Raspberries are delicious and nutritious fruits that can be enjoyed fresh, baked into desserts, or preserved for later use. With their vibrant color and tart-sweet flavor, raspberries have become a favorite among home gardeners. There are two types of raspberries: summer-fruiting and autumn-fruiting. Summer varieties fruit on the previous year’s growth, while autumn varieties fruit on fresh green growth produced that year.
Apart from yearly pruning and supporting the canes, raspberries are relatively low maintenance and can provide you with fruit for up to 10 to 15 years.
Where to grow raspberries
Raspberries thrive in well-drained but moist, fertile soil and can be grown in full sun to partial shade. Although raspberries can thrive in partial shade, the fruit will taste sweeter in full sun.
You can grow dwarf varieties in pots, but the harvest will be smaller compared to growing them in the ground.
How to grow and plant raspberries
Raspberries can be planted in early spring or late autumn. Give the roots a good soak and dig a hole that’s deep and large enough for the plant’s roots. Add plenty of organic matter to the hole to aid fertility. You want to space the canes 45cm apart with 1.8-2m between rows. Plant the canes and cover the roots with soil and firm them in.
Summer-fruiting varieties will need supporting. At the end of each row, fix a long wooden post into the ground and run wires between each post. As the canes grow, tie them into the wire running between the posts.
In spring, feed the plants with a general, all-purpose fertiliser and apply a mulch such as homemade compost or bark chippings around the base of the plants. This will help keep the roots moist and suppress weeds. During hot, dry spells, keep the plants well watered.
Pruning
Summer-fruit varieties fruit on the previous year’s growth. Tie the canes to the support and prune out weaker shoots to avoid overcrowding. After they’ve finished fruiting, cut all the canes that carried fruit to the ground, leaving the fresh new canes to grow and develop.
Autumn-fruiting raspberries fruit on the current season’s growth, so you can simply cut these down to the ground after they’ve finished fruiting.
Pests and diseases
Birds love raspberries, so you may want to net them or grow your raspberries in a fruit cage. It’s important to check the netting daily for any trapped animals or birds.
Raspberries can suffer from nutrient deficiency. Telltale signs include poor or weak growth and yellow leaves with brown edges. Feed them with a high-nitrogen fertiliser, and applying plenty of organic matter, such as well-rotted manure or homemade compost, will help combat this.
Harvesting
Raspberries are easy to harvest; simply gently tug on the fruits, and they will fall off into your hands. However, the fruits can be easily crushed, so handle them with care.