Raspberries are one of the most delicious and most delicate of the small fruits. Growing a remarkable crop of raspberries is not difficult as long as you follow these simple guidelines.
In general, raspberries are heavy feeders and need regular watering (especially when the fruit is starting to swell) and prefer to grow in full sun. With careful planning your crop should produce fruit for 12 years, so it is worth the effort to really prep the soil and to install support for your plants. The average yield is 4 ½ lbs. of fruit per 3ft row.
Raspberries have a suckering root system which produce new canes every year and produce fruit the following year (on last years’ canes) and then die.
As a result there is a need for annually pruning out the old canes (right to the ground) each spring. Fertilize in March with a slow feeding organic product like Gaia 4-8-4 Power Bloom (available at Arts Nursery), then mulch heavily (2-3 inches deep) with compost or well rotted manure.
Keep in mind raspberries need:
- Shelter from strong wind
- good drainage is essential
- regular weeding, watching not to damage newly sprouting canes
- firm stakes and cable supports
- bird protection netting
Stakes should be 6 foot long ( 2 feet in ground, 4 feet above) set at 10-12 feet apart, with cross bars. Then install 14 gauge galvanized wire cables strung the length at heights of 2 feet and again at 4 feet high. This will protect canes and fruit from wind effects.
Trench 1-2 feet wide and 6 inches deep (and/or mound up to allow drainage), digging in compost at this time. Plant your raspberry in a hole that is 1`1/2 times the size of the root mass. Try to spread the roots out horizontally to speed suckering of new canes.
Pick raspberries while they are slightly firm.
Choosing a Raspberry For Your Garden
There are many types of Raspberries available on the market today. They are divided into two main groups: single crop and everbearing varieties. Single crop types produce a summer crop typically in June or July. Everbearing types produce both a summer and a fall crop of fruit.
Common Raspberry Varieties
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Raspberry 'Heritage'Heritage produces large sweet and firm dark red berries. A superior quality raspberry that is excellent for fresh eating, desserts and preserves. Ripens in July and bears fruit until September or October. Everbearing variety. |
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Raspberry 'Coho'Coho is an older variety first released in 2001 by the USDA Agriculture Research Stations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
‘Coho’ is high yielding and late-ripening, and produces large, bright red, very firm fruit that separate easily from the plant. It is tasty and ideally suited for fresh eating. Summer cropping variety |
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Raspberry 'Tulameen'Summer bearing, large, firm flavourful berries with excellent colour and quality. Canes are strong, upright and almost spineless. An excellent variety for the home garden due to its size and extended harvest season ( approximately 50 days) |
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Raspberry 'Indian Summer'Indian Summer is an ever-bearing raspberry variety that produces a small crop in late spring and larger crop in Fall. Canes grow to about five feet and are vigorous, erect and sturdy. The fruit is red, medium-large sized with great raspberry flavour. It is an excellent variety for fresh eating and cooking. Use as an edible security barrier along fence lines and in strips too narrow for fruit trees. Grows to about 5-6 ft in height |
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Raspberry 'Fall Gold'Fall Gold raspberry is a prolific producer of tasty gold-coloured fruit. An everbearing variety that produces two crops - a fall crop on the top third of the canes and a second crop the following late spring on the bottom two-thirds. Very hardy. |
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Raspberry 'Canby Red'Canby Red raspberry is a prolific producer of tasty dark red fruit in mid-summer to fall of the second year. Small white flowers precede the fruit on erect, thornless canes. Very hardy selection. |
Other varieties of raspberries are also available at Art's Nursery. Please call ahead to confirm availability. Also have a look at the brand new dwarf thornless variety called Raspberry Shortcake