large fruits from mid to late summer through fall. Upright thorny canes.

Weed Control

Weeds (including quack grass) can be prevented in raspberries by applying Casoron granules in late fall or early spring. Be sure to apply after any cultivation, but before new shoots appear in spring. Grasses that come up in the spring can be controlled with Fertilome Over-the-Top II mixed with Sticker-Spreader. Spray in mid April according to directions and again two weeks later for best results.

Thinning- Allow new suckers to come up between plants in the row, but remove any that sprout up between rows. Unwanted suckers arising too far from the mother plant may be grubbed out as they appear.

Pruning- In the late fall or early spring prune all plants to about 4’, remove
all dead canes, and thin out any weak or overcrowded canes.

Before/After- Summer bearing raspberries fruit on two-year-old canes. After harvest, the two year old fruiting canes will die. They should be pruned out in the fall or early spring before new growth starts.

  • Thinning– Allow new suckers to come up between plants in the row, but remove any that sprout up between rows. Unwanted suckers arising too far from the mother plant may be grubbed out as they appear.

  • Pruning– In the late fall or early spring prune all plants to about 4’, remove all dead canes, and thin out any weak or overcrowded canes.

  • Before After– Summer bearing raspberries fruit on two-year-old canes. After harvest, the two year old fruiting canes will die. They should be pruned out in the fall or early spring before new growth starts.

Whether you’re planting for the first time or expanding an established patch, these steps give you a solid foundation for healthy raspberry canes and bountiful fruit. From spacing and planting depth to feeding and watering, each stage plays a vital role in setting up your raspberry bed for long-term success. With care and patience, your patch will reward you each year with delicious berries—whether in midsummer, early fall, or both.