One day, while watering my planter box of raspberries, I reflected on all the deliciousness these shrubs have brought me. Not only do they provide wonderfully tasty fruit (especially when eaten freshly picked and warmed by the sun), but they are easy to care for. Here is some advice learned over three years while growing them.
If you have a neighbor who can give you some local vines, you're really in luck. Our raspberry canes were a surprise gift from our neighbor Amy. The bare-root canes sat in a plastic bag with some soil that we kept moist for a couple days as we got our planter box ready to transplant them, to no ill-effects. These local vines fruited that same summer. In contrast, our nursery-bought vines did not. Only this year are the nursery-bought vines fruiting, but hey, I'm not complaining!
Raspberries can appropriate your garden! That is why we decided to put the raspberries in a planter box, and even though we tried to segregate them, it started seeding itself outside the box. Therefore decide, beforehand, how many vines you will want, how big you are willing to let it spread, and plant accordingly.
After the canes fruit and the leaves fall off, you must prune them. The old canes are no longer viable and will not fruit again. I usually prune them in late winter. Amy complained that her raspberries were no longer fruiting as much. When I questioned her, she admitted she hadn't pruned them. Our raspberries fruit every year, and this year looks to be even more bountiful than the last. Here is a video about pruning raspberries that I found useful.
Although raspberries grow easily, amend their soil with compost, organic fruit and berry feed, worm juice, and even some rock dust. I am very concerned about keeping the soil rich in order to have healthy plants, especially since they are in a planter box. It seems to have paid off because our plants are vigorous berry makers and healthy.
Keep the raspberries moist. I read in The Backyard Berry Book by Stella Otto that many berries originated on cool mountainsides. If you've found berries in the wild, you may recall that they usually appear in cooler, moister, and greener areas. I usually give our raspberries a little water each day (and one good soaking a week), but please note that my planter box is on the south side of my house which means full-sun, so do water accordingly for your plant's situation.
Give the raspberry canes some vertical support. A gardening teacher of mine used some flexible, orange fencing to hold up her raspberries. I am going to buy a trellis and attach the canes upright with plastic gardening tape.
Organic Fruit
May you grow many delicious raspberries! If you liked this article, please feel free to favorite or share it. As always, I welcome your comments and questions below.
Planting Raspberries - Tips to Plant Raspberries in Your Garden
Mil Apostol has an organic garden and beehives. Find out more at her blog http://UrbanFarmAndBeehives.com where she shares knowledge about organic gardening and chemical-free beekeeping. Come visit and receive a free report on what to do before getting your first urban hive.
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