In a small space, raspberries yield a phenomenal quantity of ravishing berries—and they fruit year after year with proper care. Raspberries can be harvested all the way from midsummer through to the first frost. See our tips on how to plant, grow, harvest, and prune raspberries!
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.
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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.
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.
Planting Location for raspberries
I want to inquire if planting the raspberry and blackberry canes is possible 3-4 feet away from the oak tree or in the area where the pachysandra is growing? I am finding it really hard to find the right spot. Both areas allow plenty of sunlight for at least 5-6 hours.
Thank you!
where to put the berries
Neither place is particularly good. The berries would be competing with the tree roots and the groundcover (pachysandra). The berries do best in well composted ground that they have to themselves.
Pruning late in spring and care of raspberry canes
My query is about the issue I have not I not pruning my raspberry canes last summer after they fruited, as recommended. As now they are all wild and very tall, almost 6-8 feet high. I did the best I could pruning them yesterday and it is end of March now. I tried to take out most of the old wood and pruned them down to ground, leaving the good looking leafy branches. I plan to tie and support the remaining canes. But is it ok to have such tall canes and will they fruit all the way up to the top? Would it be ok to prune these tall canes by half at this stage of their growth?
Birds
After 2 summers of a very small crop, I realized that the birds were eating my berries before they were fully ripe. The berries were poorly formed and never seemed to ripen. I also noticed bird poop on the fence around the berries. I tried to put up a plastic owl and shined things but finally bought some netting. Ever since then we’ve had enough to enjoy fresh and in the freezer. The canes begin to grow through the netting before the berries are done so it gets a bit tangled. The netting is light so I can rip it off. I was able to reuse the netting for two years although it is not expensive to start over.
Replacing raspberry plants
I have a fruit cage that was so overrun by bindweed I decided to clear out about 4 years ago. There was nothing wrong with the raspberries in it except they were very overcrowded. I now want to restock with raspberries and wonder if that's possible as some labels say 'do not plant where raspberries (rebus) have previously been grown'? I have replaced some of the soil with organic matter.
First-year, non-fruit bearing pruning advice
I planted 2 raspberry bushes in early spring of 2019. They grew huge all summer and are very lush and healthy. Now, it's November 2019 and I have no idea how to prune them before the snow falls (I'm in zone 6 in Rochester, NY). I have scoured the Internet to find out if I should prune them. All I have read about is how to prune fruit-bearing canes. I didn't have any fruit or buds this first year. Should I leave them without pruning and let the snow pile on them? Should I cut them back to a certain height before the snow falls? We're getting snow in the next few weeks. HELP
raspberries
what color should my plant be when its ready to harvest
Berry Color
Depending on variety, mature berries could be dark red, dark purple, or an amber color. In any case, they should easily come off the plant when gently picked.
Black and Red Raspberries together?
Can black and red raspberries be grown in the same patch? A friend of mine gave me some raspberry bushes two years ago to add to my smaller patch of black raspberries. I assumed they were also black. The first year they didn't have any fruit. This year, to my surprise I have both red and black raspberries. it seems like the black raspberries near the red ones have produced very small oddly shaped berries. Is this because they are near the red raspberries?
Tiny worms inside ripe berries
I have just started harvesting my first round of raspberries and found that there are tiny white worms inside the berries, no bigger than a half a centimeter long. One berry had about 8 of these pests inside. What are they and how do I get rid of them?
small white worms in raspberries
Tiny, white worms are probably a type of fruit fly larvae. Unfortunately, this is a non-native invasive pest. There can be several larvae in each berry. They affect soft fruits and overripe fruits. Unfortunately, they are serious. You have a couple of options:
1. Promptly harvest ripe fruit now. Sanitation is very important. Remove and dispose of over-ripe, damaged, or rotting fruit. Dispose of berries in a manner that prevents flies from emerging and reinfesting sound fruit. Controlling weeds around the raspberry planting can also help.
2. Insecticides are a possible control option if you are open to it. Speak to your local cooperative extension or garden center experts. Note: many garden insecticides have preharvest waiting periods of several days, making their application to ripening fruit impractical. If you decide to use an insecticide, select one with a short preharvest waiting period (such as one day) and carefully read and follow label directions. According to Purdue University entomologists, there are a number of insecticide products labeled for use on raspberries, including spinosad, pyrethroids and malathion, to combat this pest. Only use products that are labeled for use on raspberries, and be sure to look at the days-to-harvest limits listed on the label (likely 1 to 3 days). NEVER apply any insecticides while the plants are in bloom.
You would need to spray immediately to try to knock down the population. You will probably need to make a second application a few days later to kill new adults that emerge after the initial application. Depending on how long your fruit harvest continues, you may need to reapply weekly.
Raspberry core
After i pick my raspberries what should i do about the core left on the vine? Trim leave it alone, what? My concern is it drawing away nutrients unnecessarily.
harvesting raspberries
You can leave the core on the plant. It will naturally take care of itself. I couldn’t find research on how much nutrients the plant devotes to it, but my guess is that once the fruits (the drupelets that contain the seeds) have been harvested, the plant won’t devote much energy to the core (aka receptacle) itself, and it will wither on its own.
Harvesting raspberries
My raspberries have fruited well. The fruit is soft but will not come away from the core on 2 of my plants they just squash. If I leave them too long they are over ripe and still will not pick off. They are easy to pick off from a third plant I have. Why is this? Is it the variety or planting conditions? The two plants I have problems with are in a much better position than the third plant........................
Hey, I want to know a
Hey, I want to know a valuable information. Can I use this gardening ideas for indian sub-continent Weather and soil condition? Raspberry is not our seasonal fruits at all.
Raspberries
The information above is intended for gardeners in North America and for species of raspberries grown in North America, but the general growing advice should still apply. You will likely have to adjust it to your local conditions and the raspberry species available to you.
Blueberries,blackberry,and Raspberry plants.
Do I need more than one plant.. To plant for production?
Thanks Di
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