Raspberry Plants

Info

The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the subgenus Idaeobatus of the genus Rubus; the name also applies to these plants themselves.

Raspberries are customarily planted in the winter as dormant canes, although planting of tender, plug plants produced by tissue culture has become much more common. Raspberries were traditionally a mid-summer crop; however, with new technology and cultivars, they can now be obtained year-round. Raspberries need ample sun and moisture is essential for optimal development; they are easy to grow and have a tendency to spread unless pruned.

The fruit is harvested when it comes off the receptacle easily and has turned a deep color (red, black, purple, or golden yellow, depending on the species). This is when the fruits are most ripe and sweetest. Excess fruit can be made into raspberry jam or frozen. The leaves can be used fresh or dried in herbal and medicinal teas. The flowers can be a major nectar source for honeybees and other pollinators.

Varieties

  • Anne - pp No. 10411

    EVERBEARING. Known for its size, unusual golden yellow berries, and super-sweet flavor. Highly productive. Popular choice for fresh markets and home gardens.

  • Caroline

    EVERBEARING. Large, red, firm and cohesive fruit. Unique flavor with a tangy twist. Very productive with a long harvest season. Vigorous growth habits and high yields.

  • Cumberland

    Mid Season. Large, round, firm, glossy black berries. Excellent, sweet, rich flavor. Good quality. Vigorous, upright plant. Good for eating fresh or making jams or jellies.

  • Heritage

    EVERBEARING. Large, sweet, dark red berries. Mild flavor; a bit dry. Superior quality. Strong, vigorous, very productive upright self-supporting canes. Spreads rapidly. Fairly tolerant of heavier soils.

  • Jewel

    Compact clusters of large, firm, juicy, glossy, black berries. Rich raspberry flavor. Very high quality. Extremely vigorous, reliable plants produce heavily. Most disease resistant of all black raspberries. Ripens mid-season.

  • Nova

    Medium to large size, dark red fruit. Mild flavor. Good disease resistance. High yielding. Medium height canes. Winter hardy. Ripens early in the season.

  • Reveille

    Large to very large, bright red fruit. Superb flavor. Productive, vigorous, upright plant with strong canes. Very winter hardy. Ripens early.

  • Royalty

    Large to very large, firm round, very sweet, medium purple fruit. Tastes like a tangy, red raspberry when picked at full red stage. Develops stronger, sweeter flavor when fully ripe at royal purple stage. High quality. Vigorous productive canes. Ripens late.

Care and Maintenance

  1. Selecting Varieties

    Raspberries and Blackberries are two of the most popular small fruits. Growing berries in your yard is very easy and you will be rewarded with fresh juicy berries year after year. Everbearing red raspberries with medium to large size berries will produce berries most of the summer. Blackberry plants produce one full crop per season.

  2. Site Selection and Planting

    Select a location with partial to full sun in slightly acidic soil which you can adjust very easily. Do not plant raspberries or blackberries where tomatoes, potatoes, or eggplants have been grown previously. Spacing should be no closer than 3 feet between plants. A fail safe way to grow raspberries and blackberries in almost any soil is to incorporate peat moss into top soil. Dig a hole at least 2 times the width and the same depth of the plant container. Mix 50% peat moss to 50% top soil and set aside. Remove plant from container and lightly roughen up the outside surface of the root ball. Place plant in hole and fill with peat moss and top soil mixture and pack firmly. Water thoroughly and surround your plants with 2-3 inches of mulch to conserve moisture, prevent weeds and add organic matter. Pine needles and pine bark work very well. Repeat mulching every other year.

  3. Watering and Fertilizing

    To keep your plants healthy and productive, make sure they don't dry out in the summer. Remember: damp in summer - 1-2 inches per week, dry in winter. Spread mulch around the roots to help keep in an adequate supply of moisture. It is very important that your berry plants receive adequate moisture during fruit production, it is essential to producing plump, juicy berries.

    Plants need to be fertilized twice a year. In early spring, before growth begins apply an acidity boosting fertilizer or an organic soil supplement to keep soil pH between 5.5-6.5 and again in two months.

  4. Harvesting

    The fruit on berry plants are ready for harvesting when they begin to fall off of the stems on their own or when gently pulled. When the berries begin to ripen they will need to be picked every couple of days to make sure they do not rot on the vine or fall off onto the ground. Freezing berries is easy. Simply spread clean, firm berries on a cookie sheet and pop it in the freezer. When frozen, the berries roll nicely into ziplock bags.

  5. Pruning

    In the fall, after all fruit has been picked off of your raspberry plants, cut down all the fruited canes right to soil level. New canes in the spring will replace the cut canes. If there are more than five or six new canes, select the best of even size, removing any odd extra-vigorous canes and any growing up between the rows at a distance from the main rootstocks. For blackberry plants only cut away dead stems - do not cut down as is instructed for raspberry plants.