How to Grow Raspberries: A Complete Guide

Fresh raspberries, jam, liqueur, or frozen for winter treats—homegrown raspberries are a delicious reward. Here’s how to succeed.

Choose the Right Type

Two categories: summer-bearing (one large crop in late summer) and fall-bearing (everbearing) (two crops: early autumn and a smaller early summer crop). Colors: red (‘Latham’, ‘Autumn Bliss’, ‘Heritage’), black (‘Blackhawk’, ‘Bristol’), yellow (‘Honeyqueen’, ‘Fallgold’). Red raspberries are generally hardier and more productive.

Select the Best Site

Full sun, well-drained soil amended with compost. Plant bare-root in spring or container-grown spring through autumn. Space canes 20 inches apart, rows 5 feet apart. Canes will fill in; just remove those straying into paths.

Pruning by Type

• Summer-bearing: After harvesting a cane’s fruit, cut it to the ground—it fruits only once. Leave new canes for next year.
• Fall-bearing: Wait until the following autumn to prune, OR cut the entire stand to the ground in early spring for one large late crop (a common grower trick).

Training and Support

Canes grow 4–6 feet. Trellising isn’t mandatory if you have room for arching canes. For tidier rows, install a wire fence with 2–3 vertical wires on T-bar posts.

Harvest and Common Issues

Pick by gentle tugging; they don’t store well—eat fresh or freeze. Misshapen berries indicate poor pollination (cold, wet spring). Consider mason bees for early pollination. Powdery mildew is common—clean up fallen fruit and leaves. This also helps control raspberry rust (rusty dots on leaves).

Raspberries are among the easiest, most rewarding, and productive fruits for home gardens.