Raspberries


Raspberries will not be available for the 2023 season due to supplier constraints.

Bare-Root Fruit & Vegetable Cultural Guide
Bare-Root Fruit & Vegetable Receiving Guide

Raspberries are a favorite of many home gardeners. This fruit is not only delicious and productive, but is also very good for you! New research has shown that black raspberries have some of the highest levels of phytonutrients of any dark-colored fruits. They have even shown ...

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Raspberries

Raspberries are a favorite of many home gardeners. This fruit is not only delicious and productive, but is also very good for you! New research has shown that black raspberries have some of the highest levels of phytonutrients of any dark-colored fruits. They have even shown cancer-prevention qualities. The fruit can be eaten fresh or processed into jam, jelly, or juice. Surplus fruit can also be frozen. Raspberries are wonderful plants for birds because, if left unpruned, they form thickets that provide excellent nesting, roosting and hiding places. The fruit, of course, is also a highly desired and a healthy food source for birds.

Raspberry plants can be divided into two categories based upon the season in which they produce fruit. Ever bearing varieties produce fruit in the summer as well as the fall, on both old and new wood while summer bearing (or June bearing) varieties only produce fruit in the summer, typically on two year old wood. Raspberry plants can also be divided into categories by color: varieties may produce reddish fruit, or fruit in shades of yellow/gold, purple, and black.

Raspberries perform best planted in full sun, in a well-drained loamy soil supplemented with compost and with a pH of approximately 6.5 to 7.0. They may be planted as soon as soil can be worked in the spring. Dig a hole 12” wide and deep enough so that when set, the stem will be approximately 2” lower than they were in the nursery (you should be able to tell by the dried soil line on the stem). Make a small cone of soil in the middle of the hole and spread roots evenly around cone. Fill the hole with soil, tamping firmly as you go, and water well. Raspberries should be planted 2-3’ apart with a 7-8’ space between rows. They should NOT be planted in areas where eggplants, peppers, potatoes or tomatoes have been grown in the previous 3 years due to possible infection of verticillium wilt fungus. At planting, sprinkle a regular garden fertilizer of 10-10-10 on top of the soil at a rate of 1/2 to 3/4 lb. per 100 sq. feet.

Raspberry roots and crowns live for a very long time, but the canes die after two years. Raspberries can be pruned in a couple of different ways. The summer fruit is produced on canes that developed the previous season. The fall fruit is produced on canes that develop in the current season. If you are harvesting fruit both in summer and fall, keep in mind that the summer fruit will generally be smaller than the fall fruit. In early spring before the buds open, , prune out the dead, weak or damaged canes, leaving about 4-6 healthy canes per square foot. Then prune the remaining canes to about 4-5’. This is where the majority of fruit production occurs. If you want only fall fruit (this will cause the plants to produce a particularly heavy fall crop), cut or mow the entire plant back to 1-2” in the fall, after all leaves have dropped. (All refuse should be either burned or put in the trash, because they can harbor disease. Do not put them in your compost!). Because some raspberries propagate themselves by underground suckers, pull out the suckers you do not want. Pruning them will only cause more suckers to grow. Your plants require 1 of water per week during the growing season and regular, shallow cultivation.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT BARE ROOT PLANTS
You may be a little startled when you first encounter a ‘bare root’ plant. This is simply a plant that has had the soil washed from its roots to facilitate shipping, and to help prevent the transfer of soil-borne pathogens and pests. Our bare root plants are shipped to you in a dormant state, just prior to your planting season. Unpack your plants and submerge the roots into a bucket of water for 1 hour so the roots will begin to absorb moisture. Be sure to plant them within 48 hours, before the plants break their dormancy.

SHIPPING INFO: Live products have fixed ship dates based on your location. Garden Galleries products will ship to you directly from our supplier via UPS in early spring unless you specify a later ship week in the Order Notes field at checkout. Shipments continue through late spring until product is sold out. Please see individual product pages for more information and any state restrictions.