Fruit · Cane fruit
Raspberries
Rubus idaeusRaspberries are one of the most productive small-garden fruits, sending up new canes each year from a spreading root system. Ever-bearing types even crop on the current season’s growth. The one rule: know which type you have, since summer- and ever-bearing canes are pruned differently.
Sow depth
Roots spread, crown at soil level
Spacing
18–24 in apart
Sun
Full sun
Germination
30–45 days to establish
Time to harvest
150–425 days
Difficulty
Easy
When to sow raspberries
- Sow from around the first expected autumn frost until about 6 weeks after the first expected autumn frost.
Plant bare-root canes — set roots just below the soil surface in rows.Space canes along a support of wires or a sturdy trellis.Water in well and mulch to conserve moisture while roots establish.
Prune by type — cut summer-fruiting canes after harvest, ever-bearing in late winter.Tie new canes to their support as they grow to keep rows tidy.Feed and mulch each spring; raspberries are vigorous, hungry plants.
Pick when fruit pulls free easily — color alone is not enough to judge ripeness.Harvest every few days through the fruiting flush for peak flavor.Handle gently; ripe berries are soft and bruise easily.
Companion plants
Keeping raspberries away from potatoes and tomatoes limits the spread of shared verticillium wilt.
Watch out for
Cane spot and cane blight — Fungal disease spreads through crowded, damp canes. Thin canes for airflow and remove diseased wood promptly.