Raspberry Bush Care • The Care and Feeding of Raspberry

Raspberries on the vine.

Raspberry Bush Care

So you want to grow a raspberry bush. Wonderful! First things first, you will need to decide what kind of raspberry bush you wish to grow as there are two different types of raspberry plants, and each requires specific care and management.

Summer-Bearing Raspberry Bushes

Summer-bearing raspberry bush yield one crop per year usually produced during June and July. To care for your summer-bearing raspberry bush, you will want to cut the two-year-old raspberry canes once they have produced their berries.

How to Prune Summer-Bearing Raspberries

Make sure not to cut the one-year-old raspberry canes growing beside it; you will know the difference between the two as one-year-old raspberry canes will be green, and two-year-old raspberry canes will be brown.

Red Raspberry bushes in a greenhouse.

Everbearing Raspberry Bushes (Fall-Bearing)

Everbearing raspberry bushes, also known as fall-bearing raspberry bushes, yield their crop twice a year — during the fall and the summer. When pruning ever-bearing raspberry plants, cut down all raspberry canes to the ground once they have produced their fruit. There is no need to prune them during their growing season — unless you wish to do so for aesthetic reasons.

What is Raspberry’s Temperature Tolerance?

Raspberry bushes enjoy cooler climates, but you can find varieties of raspberry plants that will thrive in any climate you live in. When you go to plant your raspberry plant, make sure it has access to full sun for the most fruit production.

Raspberry Bushes Don’t Like Wind

When considering where you will grow your raspberry bushes, remember that raspberry bushes do not enjoy the wind as it dries them out, nor do they like standing water.

Soil for Raspberry Bushes

Give your raspberry plant the best start possible with nutrient-rich, well-draining soil. You’ll want to prepare the soil a couple of weeks in advance using aged manure or compost and give the soil an excellent tilling before placing your plant.

How Much Water Do Raspberries Need?

Give your raspberry plant an inch of water per week from Spring until after you harvest your raspberries. It’s best to water your raspberry plant regularly instead of soaking it. You will want to use mulch around your raspberry plants to keep moisture in while suffocating any weeds that might grow.

A basket full of red raspberries sitting on the grass.

What’s Eating My Raspberries?

Be on the lookout for Japanese beetles and spider mites that appear in June and August. Also, rabbits are fond of raspberry canes and will look to feast on them during the winter. A simple fence around your raspberry plants should provide enough protection.

Avoiding Raspberry Fungus

Planting raspberries where tomatoes, eggplant, peppers or potatoes have previously grown can cause the raspberry plant to develop a specific type of fungus if the area isn’t adequately fumigated.

Harvesting Raspberries

Raspberries are the sweetest when harvested once their color has deepened. Look for shades of red, black, purple, or golden yellow, dependent upon the species of raspberry. They are also easily removed from the raspberry plant when ready to be harvested.

A woman in all black with tattoos on her wrist holding red raspberries in her palm in front of a person wearing yellow.

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