How to Grow Raspberries? Facts Every Gardener Should Know
Raspberries from your own garden, without any chemicals, delicious and juicy - it's a dream of many people. As it turns out, growing raspberries is easier than many think. Furthermore, one can find many different varieties that anyone can grow - even with unfavourable conditions in the garden. Do you want to know how to grow raspberries and enjoy plentiful harvest? Below, you can find a compendium - it might come in handy.
Can I use any soil for planting raspberries?
You can plant your raspberries in any type of soil. The market offers many less demanding varieties, and ground is not that important in their cultivation.
Anyway, if you want your raspberry plants to grow fast and produce plenty of fruits, and you have the means - use it. What is the best soil for growing raspberries? Most importantly, slightly acidic with an addition of humus. As stressed by experts, 6 or 6.5 is an optimal pH, in this case. Permeability is another important characteristic of soil for raspberries. It prevents many problems and protects roots from rotting.
How to prepare the soil before planting raspberries?
Wondering whether you can plant raspberries in unprepared soil? Of course - but the plant won’t develop as well as in better conditions. This is the reason why you might hear so much about preparing soil for planting raspberries.
Ground fertilization is the basic action here. Every gardening shop offers a special mix of nutrients. All you have to do is dig the ground and add fertilizer regularly for 2-3 months before planting raspberries.
When to plant raspberries?
Generally, there are two suitable periods for planting raspberries. The first one is early spring. In this case, you cannot really prepare the ground, as it remains frozen 2-3 months prior (which is the recommended fertilizing period). Because of this, expect a very “symbolic” harvest in the first year.
Autumn is the other, much better time for planting raspberries. You can start the process right at the beginning of September. Depending on the weather conditions in a particular year, you might be able to plant raspberries until very late autumn. Sometimes it is possible even in mid-November. Planting raspberries in fall has another advantage - you can sufficiently enrich the soil before planting. This result in a much bigger harvest.
How to plant raspberries? What’s the right spacing?
Planting raspberries is very easy, although it requires following certain essential rules. Trimming roots and sprigs is the basic action here. Remove the too long or dry ones. Some of them might have been damaged in transport - get rid of any broken shoots as well.
Before you put a seedling in the ground, put it in a bucket or a bowl filled with water for 1-2 hours. This way you ensure that the roots receive a sufficient dose of water.
The holes shouldn’t be too deep - about 10 cm (4 inches) is enough. Proper spacing between the seedlings is very important. Raspberry bushes grow large in good conditions, so the minimal spacing is 50 cm (20 inches). If you have enough space, you can add a few centimeters, just to be sure.
Planting raspberries in a proper way is one issue. It’s also important to provide them with a support. You can use ordinary wire for this purpose. Make sure that your raspberry canes climb upwards instead of creeping on the ground.
What types of raspberries are good for planting in the garden?
Raspberries, similar to strawberries and tomatoes, can be divided into early and late varieties. Make sure to learn something more about particular types before picking and purchasing seedlings.
Many claim that late-season types of raspberry are better, as they are resistant to harsh conditions, e.g. low temperatures. The following varieties are the most popular in this category:
- Polka,
- Augusta,
- Rafiki.
Those who can’t wait for the first raspberries will be happy with early varieties, also referred to as summer fruiting. Find the most popular types below:
- Canby,
- Malling Promise,
- Bristol,
- Tulameen,
- Veten.
You don’t have to give up autumn varieties if you pick summer fruiting ones. You can plant both in your garden. Just make sure not to mix them together. Make sure to set areas where each type can grow separately.
Growing raspberries - how to take care of them?
Watering is the basic step in raspberry care. Those plants love damp soil and such conditions are best for them. For this reason, remember to water the ground especially during sunny days.
Raspberries don’t need fertilizing during the growth period - if the soil was enriched before. It doesn’t mean you can’t use fertilizers - especially if you aim for a big harvest. But make sure to pick the right type of plant food - designed for a particular variety. Early raspberry types need a different set of nutrients than the late ones.
Where to buy raspberries for the garden?
Raspberry seedlings are widely available, so you can get them in any gardening shop. Regardless, make sure to buy in trusted places. Why? Because this way, you can count on the best quality. You don’t have to worry that an infected plant affects your crops in any way.
When buying seedlings, pay attention to their quality - it concerns the roots in particular. Avoid raspberries with dry or damaged roots. If you notice weird spots on the leaves - don’t buy them either.
How many seasons do raspberry plants last?
Although raspberries can be cultivated for many years, they are not eternal. It means that the bushes stop bearing fruit after some time. When can you expect it? Raspberry plants last for 10 years on average - although a lot depends on the variety you choose. What to do then? Old bushes should be dug out. After a suitable break and soil fertilization, new seedlings can be planted.
📍 When to plant raspberries?
Raspberries can be planted in spring or autumn - depending on the variety. If you want to harvest a lot of fruit in the first year, plant raspberries between September and October.
📍 Planting raspberries - how to space the seedlings?
Keep a relatively wide spacing between raspberry plants - minimum 50 cm. The rows should be at least 2-3 meters apart.
📍 How to prepare soil before planting raspberries?
Start preparing the soil before planting raspberries from digging and fertilizing it. Feed the ground regularly at least 2-3 months before you want to plant the raspberries.
📍 What kind of fertilizer do raspberries need?
Finding the right fertilizer is the essential of raspberry care. A mixture with potassium sulphate is the best option. Make sure not to use potassium salt, as it might damage the plants.
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