Raspberries produce many small, sweet fruits every summer—for over a month! Come August, it’s critical to prune your berry shrubs to keep the berries coming! See our tips on growing, harvesting, and pruning raspberries.
Raspberries are a shrub belonging to the Rosaceae family, in the genus Rubus. One of the most popular berries in North America, one raspberry bush can produce several hundred berries per season!
Not only are raspberries perfect for picking and eating straight off the stem, but they’re also wondering in jams, pies and tarts, or smoothies and drinks. Plus, fresh raspberries are an excellent source of vitamin-C to support the immune system and helps fight infections.
There are two types of raspberries, both with their own specific requirements for growing:
- Summer-fruiting raspberries are more common, developing their fruit on last year’s growth. They bear one crop per season, in summertime (often June or July).
- Ever-bearing raspberries (also called fall-bearing or autumn-bearing) produce berries on new canes. they bear a fall crop and can also produce fruit the following summer.
A mix of both types of berries would be an ideal way to maximize the harvest period.
All raspberries are self-fertile, so you only need one bush to produce fruit. They’re best pollinated by bees, and will start producing fruit a year after planting.
Though raspberry bushes are naturally inclined to grow in cooler climates, the plants now come in many varieties suited to a range of planting zones.
The Importance of Pruning
All raspberries will need pruning annually! Raspberries are perennials, however it’s important to realize that their branches (or canes) which bear the fruit live for only two summers. During the first year, the new green cane (primocane) grows vegetatively. The cane develops a brown bark, is dormant in winter, and during the second growing season is called a floricane. The floricane produces fruit in early to mid summer and then dies. New primocanes are produced each year, so fruit production continues year after year. It’s your job to prune out those dead canes each year.
See more pruning advice below.
Reader Comments
Leave a Comment
raspberry plants not flowering
I live in Colorado and the plants are not flowering. It is almost half way through July.
Any suggestions?
Raspberry
Is there away to “sweeten” raspberries? I have heard wood ash, but it doesn’t seem to work. Any ideas? Thanks love the stories and articles about gardening
pruning raspberries
I planted new canes last summer but didn't prune them down in the fall. It is now spring here and I have new plants coming up. Should I cut back the canes?
Pruning
I have summer fruiting variety. The new canes (next years berry producers) get extraordinarily huge/tall/leafy making it difficult to see and reach the berries on the other canes to pick them. Is it ok to prune these back? once? twice? to what height? before they get too long? (they can get over 7 feet tall and then bend down) Thanks
Raspberries from cuttings?
I've been trying to make new raspberry plants by putting cane cuttings into
soil/vermiculite mix in one gallon pots. Grown in zone 9, with a couple of dozens
of frost November-March. Some take, maybe 50 percent success rate. Is this
a good percentage, and is this an appropriate method of propagation?
RASPBERRIES
Is it possible to take a cutting of my neighbor's raspberries to start my own plants? How would I do that & when is best? We are in western SD, Zone 4. Thanks!
Red raspberry propagation
Raspberries can be propagated from “root cuttings” taken when the plant is dormant (winter). You can try your neighbor’s plant but it’s normally advised to aquire a cutting from a nursery which will come as one-year-old dormant plant because it will mature easlier, grow faster, and tolerate drier soil.
Basically, suckers come up from the roots. You’ll need some of the parents’ roots to foster the most vigorous new plant. The root divisions can be cut through with a sharp spade and separated. The root cuttings should be 2 to 6 inches long. Tie the cuttings in bundles with all the same type ends together. It is important to maintain the correct polarity of the cuttings. Store for 3 weeks in moist sawdust, peat moss, or sand at 40°F. Remove from storage after frost in the spring. Space the cuttings about 2 to 3 inches apart in well-prepared garden soil. The tops of the cuttings (proximal ends) should be 2 to 3 inches below the soil surface. Keep the new raspberry propagation moist.
Worms
When I've washed my raspberries before eating, I've found tiny white worms emerge...yuck! What are these and how do I prevent them?
Spotted Wing Drosophila
You could be dealing with spotted wing drosophila (SWD), a type of invasive fruit fly. The tiny worms are the flies’ larvae.
Unfortunately, because they are so small, numerous, and reproduce quickly, they can be difficult to manage without resorting to chemicals. To read more about chemical control of SWD, please see this page from Michigan State University.
The main way to reduce the numbers of SWD without the use of chemicals is to essentially keep your berry patch tidy. This means regularly removing plant debris, rotted berries, etc., and disposing of it in the trash (not compost, as the flies will just keep developing).
raspberries
Some of my berries have white areas by the stem, not all, but some, are these harmful
Thanks
white areas
Without knowing exactly what you mean, you could have
–sunscald, if the berries themselves are white in any way. This is caused by the Sun under hot, dry conditions. The fruit is safe to eat.
–stinkbugs or red mites can also cause white coloration as they eat on the berries. This is more random discoloration.
–graymold is a fungus due largely to excess moisture on the plants/berries, without opportunity to dry. Don’t eat these berries.
We hope this helps!
Same problem as Elena.
Same problem as Elena. Several berries but not ripening.
raspberries do not ripen
I have had a healthy autumn-bearing raspberry batch for about 15 years. Last year, I had far fewer raspberries. (In prior years, I could hardly keep up with the picking.) This year, I've had almost none. There are LOTS of berries that looked as if they were developing, but they have all stopped growing, are reddish-brown, and are very firm when I squeeze them. Could it be that they are just old and need to be replaced? I don't see any insects on them, but it could be a disease. Before I replant, I would want at least a good guess as to the disease and whether I can plant a new patch in the same place.
few to no berries
There are lots of reasons for this:
-heavy soil, with poor drainage
-irregular moisture/rain
-infertile soil; apply a general nitrogen fertilizer
-inadequate light; have trees, buildings, or other things encroached on your sunlight?
-aphids that introduced viruses.
Fifteen years is a pretty good run; 10 years is considered replacement time in some circles, so it is one solution. Yes, you should plant a new crop in a new/different place.
small underdeveloped raspberries
I have a raspberry patch that is about 6 or 7 years old. They came in thick and covered with berries, bees swarming around. But at harvest this year about half of my raspberries are coming in underdeveloped, only 5-9 little "rounds" on each berry. I am wondering if you have any suggestions as to what I can do. thank you!
sparse berries
It’s difficult to know exactly from here but some common causes are inadequate sunlight, pruning (June-bearers produce on old wood—the prior year’s canes, so if you pruned them the new canes will not be mature enough to fruit), poor drainage and/or inconsistent watering, infertile soil, and, some say, crowding—canes too close together (8 inches distance is suggested).
Raspberries smell like roses.
That raspberries smelled like roses is something I observed long before I learned they were related, raspberries being In the "rose" family. It's my understanding the taxonomy is Family Rosaceae, Subfamily Rosoideae, and Genus RUBUS. Now, strawberries, although also in the rose family, do not smell like roses to me. I guess it has to do with their different Genus: fragaria. To me, strawberries always smelled like dirt! And I love that earthy aroma! In fact, in Germany their name is Erdbeeren, or earth berries. :)
Pink Lemonade Raspberry bush
Have you ever heard of a pink lemonade raspberry bush? I didn't see that mentioned in the list above. They taste just like pink lemonade. I bought it about 4 years ago from Lowes. I live in zone 7.
pink lemonade
We could never list all of the varieties in any of our recommendation lists; there are just too many!
And we are not familiar with ‘Pink Lemonade’ raspberry. There is a so-named BLUEberry bush but we can find no pink lemonade raspberry. Thanks for sharing!
Protecting raspberry plants
Bad Japanese beetle problem last few years. I want to try netting over the plants or Will this keep my berries from having fruit? I’m just seeing blooms on the canes now.
netting
Netting should not affect fruiting as long as it does not block the sunlight.
Floricane die back; failure to sprout
Have had raspberry's for 30 years. The last 3 years the canes look good in fall and have green in spring but the plants bud out very slowly if at all. Many only have spur buds on lower third. They look like they are trying hard to grow but just cant. Plants on the end tend to be better. Havent seen lesions. Once leaves are on spurs the leaves look good. Any ideas. About 90% of plants affected and will have little if any berries.
failure to fruit
We don’t have any conclusive reasons. Is the soil draining well? And are they getting water (not drought)? Any signs of cane borer: two rows of small punctures about an inch apart at the cane tip? Dose air circulate well around the canes? Brambles are subject to fungi and virus. Maybe take a couple to a local nursery and see if they can identify the problem.
Raspberry wire?
Can you explain about the wire mentioned for red raspberry plants? How to instructions? Thanks
Training raspberries on wires
Training raspberries on wires makes them easier to manage. Raspberry canes grow up to head height and beyond, so they’ll need a support system. Drive in two upright posts at each end of the row, then stretch strong galvanized wire between them. The posts should be about six feet tall with three horizontal wires for summer-fruiting raspberries, or two wires for less-tall autumn-fruiting types. The posts should be about six feet tall with three horizontal wires for summer-fruiting raspberries, or two wires for less-tall autumn-fruiting types.
After you’ve finished picking raspberries, cut all the canes that produced berries back down to the ground. Use garden string to tie the strongest canes that remain to the wire supports. There shouldn’t be any more than one cane every four inches of wire, so cut down additional canes. (Fall-bearing raspberries are even easier to prune – simply cut all the canes back to the ground in late winter.)
raspberry canes all broken at same level
I have 2 rows of healthy raspberries, had just finished taking out the old canes and tied up the (still bare) fruiting canes. Last night was quite rainy and windy and today 2/3 of the canes are split off all at about 18 inches high and left dangling on the wires. It looks like a machete or animal chomped them off all at the same level, like a deer or beaver or porcupine (we have lots of all these animals, but this has never happened before, and none of the canes look eaten and there are no pawprints). Could it have been the wind?? Thanks!
ravaged berries
How tragic! Such a heartbreak! Wind seldom takes down raspberry canes in the way that you describe but it’s possible that if the wire is sharp and the canes struck it hard or multiple times, it could act like a blade and make the cuts—especially if it’s clearly a break and not a wilt. We hope the canes—and you—can recover.
Raspberry bush
Hello I live in Western PA, growing area #6. I bought two plants from Sams Club, one raspberry and on blackberry bush. I have put them in large round containers so they would have room to grow. I placed both of them on my patio, generally shaded but at certain times of the day, nice sun, especially later afternoon sun. However I went out today to see how they were doing and some of the leaves on the raspberry plant have curled, started to brown. The plants are very young, maybe 15-18 inches tall, in very rich potting soil but well drained. Could this curling and browning be from wind? If so how do I protect them outside from wind? It couldn't be from sun could it? I read they would prefer lots of sun.
leaf curl
It may be that your plants have leaf curl virus, which is transmitted by aphids. Raspberries need full sun; generally shaded conditions will weaken them. It’s not clear what you mean by “very rich potting soil,” but they do best in good old aged manure (organic matter) and compost. If you can get them more sun and replant with more organic matter, they might have a chance—for a while. Raspberries won’t last more than a season or two in a container because they spread by sending out roots and the wall of the container will inhibit that.
Bare Root Raspberries, Blackberries and grapes
I planted bare raspberries, Blackberries and grapes in early March in the High Mojave Desert of California. How long does it normally take for these to begin sprouting canes, vines and leaves? It is now 25 April yet I have not seen any new growth. I would greatly appreciate your advice as this is a difficult fact to find.
Pages