Overview
What raspberries need, when they fruit, and whether they suit your garden.
Raspberries crop for many years from one planting: up to about ten (RHS), five to 15 depending on type and soil (Oregon State). The roots are perennial but each cane lives only two summers, and that shapes everything: summer-fruiting types fruit on last year’s canes, autumn-fruiting types on this year’s. Get the type right, plant into well-drained soil, and prune each type the right way.
Quick facts
- Botanical name
- Rubus idaeus
- Soil pH
- 5.6 – 6.5
- Hardiness
- USDA zone 4a and warmer
- Height
- Up to 180 cm (71 in)
- Propagation
- Division
Survives −34 °C
Growing details
- Spacing
- 45 cm (18 in)
- Frost sensitivity
- Frost hardy
Growing calendar
- Plant out: January, February, March, November, December
- Harvest: June, July, August, September, October
- Prune: February, July, August, September
Bare-root canes while dormant, when the soil isn’t frozen (RHS); in cold regions, early spring (UMN). Summer-fruiting from June into September; autumn-fruiting from August into October (RHS). Summer-fruiting straight after harvest; autumn-fruiting in February (RHS).
Is this plant right for you?
- Crops for years
- Frost hardy
- Needs support
- Yearly pruning
- Self-fertile
- Needs drainage
- Compact types for pots
Good to know
Plan for support early: this plant needs a stake, cage or frame once it gets going. It stands frost, so it can go out earlier than tender crops.
Before You Grow
Choose summer or autumn fruiting, and a sunny, sheltered site with well-drained, slightly acid soil.
Grow both types to pick from late June to October (RHS, Gardeners’ World).
What you need
Certified virus-free canes
Bare-root or potted. See choose your raspberries.
A sunny, well-drained site
Where raspberries haven’t grown before. See soil.
Posts and wire
For summer-fruiting types. See supports.
Compost for mulch
Each late winter. See feeding and mulching.
Secateurs
For the yearly prune. See pruning.
Netting
If birds take the fruit. See pests.
Choose your raspberries
Raspberries are self-fertile, so one plant will fruit (RHS). The big choice is summer or autumn fruiting.
Summer-fruiting (floricane) raspberries fruit on last year’s canes, from early to late summer. They grow to about 1.8 m (6 ft), need support and plenty of space, and fruit from their second summer (RHS). RHS AGM choices: ‘Glen Ample’, ‘Glen Magna’, ‘Malling Jewel’, ‘Octavia’, ‘Tulameen’.
Autumn-fruiting (primocane or everbearing) raspberries fruit on the current year’s canes, from late summer into autumn. They are shorter at 1.2 to 1.5 m (4 to 5 ft), simpler to prune, suit smaller plots, and fruit in their first year (RHS): ‘Joan J’, ‘Polka’, ‘Autumn Bliss’, yellow ‘All Gold’.
Colours. Yellow raspberries grow exactly like red ones. Black and purple raspberries don’t sucker from the roots and are grown as single plants (Iowa State, Oregon State).
Cold winters. Choose a cultivar rated for your zone: most suit USDA zones 4 to 8, and ‘Boyne’ and ‘Polana’ go down to zone 3 (Oregon State).
Raspberry types compared
-
Summer-fruiting
- Fruits on
- Last year’s canes
- Picking (UK)
- June to September
- Height
- About 1.8 m (6 ft)
- Examples
- ‘Glen Ample’, ‘Tulameen’
-
Autumn-fruiting
- Fruits on
- This year’s canes
- Picking (UK)
- August to October
- Height
- 1.2 to 1.5 m (4 to 5 ft)
- Examples
- ‘Joan J’, ‘Polka’, ‘All Gold’
-
Autumn, double-cropped
- Fruits on
- Both
- Picking (UK)
- Early summer, then autumn
- Height
- 1.2 to 1.5 m (4 to 5 ft)
- Examples
- Strong, established plants such as ‘Joan J’ and ‘Polka’
-
Black or purple
- Fruits on
- Last year’s canes
- Picking (UK)
- Summer
- Height
- Grown as single plants
- Examples
- ‘Jewel’, ‘Royalty’
From the RHS, Iowa State and Oregon State. For a small garden, an autumn-fruiting variety.
Where raspberries grow best
Raspberries are hardy and grow well in most places, especially cooler regions (RHS).
Sun. Full sun gives the biggest, sweetest crops. They fruit in light shade, but less, and plants are less healthy (RHS, UMN).
Shelter. Strong winds deter pollinating insects, snap fruiting side-shoots and knock ripe fruit off (RHS, Oregon State).
Rows. Ideally running north to south so the canes don’t shade each other (RHS).
Cold. Canes and buds can be damaged in hard winters, and open flowers by frost at about −1 °C (30 °F) (Oregon State).
- Sun
- Full sun; light shade crops less
- Soil pH
- 5.6 to 6.5
- Spacing
- 40 to 60 cm (16 to 24 in); rows 1.5 to 2 m (5 to 6½ ft)
Soil
Raspberries like fertile, well-drained, slightly acid soil and won’t tolerate waterlogging, especially in winter (RHS).
Drainage. Roots suffocate in soil waterlogged for more than a few days, and root rot follows. On heavy or wet ground, plant in a raised bed or a mounded row 30 to 45 cm (1 to 1½ ft) high (Oregon State).
pH. 5.6 to 6.5 (Oregon State); the RHS gives 6.0 to 6.7. Test a year ahead so there’s time to adjust it (Oregon State). Avoid alkaline mushroom compost (RHS).
Organic matter. A few inches (5 to 8 cm) of compost mixed in before planting (UMN). On decent garden soil, no more is needed (RHS).
Fresh ground. Don’t plant where raspberries grew before (RHS).
Planting
Plant dormant canes shallowly, and put posts and wires in first.
Don’t replant where raspberries grew before: new plants struggle there (RHS).
When to plant raspberries
Plant while the canes are dormant.
In the UK, any time from November to March when the soil isn’t frozen; late autumn is ideal (RHS).
In cold regions, early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked (UMN, Oregon State).
Bare-root or potted. Bare-root canes are cheaper and sold in bundles from autumn to early spring; potted plants are available for longer (RHS). If you can’t plant bare-root canes straight away, cover the roots with moist soil (Oregon State).
- While dormant, November to March.
- Early spring in cold regions.
- Never into frozen or waterlogged soil.
How to plant raspberries
Put the supports in first: it’s much harder afterwards (RHS).
-
Soak bare roots
Give the roots a good soak in water before planting (Gardeners’ World).
-
Space the canes
40 to 60 cm (16 to 24 in) apart, with 1.5 to 2 m (5 to 6½ ft) between rows (RHS).
-
Plant shallowly
The top roots no more than 5 cm (2 in) below the surface; use the old soil mark on the stem as a guide (RHS).
-
Firm and water
Firm in gently and water well (Gardeners’ World).
-
Cut back
Cut the canes to 25 cm (10 in) (RHS), unless they are summer-fruiting "long canes", which fruit that first summer.
-
Mulch
5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in) of compost, kept clear of the stems (RHS).
Putting up supports
Summer-fruiting canes need a permanent post-and-wire support; autumn types usually stand on their own (Gardeners’ World).
-
Set the posts
A sturdy post at each end of the row standing about 1.8 m (6 ft) tall, with extra posts every 3.6 m (12 ft) (RHS).
-
Run the wires
Three strong galvanised wires at 60 cm (2 ft) intervals (RHS).
-
Tie in the canes
Keep fruiting canes on one side and the young canes for next year on the other, so old canes are simple to remove (RHS).
-
For autumn types
Posts about 60 cm (2 ft) tall with parallel wires either side of the row fence the canes in without tying (RHS).
-
No room for a row?
Plant two or three canes around a single post and tie them to it (RHS).
Care
Mulch, water in dry spells as fruit swells, and prune each type correctly.
Canes live two summers: a cane that has fruited is finished (Iowa State).
Care by season
Late winter
Mulch: 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in)
Mulch, and cut autumn canes down. See pruning.
Spring
Weeds: pull by hand
Pull out suckers that stray from the row. See propagation.
Fruiting
Water: 2.5 to 4 cm (1 to 1½ in) a week
Water in dry spells and pick often. See harvesting.
After summer picking
Keep: 6 to 8 canes per plant
Cut out fruited canes and tie in new ones. See pruning.
Winter
Dormant: time to plant
Check posts and wires. See supports.
Watering raspberries
Water newly planted canes well, and during any long dry spell in their first year (RHS).
Established plants in the ground rarely need watering in the UK, but their roots are shallow, so water in long dry spells while fruit is developing (RHS). In dry-summer regions they need about 2.5 to 4 cm (1 to 1½ in) a week (Oregon State).
How. Soak the soil 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 in) deep without leaving it waterlogged. Drip lines or soaker hoses keep the canes dry and reduce disease (Oregon State).
Containers need watering all season, ideally with rainwater in the morning (RHS).
Feeding and mulching
Mulch with 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in) of compost in late winter or early spring, leaving a gap around the stems (RHS). It feeds the soil, holds moisture and smothers weeds.
Feeding. Regularly mulched raspberries rarely need more. If crops are poor or leaves pale, apply a general granular fertiliser in early spring (RHS, Gardeners’ World).
Nitrogen is the nutrient raspberries use most (Oregon State). Too much gives very tall, thin canes; too little gives pale lower leaves.
Magnesium deficiency shows as yellowing between the leaf veins (RHS).
Containers. A general liquid feed monthly through the growing season (RHS).
Pruning raspberries
Each cane lives two summers. Unpruned plants turn into a thicket and spread by suckers (RHS).
Summer-fruiting. Straight after picking, cut all fruited canes to the ground. Keep the six to eight strongest new canes per plant, tie them in about 10 cm (4 in) apart, and remove the rest (RHS). Canes taller than the top wire are looped over, then trimmed to just above a bud in February.
Autumn-fruiting. In February, cut all canes to the ground; new canes fruit that autumn. Thin crowded clumps to about 10 cm (4 in) apart in early summer (RHS). This single crop comes one to two weeks earlier and is bigger overall than double cropping (Iowa State).
Double cropping. In February, keep six to eight strong autumn canes per metre (3 ft) of row and cut off only their fruited tops; they fruit again in early summer. Cut everything else down, then remove the half-pruned canes after their summer crop (RHS).
Keep it narrow. Remove suckers outside a row 30 to 60 cm (1 to 2 ft) wide (Iowa State).
Clear up. Take prunings away to help control cane diseases (Iowa State).
- Summer types: after picking.
- Autumn types: all to the ground in February.
- Remove prunings.
Raspberries in containers
Compact varieties crop in pots, though less than in the ground (RHS, Gardeners’ World).
Pot. At least 40 cm (16 in) wide and 30 cm (12 in) deep, filled with about two thirds peat-free multi-purpose compost and one third loam-based compost (RHS).
Plant one cane in the centre, at the depth it grew before, with sturdy bamboo canes for support.
Care. Water all season and feed monthly (RHS).
Problems
Waterlogging, viruses, raspberry beetle and birds are common troubles.
Common raspberry problems
Wet soil, virus-infected plants and skipped pruning cause many failures.
Canes wilting and dying
- Root rot
- Waterlogging
Roots suffocated in wet soil (Oregon State). Replant in a raised bed or mounded row. See soil.
Stunted, distorted plants
- Virus
Viruses spread by aphids; there is no cure. Remove affected plants and replant with certified stock (RHS, UMN).
Canes fail to leaf
- Winter cold
Winter-killed cane tips or buds (Oregon State). Choose a cultivar for your zone and cut back to live wood (Iowa State).
Twisted, strap-like new growth
- Weedkiller
Glyphosate drift: raspberries are very sensitive to it (Oregon State).
More problems with raspberries
Common pests
Birds and squirrels
Take ripe fruit. Net with taut netting held clear of the canes and check it daily, or grow in a fruit cage (RHS, Gardeners’ World).
Spotted wing drosophila
A small fly whose larvae feed inside ripening berries, worst on late crops. Pick often; fine netting keeps it out (Oregon State).
Aphids
Usually harmless in themselves and eaten by birds and ladybirds (Gardeners’ World), but they spread viruses (RHS).
Common diseases
Root rot
In heavy or waterlogged soil. Some varieties are more susceptible (Oregon State). Good drainage is the only real defence.
Viruses
Stunting and distortion. Remove plants quickly and never propagate from them (RHS).
Grey mould
Fuzzy grey rot on fruit in wet weather (RHS). Pick often and avoid picking wet fruit.
Cane blights and rust
Blights and rust affect canes and leaves (RHS). Remove prunings to limit anthracnose and spur blight (Iowa State).
Harvest & Use
Pick every few days on dry days, gently, and chill straight away.
Harvesting raspberries
Summer-fruiting varieties start in June, with later ones into September; autumn-fruiting varieties crop from August, often well into October (RHS).
When. Richly coloured, plump fruit that pulls off its core with the gentlest tug (RHS, Gardeners’ World). Pick every three to four days, more often in warm or wet weather (Oregon State).
How. On a dry day: damp berries soon go mouldy. Pull gently without squeezing, into shallow containers two or three berries deep (RHS, Oregon State).
Before rain. Pick fully coloured berries even if they need a little more pull (Oregon State).
- Every three to four days.
- Dry fruit only.
- Shallow containers.
Storing and using raspberries
Raspberries are best eaten the day they’re picked (Gardeners’ World).
Fridge. Chill straight away (Oregon State), unwashed, in a single layer, for a few days (Gardeners’ World).
Freezing. Spread on a tray to open-freeze, then box or bag them (Gardeners’ World).
Using. Fresh, or in jams, sauces, purées and desserts (RHS).
Propagation
Making new plants from suckers, and when not to.
New plants from suckers
Red raspberries send up suckers from their roots (Iowa State).
How. While plants are dormant, dig up healthy suckers that appear outside the row and replant them where you want them (RHS).
Only from young, certified plants. Older plants pick up viruses that pass to the new ones (RHS). Oregon State advises buying certified plants for any new planting rather than digging suckers from an old patch.
Black and purple raspberries don’t sucker (Oregon State).
More to Explore
Quick answers, guides that pair well with raspberries, and the sources behind this one.
Frequently asked questions
When should I plant raspberry canes?
While dormant, from November to March in the UK, or early spring in cold regions. See when to plant.
How do I know if my raspberries are summer or autumn fruiting?
Autumn types fruit at the tips of this year’s canes from August; summer types fruit on last year’s canes.
When do I prune raspberries?
Summer types straight after picking; autumn types in February. See pruning.
Do raspberries need support?
Summer-fruiting types do; autumn types usually stand on their own. See supports.
How far apart should I plant raspberries?
40 to 60 cm (16 to 24 in), with 1.5 to 2 m (5 to 6½ ft) between rows.
Can I grow raspberries in a pot?
Compact varieties, in a pot at least 40 cm (16 in) wide. See containers.
Why are my raspberry canes dying?
Often wet soil and root rot. See common problems.
How long do raspberry plants last?
About ten years (RHS); five to 15 depending on type, soil and pests (Oregon State).
Related guides
Sources
- How to grow raspberries (opens in a new tab) Royal Horticultural Society
- Growing raspberries in your home garden (EC 1306) (opens in a new tab) Oregon State University Extension Service
- How to prune raspberries (opens in a new tab) Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
- Growing raspberries in the home garden (opens in a new tab) University of Minnesota Extension
- How to grow raspberries (opens in a new tab) BBC Gardeners’ World